Conveying Environmental Science to Diverse Audiences

Catalog description

It is essential for natural scientists to be able to communicate complex topics in clear, vivid, and engaging ways to diverse audiences, especially to the public. This course is designed to synthesize and apply knowledge from the environmental natural sciences to prepare students for scientific leadership in an increasingly globalized, technological, and environmentally strained world. This course will strengthen written, verbal, and visual communication skills by studying and applying best practices of science communication. We will explore persuasion, decision-making, and the formation of attitudes and beliefs. These skills and knowledge will be integrated with various case studies from the environmental natural sciences to investigate how science communication can motivate or constrain efforts to achieve environmental literacy and sustainability. This course will involve reading, writing, and creating various modes of communication including articles, oral presentations, infographics, and blog posts. Satisfies Environmental Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies Public Health major requirement. Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.