Science communication and public engagement with science are activities which are close to my heart. I first started working on sharing my science with a wider audience during my PhD, visiting schools to talk about marine renewable energy and exploring the hidden world of zooplankton at the SAMS open day.

Since then I’ve come to believe that it is incumbent upon scientists to try to share their work widely, outside of the ivory tower. While this includes the general public, it also includes sharing our work with governments and industry, NGOs, and other organisations; providing an evidence base upon which society, together, can address our common challenges.

On a personal note, I love public speaking, but I am now beginning to recognize the importance of two way engagement, discussion, debate, participation, and creativity. Check out the NERC-funded Future of Our Seas project on my projects page for a great example of a first step in the right direction.

If you want to collaborate on communicating science, creativity, or other types of public engagement, I’d be keen to hear from you! Please do get in touch!

Here’s a brief CV of my Public Engagement activities:

• 2018
  • SHORE: How we see the sea. Marine science advisor to filmmakers Margaret Salmon and Ed Webb-Ingall on the Creative Scotland funded SHORE project.
  • EU Parliamentary Breakfast meeting on the changing Gulf Stream, the Arctic, and Europe’s climate. Organiser, in partnership with SEARICA and the Horizon 2020Blue-Action project.
  • NERC Future of Our Seas project, co-investigator & local lead in Oban.
• 2017
  • “Daring to Lead: Homeward Bound 2016”, invited public lecture with Equate Scotland and the ‘Audacious Women’ Festival, Edinburgh, February 2017
  • “Inspiration on ice: 21 days, 76 women, a ship in Antarctica and hundreds of thousands of penguins”, Scottish Association for Marine Science Seminar Series, Oban, February 2017
  • “Climate change and extreme weather: the science behind the headlines“. Glasgow Skeptics, January, 2017
•  2016
  • “What does it take to be an Antarctic Explorer?”, CU Fridays invited workshop Children’s University, Edinburgh, November 2016
  • “Women in Marine Science: Reclaiming our Narrative”, invited public lecture at the “INNOVATEMARINE” event for VisitScotland, St. Andrews, September 2016
  • “A History of Women in Marine Science”, invited lecture, Wine and Science, Oban, May 2016
  • “Women who (marine) science!” invited speaker, ‘Girls in STEM’ event with Accenture UK and STEMettes, Edinburgh, January 2016
• 2015
  • Belladrum Festival 2015
  • Invited delegate to Research Councils UK Research, Innovate, Grow Event, promoting research excellence in tidal energy on behalf of NERC to an audience of senior business professionals, policymakers, journalists, and research council managers. July 2nd 2015.
  • Invited speaker, MASTS PhD Programme ‘Meet the Policymaker Day’. June 17th, 2015.
  • Soundscapes at Skerryvore:
• 2012-2014
  • Brown-bag lunchtime lecture at Carnegie Wave Energy, “At the interface of engineering and ecology”, March 2014
  • Argyll and Bute Astronomical Club Science Festival: Scary Science and Spooky Fish exhibit. Halloween, 2013
  • 2012  Invited public lecture, “Marine Renewable Energy: A Barnacle’s-Eye View”, Festival of the Sea, Oban, UK. 22 May, 2012