FOR THE GOOD OF THE PLANET

Understanding Science

everal years ago after making the short list for an academic position, I was asked to give a presentation as part of the final interview process. Knowing that my audience would be diverse, with a range of expertise and knowledge levels, I structured the talk accordingly. Afterward, someone remarked that I would never get the position. It was not that I was unqualified or inappropriate for the job, but that because everyone in the room understood my talk, I did not appear as the great expert from afar. I am lucky now to work at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where my expertise as a marine scientist and my strength in public communications are valued.

For years, scientists who chose to work with the media or public and translate the language of research into everyday layman’s terms were branded heretics, self-promoters, or simply unacceptable in academic circles. Today, more people recognize the importance of public communications; however our progress has been slow, and there remain obstacles to improving our ability to educate, engage, and inspire the nation’s citizens in science. Having an earth-science literate citizenry and government never has been more important. The escalation of the human population on Earth continues to threaten our finite, fragile resource base as well as the overall workings of our planet’s ecosystem. Investment in science and better environmental policies and management depend on our ability to explain their benefits to nonscientists such as managers, politicians, and the nation’s citizens.

I chose to leap from the traditional path of a research and teaching scientist to a focus on public outreach a few years ago. I began writing popular science books (The Oceans and Furious Earth: The Science and Nature of Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis, published by McGraw-Hill) and children’s books (SAND and Volcano, published by the National Geographic Society) and working with the media. Like some freelancers, however, I struggled without a steady income. The scientific community was just beginning to recognize the need for public outreach, and media opportunities were limited because most producers and editors believed (and still do) that ocean science is of little interest to the public.

I previously had obtained a master’s degree from the Rosenstiel School, and when the opportunity arose to return as assistant dean and director of outreach, I was thrilled.

My personal efforts to continue to publish and work with the media now complement my position and responsibilities at the school. As part of my job, I edit a daily radio spot on the oceans, work with the media (including recent appearances on CNN answering ocean-related questions), give talks to nonscientist groups, and help to develop other outreach efforts for the school.

Unfortunately, though the need and benefits of public outreach are now recognized, funding to support effective, coordinated programs is difficult to obtain. In addition, most scientists remain uncompensated for their work in this arena, and media opportunities, though increasing, are still limited.

On the bright side, the number of educational programs that combine training in science with journalism is growing, and the job opportunities in public outreach are increasing. This trend is encouraging, for to be good custodians of the Earth, we must communicate effectively about its dynamic ocean-atmosphere system. Otherwise, we threaten the planet’s health—and therefore, our own.

—Ellen Prager, M.S. ’88