Projects

Projects working with Cincinnati organizations and the community

Center led research projects including discussion groups and science workshop

Courses the Center offers at University of Cincinnati

Sustainability
PEWS Sustainability is an initiative to: highlight sustainability research at UC, support community partnerships with sustainability goals, host public-facing events about sustainability. This is initiative is funded by the Research 2030 Initiative of the UC Office of Research.

Bringing Philosophy to Science Fairs Project
As part of the Whiting Public Engagement Program, Melissa Jacquart and team will partner with the Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative to pilot an after-school Philosophy & Science Fair Club for 7th and 8th-grade students.

Mercantile Library Science Talks
Annual talks organized with the Mercantile Library on inspiring and important scientific themes, such as how paleontology helps us appreciate how radically different the world around us has been and could be (The Marsupial Bulldog’s Tale, 2018) and how climate change will impact our city (Climate Change/Cincinnati , 2019).

Connections with Local Schools
PEWS is excited to support connections with local schools in Cincinnati. PEWS has organized events with locals schools including visits to UC so students can experience what college is like. We are excited to continue to host events and build connections with local schools.

Science Harvest
Geoscience graduate students have designed and implemented a PEWS supported science outreach initiative at local Cincinnati farmer’s markets. The goal of this program is to bring science into the community by producing hands-on science activities and having conversations with attendees.

Book Series: Elements in Public Engagement with Science
This new interdisciplinary book series with Cambridge University Press is an interdisciplinary exploration of academic research and professional expertise related to interfaces between science and the public.

Sustainability Research and Discussion Group
This student-led group launched in the spring of 2022 to give graduate students across the disciplinary spectrum a chance to connect, cross-pollinate, and co-create ideas for developing their research projects in the field of sustainability. 

Educational Research on Engaging Science Curriculum
PEWS Faculty Affiliate Carlie Trott is examining the transformative impact of the Engaging Science curriculum, including its potential to advance the public reach of STEM disciplines and diversity and inclusion in STEM disciplines. This research will facilitate the adaptation of the curriculum for implementation in diverse contexts.

Public Engagement with Science Workshop
Interdisciplinary workshop bringing together academics and practitioners to further theoretical and practical resources for public outreach and engagement about science. Videos of talks and panel available.

Sharing Science Experience
This two-day workshop provides graduate students with an introduction to public engagement with science through a hands-on experience at the Cincinnati Museum Center. The workshop is facilitated by a Museum Educator and UC faculty in the sciences and humanities. This 1-credit course, HUM/SOSC/NSCI 7000, is offered twice in the Fall semester.

Public Engagement with Science
Engaging science graduate course takes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching the presentation of science to public audiences. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop projects for public engagement, to be carried out in local and regional venues. This semester long 3-credit course, HUM/SOSC/NSCI 7030, is offered in the Spring semester.

Engaging Science Fellowships
Engaging Science Fellows will be placed with a community organization in Greater Cincinnati to contribute to their public-facing work and execute an independent project in public engagement with science. The cohort of Fellows will also meet regularly throughout the summer for faculty and peer mentorship. Students must have completed HUM/SOSC/NSCI 7000 and 7030 to qualify for the fellowship.

How Science Works Undergraduate Course
Undergraduate course satisfying natural sciences and quantitative reasoning general education requirements that engages deeply with the nature of scientific methods and scientific reasoning, teaching science majors and business majors alike (and others from across the university) to ask deep questions about science and its relationship to our daily life. Initial research underway to assess the impact of this course on students’ understanding of science.

Research and Discussion Group
Interdisciplinary group of UC researchers that meets regularly to discuss topics related to public engagement in science. UC undergraduate and graduate students can enroll for one credit to participate with the group.

Faculty Affiliate Individual Projects
Public-facing presentations and writing, increasing the visibility of socially engagement in a variety of relevant disciplines, interdisciplinary work on scientific methods and reasoning, etc.

Graduate Student Projects
Projects, presentations, and goals of graduate students that have been involved with PEWS throughout their time at UC.