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Astrobiology Science Communication Guild

Logo by Anthony Chan (NASA Astrobiology)

The NASA Astrobiology Program is proud to hold science communication as one of its core values. We have expressed that value through a variety of creative initiatives over the years such as FameLab USA, and now, the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild. The Guild is an international, community-based network of astrobiologists who engage in science communication with diverse audiences and learners. Guild leadership strives to serve its members by bridging astrobiologists into existing outreach, communication, education, and public engagement opportunities. Much like the artisan guilds of old Europe, Guild members come together to build community and support each other as evolving science communicators, promote a more diverse and inclusive astrobiology community, and to leverage, innovate, and co-create science communication opportunities to serve broad societal needs. Welcome, and please join us!

Daniella Scalice, Guild co-founder

Astrobiology SciComm Guild Objectives

The Astrobiology Science Communication (SciComm) Guild is an international, community-based, community-led network of astrobiologists who engage in science communications with diverse audiences and learners. The purpose of the Guild is to help members in their evolution as SciComm practitioners by connecting astrobiology subject matter experts (SMEs) to public engagement opportunities through NASA and external partners, especially NASA’s Science Activation program (SciAct).

· Objective 1: Guild members will contribute astrobiology expertise to NASA and other astrobiology SciComm opportunities, initiatives, programs and projects.

· Objective 2: Guild members’ science communication skills will be enhanced by participation in professional development workshops. Topics of these workshops will be relevant to emerging science communicators, increasing the tools that Guild members will have available in their journey as well-rounded researchers and science communicators.

· Objective 3: Guild members will be participants in the process of community building in astrobiology and may receive support (e.g., resources, collaborators) if they have their own ideas for SciComm initiatives.

Membership

Our members are diverse and span different interests within astrobiology. Our member roster can be found here.

Want to join? Please contact svetlana.shkolyar@nasa.gov. Once you’re a member, join in the conversation in our Slack workspace and meet other members!

Science Communication Guild Meetings

We bring Guild members diverse SciComm opportunities with NASA and external partners regularly at our monthly meetings. Guild members are notified when upcoming meetings are planned by email. Upcoming meetings and other events can also be found here [coming soon!].

Watch recordings of our monthly meetings, where leaders from the science communication world present on opportunities for astrobiologists to participate in public outreach, education, and other events.

Meeting #10, March 19, 2024: Help Community College instructors teach science better with NASA Community College Network

Meeting #09, December 8, 2023: Exoplanet Citizen Science with with NASA SciAct Exoplanet Watch team

Meeting #08, October 30, 2023: Sharings from the Guild community of practice on astrobiology SciComm activities and opportunities

Meeting #07, September 18, 2023: Visualize, explore, and analyze the surfaces of other worlds using real data from spacecraft with NASA SciAct Solar System Treks team’s online portals

Meeting #06, July 24, 2023: Connecting Scientists and Engineers to NASA’s Science Activation Effort with the NASA SciAct SCOPE team

Meeting #05, June 27, 2023: Visualizing your stellar, exoplanetary, or planetary data sets interactively with NASA SciAct’s OpenSpace team

Meeting #04, May 2, 2023: Broadening Participation in STEM by Focusing on Identity Development. This was a special meeting externally hosted by NSF’s STEM for All Multiplex, not the Guild.

Meeting #03, April 24, 2023: Culturally Inclusive Planetary Engagement with NASA SciAct’s Planetary ReaCH (Resources and Content Heroes) team

Meeting #02, March 23, 2023: Digital Learning SciComm opportunities for students, educators, and scientists with NASA SciAct’s Infiniscope team

Meeting #01, Feb. 15, 2023: Do SciComm while doing field work at national parks with NASA SciAct’s Earth to Sky team

SHORT SURVEYMember Needs Assessment

Are you a new member of the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild? Please fill out this short survey if you recently joined to share what you would like to gain from the Guild.

Questions include personal goals for science communication and outreach, topics and events that interest you, and how you would like the guild to contribute to the community.

Fill Out the Member Needs Assessment

REPORT FORMOutreach Reporting Tool

Have you recently completed an outreach activity with the Guild? Tell us about it!

Please fill out this short form if you have participated in a SciComm opportunity.

Use the Outreach Reporting Tool

Meet the Team

Dr. Svetlana ShkolyarFull Bio

Dr. Svetlana Shkolyar, Guild Implementation Lead

Dr. Svetlana Shkolyar is an astrobiologist who specializes in developing life detection techniques and strategies on planetary surfaces using laser spectroscopy instruments, particularly on present and upcoming Mars missions. She is currently the community engagement lead for NASA’s Center for Life Detection, where she leads CLD’s engagement strategy to increase awareness and participation in tools to help life detection mission planning efforts.

She is also passionate about using the powerful narrative of astrobiology to engage students and the public in learning science and recognizing its importance in society. In her role as an educational liaison between the NASA Astrobiology Program and NASA’s Science Activation program, she bridges astrobiology resources and subject matter experts to diverse public engagement programs. When she’s not doing astrobiology, she is doing science experiments of a different kind – in her kitchen. The ultimate experiment is whether her two kids like her creations.

Mike Toillion@miketoillion

Mike Toillion, Co-Implementation Lead

Mike Toillion is a media production specialist and filmmaker for the NASA Astrobiology Program. Mike founded the NASA Astrobiology YouTube channel and has created multiple science communication video series, including the Early Career Spotlight Series, Ask an Astrobiologist, Countdown to Mars, Exploring the Universe with NASA’s JWST, and Astrobiology in the Field.

After work, you can find him hiking, climbing, and snowboarding the mountains of Colorado, walking his bulldog, Mochi, and traveling the world in search of the greatest street food.

Dr. Hilarie Davis

Dr. Hilarie Davis, External Evaluator

Dr. Hilarie Davis is an external evaluator in science education. She has worked extensively with NASA Astrobiology on learning progressions, AbGradCon, Santander, Navajo education, incarcerated programs, Winter School, and the Guild community. She uses a collaborative model of evaluation to iterate with program staff to provide the most effective programs, and collect the best evidence of effects. As a former K-12 teacher and administrator, she is keenly aware of issues and opportunities for formal and informal education and outreach. She has evaluated projects funded by NASA, NIH, NSF, and NOAA.

Daniella Scalice

Daniella Scalice, Co-Founder

Daniella Scalice is the Education Lead for NASA’s Astrobiology Program as well as the Community-Based Education Lead for the MUREP for American Indian/Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE) program of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. Daniella also leads the American Indian/Alaska Native Working Group for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Daniella has led the Astrobiology for the Incarcerated program, as well as a FameLab, a science communication training program for early career scientists.

With Guild Evaluator Hilarie Davis, EdD, Daniella co-developed an Impact Assessment Method and together they also developed the Astrobiology Learning Progressions which organizes astrobiology content to support learners of all ages. Daniella is a settler colonialist of European descent who lives and works on the lands of the Piscataway in the occupied territories known by some today as Annapolis, Maryland, United States.