Stephanie Castillo | The #SciComm Generation
Bio | Stephanie Castillo is a Ph.D. candidate in Science Communication at Vanderbilt University. She is also the founder of Phuture Doctors, a digital media company that exposes viewers to diverse careers and professionals in STEM. Her mission: to share the stories of scientists from all intersections of life to young adults 13+ who do not typically see themselves represented on screen.
Stephanie has nine years of scientific training earning her B.S. and M.Sc. in Chemistry and began to pursue her Ph.D. in Chemistry before switching over to Science Communication. As a graduate student, Stephanie designs and produces science videos centered around identity, representation, and belonging for high school and college students. She is interested to see if videos can be used as a tool to increase interest and motivation towards science.
Her scientific background, teaching experience, and science filmmaking training as a 2019 Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow have shaped Stephanie to pave her career in becoming a full-time video producer, science communicator, and digital storyteller.
Summary | A few decades ago, any effort by a scientist to popularize or communicate their science to a broad audience would be met with criticism and ostracization from their peers. In the span of a generation, that sentiment has flipped completely. Scientists now feel a responsibility, even an excitement, to effectively communicate the work they're doing, whether that's through YouTube, Twitter, or giving TED talks.
This is the #SciComm generation. And they're going a step further, adding scientific rigor to the questions of efficacy and impact. There is an emerging science of science communication. Stephanie Castillo, founder of Phuture Doctors and the host of the Science of SciComm on Clubhouse, is at the center of the action.
An uninspiring graduate school experience led Castillo to questions about representation and an interest in science communication. pic.twitter.com/fySLbjX4jJ
— science better (@scibetter) June 11, 2021
Stories are the tool. That's how humans communicate.
— science better (@scibetter) June 11, 2021
Can stories be used to engage people in the *process* of science? The deficit model of "just add more information" isn't working. pic.twitter.com/IzyOkUIurU
The three types of science YouTubers. pic.twitter.com/yi9fsbc766
— science better (@scibetter) June 11, 2021