When Science Speaks

Scientific work is inherently specific, but the skill set of an effective researcher should be diverse and varied. Do you have a broad skill set or could it use some development work? Here to explain the value of a diverse skill set and how to cultivate one is Dr. Yaihara Fortis Santiago.

Yaihara is the Manager of Postdoctoral Affairs at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Previously, she served as the director of the Science Alliance, the professional development branch of the New York Academy of Sciences. In her work at the Science Alliance, she worked closely with the career development offices at many Science Alliance partner Institutions, as well as with the student and postdoc led organizations to consolidate resources and implement new ideas for professional development programming.

Dr. Fortis obtained her bachelors' from the University of Puerto Rico and her doctorate from Brandeis University. Her doctoral work explored the role of multisensory integration in taste processing. In 2014, she completed the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation. In 2004, Yaihara participated in the Leadership Alliance SREIP program at Columbia University.

What You'll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

• [1:20] Mark introduces his guest, Dr. Yaihara Fortis Santiago.
• [3:45] Yaihara talks about her work with postdocs.
• [6:40] What was Yaihara's experience like as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow?
• [10:45] Yaihara shares what it was like working with Ciencia Puerto Rico.
• [15:40] How did Yaihara develop the Science Alliance Leadership Training (SALT) program?
• [21:00] Why it's helpful to stretch past your scientific identity.
• [22:50] How did Yaihara develop as a strong communicator?
• [26:20] Tips from Yaihara on how to develop your communication skills.
• [28:15] Why you should broaden your skill sets.

Connect with Dr. Yaihara Fortis Santiago

• Yaihara on LinkedIn

Resources & People Mentioned

• National Science Foundation: NSF
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Ciencia Puerto Rico
• University of Puerto Rico
• The New York Academy of Sciences
• Science Alliance Leadership Training (SALT) program
• AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship

Start broadening your skill set as early as possible

As you look back on your education, do you think it would have been helpful to start expanding your skill set early on? Think about how much more confident you would have been if you learned how to communicate with a broad audience in your undergraduate years. Or what if you had been exposed to leadership development courses early in your graduate level work? Time and time again, when we examine efforts to teach students a wide array of skill sets it has been found to improve the educational experience.

Yaihara Fortis Santiago is spearheading valuable work in getting students and postdocs into environments where they can expand their skill sets. For Yaihara, the desire to educate and equip students comes from her experience as a graduate student and postdoc researcher. Having leaders invest in her personal development has motivated Yaihara to do the same by creating pathways of opportunity for students and postdocs.

Standing out can be a good thing

There is no denying that our culture broadcasts the message that standing out from the crowd is not a good thing. From an early age, we are trained to fit in and blend in; uniformity is the ultimate goal. While there are some exceptions to this rule, broadly speaking this message plays out on the schoolyard and in the workplace. What if standing out from the rest was seen as a good thing?

Fitting in with the culture of your industry or field of study can be valuable as it creates a shorthand lingo and provides a helpful cultural dynamic. Unfortunately, this type of uniformity can cause individuals with significant potential to go unnoticed and undeveloped. It doesn't have to be that way, a great way you can stand out from your peers by stepping outside of your scientific identity. Take time to write or speak to audiences that are foreign to your field of study. Develop a way to let your personality shine through your presentations, a great way to stretch your skill set is to learn from someone in your professional circle who does this well.

Learn more about professional development and how to cultivate a diverse skill set by listening to Yaihara's full conversation with Mark on this helpful episode of When Science Speaks.

Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks

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Scientific work is inherently specific, but the skill set of an effective researcher should be diverse and varied. Do you have a broad skill set or could it use some development work? Here to explain the value of a diverse skill set and how to cultivate one is Dr. Yaihara Fortis Santiago.

What happens when postdocs and PhDs are part of an educational institution but seem to slip through the cracks? Ideally, the school would go to work rectifying the situation as it did at Rutgers University. Here to discuss her work with postdocs at Rutgers is this week's guest, Yvonne Gonzalez.

Yvonne has over ten years of experience in the development and management of several multi-million dollar education and workforce development projects aimed to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minorities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Supporting the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Yvonne helps university leadership maximize talents and opportunities for individuals and the institution by developing strategies that build capacity and advance faculty development initiatives university-wide.

Most recently, Yvonne pioneered Rutgers' first Faculty Learning Community, now called Faculty Leading Change, and Rutgers' first faculty-to-faculty mentoring program, called the Rutgers Connection Network Mentoring Program, which has resulted in increased levels of productivity and career satisfaction for faculty.

She also oversees the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, which supports postdoctoral researchers and their faculty mentors by providing a central hub for professional development opportunities, knowledge sharing, and community building.

What You'll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

• [1:00] Mark introduces his guest, Yvonne Gonzalez.
• [3:15] What led Rutgers to establish its own office of Postdoctoral Affairs?
• [5:45] Why is science communication such a popular topic lately?
• [8:00] Is advocacy considered a "dirty word" in the scientific community?
• [11:30] Why is "servant leadership" so important?
• [13:30] Do postdocs see themselves as leaders?
• [15:00] How Rutgers is resourcing postdocs.
• [17:00] Addressing post Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) funding.

Connect with Yvonne Gonzalez

• Yvonne on LinkedIn

Resources & People Mentioned

• Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training | BEST
• Faculty Leading Change
• Rutgers Connection Network Mentoring Program
• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs - Rutgers University

We rise by lifting others

What is the point of advancing in your career or your field of study if you fail to help others along the way? In her conversation with Mark, Yvonne mentioned this wonderful quote, "We rise by lifting others." That quote gets to the heart of what Yvonne is passionate about, servant leadership.

Consider those that helped you to the point you find yourself today on your career path. Where would you be without that teacher that nurtured and encouraged your interests? Would you have ever mapped out your path without a mentor? We don't have to have huge swaths of people left behind if we consider treating people as we would want to be treated in their situation. In big ways and small, there has been someone there to give you a nudge in the right direction. You can do that for someone else.

Why "Advocacy" shouldn't be a dirty word in the scientific community

If you've been paying close attention to the academic and scientific communities, you may have noticed a recent rise in discussions around science communication. For too long, we've had brilliant researchers who toil away without the skill sets needed to communicate their work to a larger audience. In this unprecedented time of resources and opportunity, we need more scientists and researchers who can articulate the relevance of their findings.

Closely linked to the topic of science communication is the subject of advocacy. It seems that advocacy is known as a "dirty word" of sorts in the scientific community. Yvonne believes that advocacy is only a dirty word for those who don't know how to do it well. How do we change the conversation and make advocacy something that more postdocs and researchers engage in? It all comes down to pushing through discomfort to build the skills necessary to advocate for your field of study. With each opportunity you take to stand up and speak out for your work, the easier it will become.

Learn more about advocacy, science communication, and more from Yvonne's expert perspective by listening to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks

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What happens when postdocs and PhDs are part of an educational institution but seem to slip through the cracks? Ideally, the school would go to work rectifying the situation as it did at Rutgers University. Here to discuss her work with postdocs at Rutgers is this week’s guest, Yvonne Gonzalez.

What does it take to present your message and speak with impact? Polling data shows that year after year the most common fear is public speaking. How can you overcome that fear, convey your research, or message with confidence? Here to lend her expertise and share her deep experience to this challenging subject is Allison Shapira.

Allison is the CEO and Founder of Global Public Speaking LLC, a company that helps people speak with confidence and authenticity in their speeches, presentations, and important conversations. She is a former opera singer who teaches public speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent the last 15 years working with Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations around the world. Allison has assembled a world-class team of experts within her firm who help clients build their public speaking and presentation skills, executive presence, and media skills. She holds a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, is a member of the National Speakers Association, and is an internationally-renowned singer/songwriter who uses music as a way to help others find their voice and their courage to speak.

Allison is the author of, "Speak with Impact: How to Command The Room and Influence Others", published by HarperCollins Leadership. She has spoken at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit and was a finalist for 2017 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, San Diego Chapter.

What You'll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

• [1:05] Mark introduces his guest, Allison Shapira.
• [4:00] Why are people afraid of public speaking? Is it a fear across cultures?
• [6:45] Unique challenges for women in public speaking.
• [10:50] What is uptalk? How do you avoid it?
• [12:45] Common mistakes people make with their body language when speaking.
• [14:00] How to develop an executive presence.
• [15:50] Allison talks about her personal struggles with public speaking.
• [18:10] A tip you can use to speak better in public.

Connect with Allison Shapira

• Allison's book - Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others
• Allison on LinkedIn

Why public speaking is such a common fear

Have you ever had someone explain to you why public speaking is such a common fear? Where does that fear come from? How do you push back against it? According to Allison Shapira, the fear of public speaking is likely rooted in our evolutionary story. The thing you fear most when you get up to speak in public is that you'll be rejected and alienated by your community. When we were in a more primitive and vulnerable state, that rejection meant exclusion from the group, banishment, and likely death, so the fear of losing acceptance in a larger group context remains with us to this day.

What is the solution? Do you just wake up one day and decide to stop being afraid of public speaking? Unfortunately, it is not that simple. If you want to overcome your fear and speak with impact, you must put in the time and practice. That might sound like an easy solution, but you'd be surprised at how many people fail to follow that advice. Practice won't remove all of your fear but it will make you more comfortable with the process, and that is half the battle. You can learn more about speaking confidently by reading Allison's book, "Speak with Impact."

Don't let your body language hold you back

Did you know that there are nervous tics or fidgety behaviors that many people use when they are speaking in public? Do you have a tic or nervous behavior that you resort to when you are public speaking? While it might sound innocuous, the truth is, your body language communicates a lot to your audience. If you went to a presentation where the speaker was pacing back and forth on the stage like a caged tiger, would you find that distracting? Of course, you would.

Thankfully, there are inspiring leaders out there like Allison Shapira who dedicate their work to helping leaders to speak with impact. Allison teaches that you should use your body language when speaking but only as a deliberate component of your presentation. Don't get up there and wave your arms around to sound interesting - that won't work. If you are going to use your hands or even move from one part of the stage to another, do it on purpose, for effect.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Allison has so many more helpful insights to share. Make sure to listen to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
• https://bayerstrategic.com/
• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic
• On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bayer-Strategic-Consulting-206102993131329
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Subscribe to When Science Speaks on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher

What does it take to present your message and speak with impact? Polling data shows that year after year the most common fear is public speaking. How can you overcome that fear, convey your research, or message with confidence? Here to lend her expertise and share her deep experience to this challenging subject is Allison Shapira.

What does it take to bridge the gap between real-world societal challenges and the academic world? If you had your way, how would you unite the academic with pragmatic? This week, Mark sits down with the University of Johannesburg's Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Internationalisation, Dr. Saurabh Sinha.

Saurabh obtained his Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering and PhD degrees in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria (UP). As a published researcher, he has authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences. Saurabh is also the Managing Editor of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) Africa Research Journal.

Saurabh was awarded the 2007 SAIEE Engineer of the Year Award, 2010 University of Pretoria (UP) Laureate Award and 2013 TW Kambule NRF-NSTF Award as an emerging researcher for an outstanding contribution to Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI) through research and its outputs. Beyond his academic contributions, Saurabh served as an industrial consultant for Business Enterprises at the University of Pretoria.

What You'll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

• [1:05] Mark introduces his guest, Saurabh Sinha.
• [3:00] What led Saurabh to his career in engineering?
• [5:00] Saurabh talks about his work with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
• [6:30] What is Saurabh working on right now?
• [9:00] Saurabh explains how his work plays out in an urban environment like Johannesburg.
• [12:00] How does the Postdoctoral program operate at the University of Johannesburg?
• [14:30] The "Three-minute Thesis" and empowering students from rural environments.
• [18:15] Saurabh's advice for postdocs in engineering.
• [21:30] How did Saurabh develop his leadership skill set?
• [24:30] What are Saurabh's professional goals for 2019?

Connect with Dr. Saurabh Sinha

• Saurabh on LinkedIn

Resources & People Mentioned

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Solutions for societal challenges

With the increased threat of global warming and other monumental societal challenges, the public often looks to the experts to find pragmatic solutions. However, tension remains between the world of academia and real-world concerns. Who will help bridge the gap? What programs and incentives will help everyday folks embrace solutions they've never thought of before?

Dr. Saurabh Sinha is leading the charge to address this tension and pave a path forward so acidemia and everyday folks can work hand-in-hand toward practical solutions. In his work at the University of Johannesburg, Saurabh helps students with rural backgrounds understand how to develop and then deliver solutions to issues such as water scarcity, economic stagnation, and more. We need more champions like Sinha who are committed to the work of bridging the gap between what is taught in the classroom and the real world.

Advice for postdocs

Part of the challenge with bridging the gap between academic solutions to real-world concerns is dealing with a communication barrier. Students and postdocs need to proactively seek out resources and training that equip them to concisely and effectively communicate their work. Thankfully, institutions like the University of Johannesburg have rolled out efforts like "Three-minute Thesis" to help them hone their messaging.

Saurabh wants his students and postdocs to focus on two specific areas as they pursue their career paths, innovation and impact. Have you ever considered resource constraints as a catalyst for innovation? Drawing on his work in engineering, Saurabh explains how a lack of resources forced him and his colleagues to innovate and create designs within their limitations that exceeded expectations. Imagine the long-term impact if more programs equipped their students and researchers with the skill set to squeeze innovation out of the toughest limitations.

Make the most of your opportunity to learn from Saurabh's brilliant perspective by listening to his full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
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What does it take to bridge the gap between real-world societal challenges and the academic world? If you had your way, how would you unite the academic with pragmatic? This week, Mark sits down with the University of Johannesburg’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Internationalisation, Dr. Saurabh Sinha.

What would it look like for colleges and universities to invest in and begin creating community-based learning opportunities? Academics isolated in their "ivory tower" may be a stereotype, but, a lack of connection to communities outside of academia is a real dynamic that exists. Here to provide insight and expertise into the high-quality work of community-based learning is Johns Hopkins' Gia Grier McGinnis.

Gia has over fifteen years of broad-ranging experience in program management and community outreach. Her academic and professional careers have developed her research and communication skills to a very high level – she can connect and collaborate with pretty much anyone, across areas and functions, to mobilize them toward a common goal.

Gia's skill set applies to a wide variety of functions, but her interest is focused on civic engagement and public outreach. Gia's specialty is building and supporting programs and initiatives and then expanding them for sustainability. She also excels at translating complex information into communication tools that are easy to use by the public.

Gia is the Associate Director for the Johns Hopkins Center for Social Concern. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies at Washington College, her Master's degree in Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, and she is currently a PhD candidate at Morgan State University.

What You'll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks

• [1:12] Mark introduces his guest, Gia Greer McGinnis.
• [3:30] Why you need to understand your audience.
• [5:50] Gia talks about her work with community-based learning opportunities.
• [10:30] What is Baltimore Green Map?
• [12:20] Challenges with communicating risk to the public.
• [14:00] Discussing the role of women in politics.

Connect with Gia Grier McGinnis

• Gia on LinkedIn

Resources & People Mentioned

• Writers In Baltimore Schools
• Baltimore Green Map
• Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy—Prevention Research Sciences Center, Report on the CEASE Partnership (Communities Engaged and Advocating for Smoke Free Environments)
• Morgan State University—hosting June 21-22 2019 pre-conference, Addressing Urban Health Disparities through Participatory Health Research, in tandem with the Annual Working Meeting of the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research June 23-25 2019
• Johns Hopkins University—Engaged Scholar Faculty and Community Fellows Program
• Johns Hopkins University—Center for Social Concern (Homewood Student Affairs)
• Johns Hopkins University—Center for Educational Outreach (Whiting School of Engineering)
• National and international resources on engaged scholarship/community based participatory research/ STEM service-learning (science with the community) Campus-Community Partnerships for Health
• University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Center for Participatory Research
• Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center
• EPICS Service Learning Design Program (STEM)
• Imagining America
• National Resources on Campus Community and Civic Engagement Campus Compact
• All IN Democracy Challenge
• Democracy Works
• Johns Hopkins University--Hopkins Robotics Cup

How academia can engage their communities

Imagine the world of possibilities that could be unlocked by mobilizing colleges and universities in the work of community-based learning. If you are unfamiliar with the term, community-based learning is a teaching strategy that bridges academic theory and real-world practice. The strategy promotes students' academic learning and civic development while simultaneously addressing real-world problems, community needs, and interests. It is characterized by its emphasis on reciprocity and collaboration with community stakeholders.

Gia Grier McGinnis and her team at Johns Hopkins University have been engaged for several years with a program that focuses on community engagement and community partnerships. The Engaged Scholar Faculty and Community Fellows Program pairs faculty members and community partners to co-design and co-teach a community-based learning course for one semester. They also partner with a local Baltimore non-profit called Writers In Baltimore Schools (WBS). WBS's mission is to empower the voices of Baltimore City students through in-school, after-school, and summer programming that builds skills in literacy and communication while creating a community of support for young writers.

Communicating risk to the public

If you had to communicate risk to the public, what would be your approach? How do you take a complex problem that might require a multi-faceted solution and convey that broadly to the public? One of the most important factors in communicating risk to the public is to do so without causing alarm, which sounds like it is easier said than done.

In her work on this subject, Gia Grier McGinnis had her students study the government's response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan as a case study in what not to do. Any way you look at it, communicating risk to the public is not an easy task. Officials really have to walk the tightrope of expressing the right amount of risk without alarming the public, but they do need to convey the level of danger accurately.

To hear Gia expand on this topic as her work with community-based learning, make sure to listen to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
• https://bayerstrategic.com/
• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic
• On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bayer-Strategic-Consulting-206102993131329
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• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdanielbayer/
• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayerstrategic/
• On Medium: https://medium.com/@markbayer17

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