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  • Article Item
    A group of people pose for a picture, all holding glass mugs branded with the Center for Communicating Science logo. Seven people stand upright in the back row, five of them are undergraduate student researchers, and two of the adult judges stand on the ends. Six people stand in the front row, five of them are undergraduate student researchers, and Brittney Harris, the coordinator, stands on the left of the front row.
    An exciting expansion, the second annual Undergraduate Nutshell Games takes place in Spring 2026 , article

    July 23, 2026. With $500 for conference travel and a highly coveted squirrel trophy on the line, the Center for Communicating Science established a space for undergraduate researchers to compete for the best research presentation given in just 90 seconds.

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    A woman in black clothes and dark purple hijab and glasses stands looking at a co-presenter man in white suit who is speaking into a microphone in front of a large screen with their powerpoint on it. They present to a lobby of people.
    AI ethics and policy through applied theatre: An experimental approach , article

    June 29, 2026. Just three years ago, more than 30,000 people signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems, warning of "profound risks to society and humanity." Today, with AI tools increasingly woven into everyday life with no pause in sight, the availability, power, use, and misuse of artificial intelligence affects every university student. These challenges inspired an applied theatre project to help students examine AI ethics.

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    Six participants stand in front of a large "LOVE" sign. The "O" features a graduation cap and the words "Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center." On the far left, beside the "L," a woman wears black pants, black shoes, a white shirt, a long gray cardigan, and a dark blue head scarf. Between the "L" and the "O," a bald man with ginger facial hair wears a short-sleeve blue shirt, khaki shorts, and black sneakers. Between the "O" and the "V," a man with short brown hair wears a dark blue striped shirt, gray shorts, and red sneakers. In front of the "V," a woman with long dirty blonde hair wears a long gray cardigan over a pink and orange floral shirt, with gray athletic shoes. Between the "V" and the "E," a woman with dark hair wears an all-black outfit with a bright pink blazer. On the far right, beside the "E," another woman with dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a black dress and dark blue flats.
    Nutshell Games hit the road: Inspiring future scientists in Southwest Virginia , article

    June 20, 2026. In April, six Virginia Tech graduate students and postdoctoral researchers packed up their 90-second research talks and traveled to Abingdon, Virginia, for the inaugural Nutshell Games on the Road. The event invited local eighth grade students and their families to experience research through storytelling, creativity, and conversation.

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    The image contains text saying "From Bench to Impact- Learning Lunch Series: Learn. Connect. Impact." and has a big blue and red wavy stripe across the photo. In front of this stripe there are five cartoon human scientists, three women and two men. Two holding and looking at beakers,, two others have a test tube and clip board and the other is looking through a microscope.
    Save the date! Lunchtime learning opportunities in communicating science and science policy , article

    June 11, 2026. Starting July 15, Research!America is offering a free learning lunch webinar series, titled “From Bench to Impact,” focuses on providing participants with tools, perspectives, and networking opportunities. The second two sessions of the series, on communicating science and science policy, might be of particular interest to our readers.

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    The image contains text saying "A quick guide to effective research communication" and contains five cartoon humans representing 5 different areas of effective communication, including making your research personal, direct, spontaneous, responsive, and emotionally vivid.
    CCS creates online resources for framework of effective communication , article

    June 11, 2026. Personal. Direct. Spontaneous. Responsive. Emotionally vivid. In all their workshops and courses aimed at helping people build their muscles of communication and connection, Center for Communicating Science (CCS) faculty focus on five core goals. Now each of these five pillars of effective communication is highlighted on the CCS website's Resources page, along with recommendations for additional reading and exercises for building and practicing skills.

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    Five graduate students stand aligned with big smiles, all wearing bright green t-shirts. A bright green door way and many bookshelves filled with books in the background. A diverse group, from left holding: a model brain, a blue cylinder, a model river, a tube and glass jar, and a large butterfly net.
    A recipe for success: New toolkit available for “Flip the Fair” event , article

    June 1, 2026. Flip the Flair is a hands-on, outreach-oriented science communication event intended to help researchers learn to present their findings to new audiences and to engage and empower children. Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science has recently released a toolkit to help others plan their own version of the popular event.

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    Science on Tap: Environmental Changes in Your Backyard
    Science on Tap: Environmental Changes in Your Backyard , article

    May 21, 2026. Have you ever noticed environmental changes right in your own backyard? That question set the stage for a talk led by Katie Burke and three guests featured in her recent series, “A Warming World, a Rural Challenge in Southwestern Virginia” for April's Science on Tap at Rising Silo Brewery.

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    Science on Tap: The hidden secrets of hepatitis E
    Science on Tap: The hidden secrets of hepatitis E , article

    April 7, 2026. A virus is simply a molecule of nucleic acid inside a protein coat. Unless they’re inside a living cell, they are unable to multiply. How do virologists, the scientists who study them, grow them in the lab when these microscopic infectious agents depend entirely on living cells? This is a question that blends curiosity with cutting-edge science, and it shapes Hannah Brown’s research. At the February Science on Tap, she guided the audience through the hidden world of viruses and the innovative methods scientists use to study them.

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    Three people stand together on a stage, smiling. From left: Two women (one holding a toddler) and a man. The background behind them is black, except the bottom of a large slide showing and orange and blue "Center for Communicating Science" logo
    Big ideas and bold voices: Inside a standout night at the Faculty Nutshell Talks , article

    March 26, 2026. A lineup of compelling speakers and an energetic audience set the stage for ideas and exchange at the 2026 Faculty Nutshell Talks. Built around a simple challenge—sharing research in just 90 seconds, with no slides or jargon—Virginia Tech faculty turned complex scholarship into vivid, accessible stories that bridged disciplines and connected research with communities.

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    Pilot Science Festival Flip the Fair event invites visitors to play, learn, judge, and participate in research
    Pilot Science Festival Flip the Fair event invites visitors to play, learn, judge, and participate in research , article

    Feb. 24, 2026. What happens when you turn a science fair upside down? At this year’s festival, the U.S. National Science Foundation COMPASS Center (Center for COMmunity Empowering Pandemic Prediction and Prevention from Atoms to SocietieS) and the Center for Communicating Science partnered to bring “Flip the Fair” to life on the third-floor balcony of the Center for the Arts.

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    Science on Tap: Swirl, see, sniff, sip, and savor. . .some soil samples!
    Science on Tap: Swirl, see, sniff, sip, and savor. . .some soil samples! , article

    Feb. 12, 2026. Have you ever soiled your underwear? Ha! Probably not with the soil you're thinking of. But this question opened a conversation about the living world beneath our feet, led by Summer Thomas of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and Caroline Wolcott, a Virginia Tech Ph.D. student in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

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    March 5, 2026: Short talks, big impact - cheer on Virginia Tech researchers at the Faculty Nutshell Talks!
    March 5, 2026: Short talks, big impact - cheer on Virginia Tech researchers at the Faculty Nutshell Talks! , article

    Feb. 11, 2026. Get ready for a fast-paced evening of ideas, storytelling, and discovery! At the Faculty Nutshell Talks, Virginia Tech faculty take the stage to share their research in just 90 seconds—no slides, no jargon, just clear, compelling stories designed for a public audience.

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