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    Image contains various STEM related illustrations and the title of the project "Black Excellence in STEM An Oral History Collection"
    Black Excellence in STEM Project Now Available in VT Library Archives , article

    June 27, 2025. Please join the Center for Communicating Science in celebrating a new milestone for the Black Excellence in STEM Project: archiving in the library’s special collections! Set in motion by the center and six graduate student interviewers, the oral history project launched in 2021 in response to the onslaught of racial injustices during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the project sought to highlight a persistent but often overlooked form of racial injustice: the underrepresentation of Black people in STEM fields.

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    Image contains a banner detailing the theme and dates for the Science Talk 2025 Conference.
    Science Talk 2025: Building and Sharing Virginia Tech’s Science Communication Ecosystem , article

    June 26, 2025. This past spring, scientists, journalists, and policy makers from around the country came together at this year’s annual science communication conference, Science Talk 2025, which took place both online and in Raleigh, North Carolina. Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science was well represented and made exciting contributions to this year’s theme of Science with Society.

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    This photo shows a middle aged white man speaking from behind a lectern and gesturing toward the audience -- the backs of six people are visible in the foreground of the photo. On a screen behind him is projected a slide that says "How to make it stop."
    “Courageously Correct and Retract”: Science's Holden Thorp on Building Trust Through Transparent Science Communication , article

    June 24, 2025. Publishing a paper is one of the most significant things a scientist can do during their career. Each published paper represents years of carefully analyzing data, meticulously choosing the words on the page — dozens, sometimes hundreds of times — and passing a rigorous peer-review process. Yet, mistakes — both small and large — sometimes appear in published work. Dr. Holden Thorp talked about this and more in his seminar at Virginia Tech on April 22nd.

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    A man, four students, two women standing in front of a fire place with a young teenage girl sitting in a wheel chair, all in a line and smiling at the camera
    New “Nutshell Family” Member: First Undergraduate Nutshell Games Takes Place at Dennis Dean Conference April 25 , article

    June 3, 2025. The Center for Communicating Science held the inaugural Undergraduate Nutshell Games on April 25, 2025. Over the course of the spring semester, undergraduate researchers were selected for participation, were provided one-on-one coaching, and then presented their 90-second research talks to a panel of judges and a large audience. Tarun Nandamudi received a squirrel trophy (nicknamed Shelly, of course), while all participants walked away with a $500 stipend to be used for conference travel.

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    Esther Oyedele introduced Radford kindergarteners to the water cycle through a hands-on activity.
    Building Bridges: Graduate Students Mentor High Schoolers to Teach STEM to Young Learners , article

    May 16, 2025. In a collaboration with both high school and kindergarten teachers in Radford, Virginia Tech graduate students Esther Oyedele and Padmaja Mandadi piloted a program this spring that allowed high school students to gain firsthand experience in science teaching and kindergarten children to learn about the water cycle.. Oyedele and Mandadi worked with Jamie Little, the public school/Virginia Tech liaison for Radford schools, to create the partnership.

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    Five young adults (three white women, one Black woman, and one man) stand side by side smiling at the camera and holding up clear glass beakers with handles.
    Science on Tap: A Neuroscience Trivia Night is a No-Brainer , article

    May 15, 2025. How can we strengthen our brains? That’s one of the questions that neuroscience graduate students Karyn Schy, Brie Brown, Jack Browning, Alana Hutchinson, and Alexis Mann addressed at the April 24, 2025, Science on Tap event “Neuroscience Night.” The interactive and engaging night consisted of three rounds of trivia, two brainy tiebreakers, and ultimately one winning team to walk away with the prize!

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    Logo for the Research! America: Civic Engagement Microgrants
    Time to Start Thinking About Applying for a Research! America: Civic Engagement Microgrant , article

    May 13, 2025. It's not too early for Virginia Tech graduate student and postdoctoral researchers to consider applying for the next round of Civic Engagement Microgrants. In April, Research! America congratulated the two dozen recipients of their 2024 Civic Engagement Microgrants, selected from proposals received last fall.

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    Woman smiles while high-fiving kindergarten boy sitting at desk with colorful rug and walls in the background.
    Women Researchers Serve as Big Role Models for Little Humans During STEM Kindergarten Visit Program , article

    May 12, 2025. Our STEM kindergarten visits continue to spark curiosity and open little students’ minds, one kindergarten classroom at a time. In the 2024-2025 school year, there have been six in-person visits. Each time, women researchers visited Eastern Elementary/Middle School in Giles County, leading hands-on activities that introduced big ideas in neuroscience, organic chemistry, geoscience, and more.

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    Brogan Holcombe speaks into a microphone.
    Science on Tap: Audience Leaves Bearing Lots of New Knowledge , article

    May 2, 2025. How can we learn more about black bear hibernation? That’s one of the questions Brogan Holcombe addressed at the March 27, 2025, Science on Tap event “Fitbits for Black Bears in Virginia?” Holcombe led the audience through trivia about black bear hibernation, diet, and behavior and accompanied the fun facts with adorable bear videos, too.

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    Naughton holds an octopus arm prototype and smiles to the camera.
    Science on Tap: Ink-credible, Octopus-Inspired Robot Arms , article

    April 22, 2025. How can robots better complete rescue missions in cluttered areas? That’s one of the questions Noel Naughton addressed at the February 27, 2025, Science on Tap event “How does an octopus control its arms?” Naughton explained the important potential uses for an octopus-inspired robotic arm and brought prototypes for the audience to try out for themselves.

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    This photo shows seven women seated on a stage.
    Picture a Scientist: Virginia Tech Women Discuss Barriers to Advancement , article

    March 25, 2025. Community members gathered to watch Picture a Scientist and participate in a post-film “reel talk” panel discussion as part of Women’s Month. This award-winning documentary, screened at the Lyric Theatre March 5, explores the gender inequities and pervasive challenges — ranging from overt harassment to subtle biases — that women in science face every day.

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    Maria DeNunzio, a Virginia Tech graduate student and American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Science Policy Fellow, traveled to Washington, D.C., for an in-person advocacy event. Photo courtesy of Maria DeNunzio.
    Bridging Science and Policy: Maria DeNunzio's Science Policy Fellowship Journey , article

    March 19, 2025. Maria DeNunzio combined her passion for science communication with her desire to see research drive real-world change when she applied for an American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Science Policy Fellowship last year. She said the program "allowed me to gain diverse perspectives on science policy" and provided opportunities to explore how her interests — such as integrating climate change considerations into nutrition research — align with current federal initiatives.

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