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Celebrating the stories of CCS alumni

A young man in glasses and a black and maroon cap and gown/doctoral regalia talks into two microphones from behind a podium. The podium plaque reads Virginia Polytechnic Institute. There are three men sat to the left, behind the podium, in an array of different regalia, looking into the distance, smiling.
Recent Ph.D. graduate Prescott Vayda gives an address at Virginia Tech's Graduate School commencement ceremony. Still frame courtesy of Virginia Tech’s live streaming of the 2026 Graduate School commencement ceremony on YouTube.

Learning to communicate research goes beyond giving a great presentation. It helps researchers become more effective scientists, educators, collaborators, and community partners, and several recent achievements by CCS alums demonstrate just that.

    Through the Communicating Science graduate course, workshops, and hands-on outreach programs like the Nutshell events, Flip the Fair, Science on Tap, and more, these students gained experience sharing their research with audiences outside of their fields — experiences that paid dividends this spring.

    At the inaugural College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Summit, CCS alumni Madhvi Singh and Elissa Hall earned top honors in the graduate student research competition.

Two women pose on either side of a poster presentation. Both in glasses, smiling. The woman in the left is Black, with long hair, and trousers. The woman on the right is white with shoulder length hair and a coral jacket. The poster reads: Wild-Amazonian Chocolates Aren’t Just Different, They Expand the Sensory Boundaries of What Chocolate Can Be
(From left) Communicating Science alumnae Elissa Hall and Renata Carneiro, Ph.D. '21, pose with Hall’s poster, which won her third place honors at the 2026 CALS Research Summit. Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech’s Translational Plant Sciences Center.

    Hall reflected on the role communication played in her success:

    "Communicating Science with Patty Raun was truly the class that prepared me the most. It taught me how to connect with audiences across all knowledge levels and disciplines and how to meet people where they are," she said. “I’ve seen a tremendous difference in how effectively I share my research because of that course, and it has genuinely made communicating my work an enjoyable experience.” 

A young woman stands before a poster presentation with her arms spread vertically, displaying the poster. She is smiling widely, almost laughing. The poster reads: From Genotype to Grocery: Consumer Acceptance of Faba Bean Hummus for U.S. Market Expansion. There is a bright green stuffed animal soybean with a cute smile adhered to the poster board.
Madhvi Singh presents her first-place poster at the 2026 CALS Research Summit. Photo by Stephanie Slocum for Virginia Tech.

    Singh, who also took the Communicating Science course and competed in the Nutshell Games, demonstrated the same ability to make complex research engaging and accessible, taking first place at the CALS research event.

A PhD student in a blue suit and green tie stands before the US Capitol Building in DC. He has brown hair and a brown mustache and beard. He is smiling and displaying a folder that reads: esa
James Moloney displays the Ecological Society of America’s insignia outside of Washington, D.C., during his science policy training. Photo courtesy of James Moloney.

    Graduate student James Moloney was named one of just 20 recipients nationwide of the Ecological Society of America's 2026 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award. Moloney, who has completed the Communicating Science course, participated in the Nutshell Games and Flip the Fair, and will present at Science on Tap at Rising Silo Brewery August 27, traveled to Washington, D.C., where he received intensive science policy training and met with congressional offices to advocate for sustained federal investment in scientific research. In his application, Moloney cited the Communicating Science course and participating in the Nutshell Games as key preparation for pursuing work in policy change.

    "To be effective advocates, we must become exemplary communicators as well,” Moloney stated.

A young woman smiles for the camera, holding a framed certificate that reads: Graduate Student of the Year 2026 Amy Hagen. She has light brown hair and is wearing a gray cardigan over a deep teal shirt.
Recent Ph.D. graduate Amy Hagen displays her “Graduate Student of the Year” certificate during the Graduate School awards ceremony this spring. Photo courtesy of Amy Hagen.

    CCS also celebrated recent graduate Amy Hagen, Ph.D. ‘26, who was named Virginia Tech's Graduate Student of the Year. Throughout her doctoral program, Amy became a familiar face across CCS initiatives, participating in the 2022 Nutshell Games, volunteering at Flip the Fair, serving on the Science on Tap committee, and more. Hagen was lead author of “Tapping into the Success of Science on Tap New River Valley: Lessons Learned from Eight Years of a Community-Centered Science Outreach Program,” published in the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. Her recognition reflects excellence in research, teaching, and outreach. Hagen recently accepted a postdoctoral position at Yale University.

Two women stand next to each other, smiling and posing for a photo. In professional attire. The woman on the left is holding a glass-made award, displaying it in front of her torso.
Esther Oyedele celebrates her win with Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President, Kristie Caddick, at the 2026 Graduate School awards ceremony. Photo courtesy of Susanna Werth.

    Communicating Science alum Esther Oyedele received both the Graduate School Teaching Excellence Award and the 2026 Wallace Scholarship for Women Geoscience Graduate Students. A graduate of both the Communicating Science and Power of Story courses, Esther has shared her passion for science through our Kindergarten STEM outreach program, leading a CCS partnership with Teachers for Tomorrow, serving on the Science on Tap committee, winning the Nutshell Games in 2024, and participating in other CCS programs. Oydele is committed to making science welcoming and accessible, exemplifying the spirit of community engagement.

A headshot of a young woman, smiling warmly, curly brown hair, with a white balcony and tropical greenery in the background.
Department of Chemistry master's degree recipient Emma Blanco shares both her passion for science and her Spanish language skills with area children. Photo courtesy of Emma Blanco.

    Emma Blanco, another Communicating Science alum, was recognized this spring with two of the Department of Chemistry's awards, the Principles of Community Award and the Service Award. Throughout her time at Virginia Tech, Emma played an integral role in Kids' Tech University en Español and planned and led hands-on science activities for children through Little Bookworm's Science Saturdays. Through her Communicating Science coursework, she guided 55 7th graders at Macy McLaugherty Elementary/Middle School in Giles Country through creating molecular models related to her research. In addition to being honored for outstanding commitment to science outreach and community engagement, Blanco recently graduated with her master's degree in chemistry.

Picture of Prescott, a committee member for Science on tap, holding a colorful balloon. Prescott is wearing a maroon shirt and holding this up in front of the audience's seats. He is smiling for this picture.
Prescott Vayda is celebrated at his final Science on Tap in April. Photo by Bria Weisz for Virginia Tech

    Finally, recent graduate Prescott Vayda, Ph.D. ‘26, a winner of the 2024 Nutshell Games, delivered one of only two invited graduate student addresses at Virginia Tech's Graduate School commencement ceremony. In his remarks, Vayda credited the Communicating Science course and his work with the CCS with helping him "find his scientific voice" and “developing into someone who can contribute to the larger scientific conversation." 

    He recalled standing on a table during class singing about his dissertation research, later presenting his award-winning Nutshell talk in full snorkel gear, and eventually sharing that same presentation with middle school students during Nutshell Games on the Road in Abingdon, VA.

    “And while I've had plenty of opportunities to present my work, to my peers and at conferences, these are the experiences that built me into the communicator and doctor that I am today,” Vayda shared of his time working with the Center.    

    This summer, Vayda began a postdoctoral fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

    Together, these students’ achievements highlight how communicating research can extend its impact beyond the laboratory into classrooms, communities, and public decision-making. We couldn't be prouder of or more grateful to these alumni and the many others who continue to demonstrate that communication is an essential part of scientific excellence.

 By Erin Smith, project coordinator, Center for Communicating Science