Dozens of people marching behind a banner. Many of them hold signs that extol science.
Science and politics often intersect — and sometimes scientists become policy makers. Photo by Vlad Tchompalov for Unsplash.

How do the skill sets between being a scientific practitioner and holding public office align? Themes such as accessible communication and constant learning were discussed at an Association of Science Communicators webinar on January 23, 2026, “What Elected Office Taught Me About Science Communication.” During the panel discussion, the moderator and speakers delved into their paths as both scientists and public servants.

    The panel, moderated by Hallie Thompson, a previous candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Missouri District 4, featured 

  • Kristopher Larsen - former mayor of Nederland, Colorado
  • Representative Kent Haden - Missouri House of Representatives, District 43

    The moderator and both panel speakers had connections to the state of Missouri, and all three began their careers as scientists. For Thompson, both science and policy reflected her interest in constantly learning about her constituents, colleagues, and systems. She transitioned into public service during her last year of undergraduate studies. Haden, on the other hand, was an established veterinarian for both large and small animals before becoming a state representative. Although Larsen was born and raised in Colorado, he received his Ph.D. in planetary science at Washington University in St. Louis. He then worked as a space physicist for a decade prior to running for mayor of Nederland, Colorado.

    What did running for office teach the panelists? Haden said many people he represents are former clients or church acquaintances but that the scope of the constituents he represents — 24,000 people across three counties — reminds him of how many people he doesn’t know. Two areas of difficulty that arose when he campaigned were social media communication and fundraising, he said.

    Larsen similarly lamented the challenges of fundraising for a political campaign and acknowledged that friends, family, and even loose acquaintances are helpful resources. He shared that his favorite part of being a small town mayor was finding information to help people solve their problems. Campaigning is not just about telling people what they want to hear, explained Larsen, as not all problems have easy fixes. Sourcing information about a problem can provide as much agency to a constituent as providing its solution.

    Both candidates described the similarities between campaign fundraising and scientific grant writing. They agreed that, in order to communicate effectively, prospective candidates must distill their campaign messages to two to three minutes. Larsen expanded on the math, explaining how short a campaign message must be: for example, even though 15 minutes feels like a short amount of time, it's too long to effectively impact the large voting population. Their emphasis on distilling your message is also an important component of science communication both within and outside of grant writing.

    Haden and Larsen also shared the importance of finding the right people for your campaign message. Haden claimed that 80 percent of the doors a candidate knocks on are opened by people who do not want to speak to them. A candidate must find what their constituents' needs are and how to answer that need in a minute. Larsen echoed that sentiment, explaining that once he finds out people’s needs, he must explain why he is the right choice for the job within that context — crafting both a responsive and personal message for his constituents. Overall, the panelists and moderator agreed that, like grant proposals, candidates lack sufficient time to communicate a complex topic; as a result, their conversations aim to pique peoples’ curiosity so that voters (or grant reviewers!) are motivated to dig deeper.

    Audience members asked about the intersection of policy and science, with one asking whether the panelists had success in communicating any science policy to their constituents. Both panelists shared their successes in changing the collective opinion on specific science policy: Haden had worked to address the medical desert and doctor shortage in his district, while Larsen pushed to get the town of Nederland off of fossil fuels during his tenure as mayor.

    Whether you’re a scientist looking to communicate your expertise or a political hopeful looking to connect with your constituents, “What Elected Office Taught Me About Science Communication” explored the benefits of personal, direct, spontaneous, and responsive communication, skills that Virginia Tech's Center for Communicating Science helps researchers develop. Strong communication skills can benefit research dissemination and outreach, grant writing, and campaigning, all areas where crafting a message unique to the reader’s or listener’s needs is essential. Thank you to the Association of Science Communicators for hosting the free webinar, Hallie Thompson for moderating the discussion, and Kent Haden and Kristopher Larsen for sharing their valuable communication insights!

By Bria Weisz, Center for Communicating Science graduate assistant