What if you could get a glimpse of the future of global health — through the eyes of the scientists working to protect it?

    On Thursday, July 31, audience members at the Pandemic Science in a Nutshell Games had that opportunity. In the Boeing Auditorium of Virginia Tech’s beautiful Academic Building One in Alexandria, VA, researchers took the stage to share their work in ninety seconds or less. Each talk opened a window into the science of pandemic preparedness, prediction, and prevention — and into the hearts and minds of those behind the research.

 

    

A woman in a purple blazer stands at the front of a room before a seated crowd, smiling as she talks emphatically, holding up a can of bug spray in the air.
Julie Gerdes explains that when researchers communicate scientific risks, they affect culture – making rhetoric, dialogue, and collaboration with communities as important as the science itself. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

    Hosted by the National Science Foundation’s COMPASS Center and Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science, this fast-paced, family-friendly evening invited our local community to explore how science and society connect through storytelling, creativity, and curiosity. After, guests enjoyed a lively reception and the chance to meet speakers and neighbors alike.

Blurred audience in the background clapping, focus on program in hand that reads Pandemic Science in a Nutshell Games with a blue NSF and COMPASS Center logo
Audience members applaud a round of powerful talks at the Pandemic Science in a Nutshell Games, event programs in hand highlighting the researchers shaping the future of global health. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

Our 2025 Presenters

    We were honored to feature these presenters, whose participation strengthens our shared goal of fostering connection, clarity, and community through science communication:

  • Cooking for Picky Viruses: Recipes from the Lab: Hannah Brown, Virginia Tech

  • Infectious Words in a Risky World: Julie Gerdes, Virginia Tech

  • The Social Life of Proteins: T. M. Murali, Virginia Tech

  • Engineering Tissues: Padma Rajagopalan, Virginia Tech

  • Liver in a Labshell: Fighting Viruses One Mini-Organ at a Time: Kaushal Shakya, Virginia Tech

  • Immunity Unleashed: Preventing Pandemics from Within: Anil Shanker, Meharry Medical College

  • The Secret Life of Parasites: Kelly Speer, Northern Arizona University

  • My Monkeys, My Circus: Leslie Thornton-O’Brien, Virginia Tech

  • Getting the JUMP on the Next Pandemic: Brian Wasik, Cornell University

  • How Do Viruses Feel in the Environment?: Krista Wigginton, University of Michigan

A man standing in a checkered jacket with shoulder length curly hair and glasses, a warm half smile on his face, speaking out into the room
Anil Shanker shares what inspired him to study infectious disease and how his work hopes to harness the power of T-cells – the body’s natural defense system – to protect us against the next pandemic. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

Celebrating Our Winners

    In truth, all of our presenters are winners — for sharing their work so courageously and making their science meaningful to the public. However, the judges had to choose one to take home the Nutshell Game trophy — Shelly, an adorable ceramic squirrel who will stay with our champion until she’s passed on to next year’s winner.

Congratulations to our winner, Krista Wigginton!

A woman stands smiling, displaying with two hands a ceramic squirrel. Audience members behind her smile as they disperse.
Krista Wigginton, who studies how viruses survive — or are eliminated — in the environment, displays “Shelly the Squirrel,” her trophy for winning the judges' favorite talk of the evening. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

    But, that not all. The judges were so impressed that they asked to add honorable mentions alongside the main award! 

Honorable Mentions: T. M. Murali, Leslie Thornton-O’Brien, and Brian Wasik

A woman in a green floral shirt and glasses stands with her hands clasped and a warm smile, looking at the audience
Leslie Thornton-O’Brien keeps the audience laughing as she describes her role as project manager of the NSF COMPASS Center, joking that she always knows what her researchers are up to — and what they should be doing: “Her circus, her monkeys.” Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

Special Thanks

    A heartfelt thank-you to our Pandemic Science in a Nutshell Games volunteer respondents for lending their time, insight, and enthusiasm. We list them here with their response to the question "What is something you're passionate about?"

  • Philip Esocoff (District of Columbia) – Mentor of young architects

  • Barbara Hoopes (Sterling) – Service dog puppy raiser

  • Myiah Smith (Baltimore City) – Narrative architect for justice & joy

  • Sarah Smith (Arlington) – Pickleballer and foodie

  • Amy Wease (Arlington) – Fashionista and animal lover

  • Amy Weinstein (District of Columbia) – Moss gardener and architect

(At the Center for Communicating Science, we believe you often learn more about a person — sometimes in the most delightful ways — by asking what they’re passionate about.)

 

6 people sit around a small round table looking at papers with one person standing wit a clipboard. Large pink and transparent windows are in the background from floor to high ceilings.
The panel of volunteer community judges deliberates, facing the tough decision of selecting the evening’s top presentation. They considered factors like accessibility and how personal, direct, responsive, spontaneous, and emotionally engaging each talk was. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

Gratitude to Our Hosts & Community

    We’re deeply grateful to the Alexandria community who joined us, to Alexandria City Council members Canek Aguirre and Abdel-Rahmen Elnoubi for representing the city, to the Virginia Tech Alexandria campus leadership for hosting us in their beautiful new building, and to Barbara Hoopes, Associate Dean for the Graduate School, for leading a building tour.

    Together, we witnessed the power of storytelling in science, built new connections between researchers and the public, and celebrated a shared commitment to making science accessible, relevant, and inspiring.

    We can’t wait to see you at the next Nutshell Games event!