By Magaret Sivapragasam I have always believed that growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone, but I never imagined just how far mine would stretch when I applied for a UWE summer research internship. The project focused on exploring how farming is represented in children’s picture books- a crucial study given the growing ..read more

One of the major challenges facing science and health communication is effectively engaging and informing society on scientific topics. At this year’s SciComm South West Conference at UWE Bristol, Ana Vasconcelos, a PhD researcher and visual science communicator at the University of Coimbra, presented her research on improving visual science communication using a participatory design ..read more

I’ve attended many interesting scientific conferences, but recently I was lucky enough to participate in an outstanding one. On June 7, 2024, I volunteered at the SciComm South West Conference. What set this conference apart was the inspiring enthusiasm of all participants. Speakers radiated passion for science communication and shared their energy with the audience, passing it on like a chain reaction, creating a unique atmosphere of authenticity and excitement. The keynote speakers, Dr Lindsay Keith and Wyn Griffiths, epitomised this vibrant atmosphere. They shared their experiences with inc ..read more

Find out how MSc Science Communication student Casey Spry created a podcast about UWE Bristol’s repair café Leaning against the kitchen window on a warm summer’s afternoon, I suddenly realised my first September with no plans was approaching. Feeling nervous, I scrolled through courses online when I came across one that grabbed my attention – MSc Science Communication. It sounded interesting. My mum peered over my shoulder and said, “Apply, what have you got to lose?” One year later, I was listening to my own voice rumble through the car radio, discussing all things science and sustainability ..read more

Discussions about zombie fungi, exoplanets, and vegetarian spiders; seamless segues; and Taylor Swift. All to be expected during a typical live Love & Science show on local Bristol radio station, BCfm Radio. Love & Science was started by former UWE Bristol SciComm lecturer Malcolm Love, many years ago. Now, it’s run by Andrew Glester, current Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol, and a collective of science enthusiasts with a wide range of interests and backgrounds. Many of the episodes are aired live, with sparkling discussions about science stories that have been making h ..read more

In our last blog post we updated you on our 2023 Infographic data gathered from 55% (n=165) of graduates who completed the MSc Science Communication programme between 2003 and 2022. We also contacted a number of graduates requesting their participation in a case study. In this second blog post we capture some further points from these case studies. One potential career area that’s often popular with students starting our programmes is the media, and we’ve met more than one budding ‘Sir David Attenborough’ over the years, but working in the media can take a variety of forms and 13% of our gradu ..read more

In 2016 we published an infographic that explored the career paths of our students after they completed their MSc. In 2024 we will be celebrating 20 years of our MSc science communication at UWE Bristol and we thought it would be timely to catch up with our graduates’ careers now and we’re even more impressed. You can view our updated infographic below. UWE-2023-MSc-Sci-Comm-Infographic-FINALDownload To gather the data for the infographic we took a couple of routes. Just over 300 students have graduated from our UWE science communication postgraduate programmes since 2003 and whilst we aren’t ..read more

Students on the Science on Air and on Screen module in the 21/22 academic year made a 7 minute film to fit in a magazine programme like The One Show or Countryfile. Students were given free reign to choose, research, storyboard and film their sequence before heading to the post-production house Films@59 in Bristol to work with industry editors to complete their films. Secrets of the Avon gorge Delving into the stories and science of Bristol’s Avon Gorge, Holly Stevenson, Aimee Milne, Cerys Baker, Laura Thomas, Yi-Hsuan Lee and Jayasuriva Perera made this film.Reconnecting with nature Inspire ..read more

Many people in the science communication field have an educational background in natural sciences (in my case biology), and subsequently found a passion for science communication. I had my insight during the time I was working in a botanic garden. I had begun to do guided tours, outreach, and public engagement activities, when I realised that I would like to focus my career on connecting people with plants/nature. Thus, I commenced studies toward a PhD in science communication. I explored a range of options for such study and the Science Communication Unit (UWE Bristol) stood out among all of ..read more

Like most people I spend a lot of time in my home; on average we spend 80% of our time in our homes, much more than they spend in any other environment.  This makes our homes very important for our health but, despite this importance, relatively little is known about air pollution in the home.  This is partly due to the huge range of different homes (I mean, what is a “typical home”?) and partly because it is rather obtrusive for researchers to collect data in homes where people are living!  Citizen science offers a powerful solution to this problem; by empowering people to take ..read more