Exploring the significance of science communication: Meghan Voll’s experience with Western Science Rendezvous
In the bustling halls of academia, there exists a force of passion and dedication embodied by individuals like Meghan Voll, a fourth-year PhD student in Media Studies at Western University. She currently studies the economy of mobile dating apps in the Faculty of Information & Media Studies (FIMS).
Meghan currently plays a pivotal role within the communications team at Western Science Rendezvous. She manages the event’s social media presence for X (formerly Twitter).
Meghan’s communications experience
Meghan currently manages the social media for GradCast, a student-run podcast at Western University. The reasons she decided to get involved in Science Rendezvous was because she wanted to utilize her communication skills in a way that helps the community.
“I became familiar with Science Rendezvous because GradCast did a booth last year where we interviewed children about what they wanted to be when they grow up and what their favorite part of Science Rendezvous was. We turned it into a podcast that also premiered on the radio.”
Meghan’s dedication to science communication is deeply rooted in her personal experiences and passion for education.
“I have a niece and a nephew. They’re both around the target audience age that we’re kind of catering to. So one of them is around three and one is around six. I really see value for this kind of event just for that age group. They want to know everything.”
For Meghan, helping plan this event is a chance for her to be able to get to use her communications skills in a way that helps to explain complex concepts to young kids like her niece and nephew.
Bridging the gap: Science communication from academia to the community
Meghan recognizes the pivotal role that Science Rendezvous has in bridging the gap between complex scientific concepts and the general public. She notes that this event is helpful for university students as well as the children who attend. According to Meghan, university students who volunteer at this event gain experience in helping explain complex scientific ideas in a simple manner.
“Science communication is really important and a really tough subject for a lot of university students. Event volunteers at Science Rendezvous can get experience in explaining tough concepts to the general public which can help them in so many ways.”
With a fervent commitment to science education, Meghan stands as a beacon of inspiration within the realm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) communication.
Come to Western University’s Science Rendezvous May 11, 2024 at Alumni Stadium to see all the amazing science exhibits and demonstrations!