Building bridges between science and the public
Ten years after launching the Environmental Communication Master of Arts in Earth systems, program director Thomas Hayden continues to mentor students to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding.
Almost every challenge in sustainability – from climate change action to new technology adoption to rebuilding trust in science – is to some degree a communication problem. And that makes effective communication essential for scaling solutions from the laboratory to wide adoption.
I did my graduate work in biological oceanography and envisioned a future for myself as a working scientist. During the fifth year of my doctoral studies, I spent 10 weeks at a national news magazine on the science desk. That summer fellowship, which I thought would just be a short break from the lab, ended up being a life-changing experience: I discovered that I could have more impact as a communicator connecting science to the broader public than as someone continuing to do science myself.
When I started working as a science journalist in the late 1990s, one person at a large publication could have a significant impact on the national conversation around environmental and science topics. But a decade later, because of the rise of the internet and the declining reach of traditional journalism, that wasn’t the case anymore.
After I began teaching at Stanford, I realized that if I could teach other scientists the skills that I had developed in transitioning from research to journalism, then I could have a broader impact on public understanding of science. I wouldn't just be one voice trying to promote informed discourse – I would be training the next generation of environmental leaders to conduct a thousand productive conversations in parallel.
When I came to Stanford, there wasn't a comprehensive pathway for students to gain training in science communication, but there was a strong demand for it. Seeing this, I worked with Julie Kennedy, a former director of the interdisciplinary Earth Systems Program, to create the Master of Arts in Environmental Communication within the program in 2015. Ten years later, it has grown to include lecturer E’jaaz Mason, and we are about to graduate our 100th master’s student. Alumni have taken up impactful roles in journalism and education, communications and the arts, business, and academia.
My biggest joy is seeing how students interpret the term “environmental communication.” With every passing year, students have expanded the definition of what this work can mean, from outdoor education and the arts to approaches integrating ethics, economics, and political systems.
Environmental communication is how we connect the broad public, communities, and decision-makers to the sustainability knowledge and solutions we create at Stanford.
– As told to Serena Turner
Explore More
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EARTHSYS 177: Environmental Storytelling teaches students to translate research into stories that reach beyond Stanford’s campus – starting with a farm 25 miles away in Fremont.
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Led by E’jaaz Mason, a lecturer in Earth systems, EARTHSYS 285: Community-Engaged Multimedia Environmental Communication guides students in community-engaged filmmaking on environmental issues affecting Bay Area communities.
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A new anthology of environmental justice storytelling from the Environmental Justice Working Group at Stanford addresses topics including childhood lead poisoning, extreme weather events, and connection to nature.
