Decoding Kate the Chemist’s role as professor for the public understanding of science at Notre Dame

On Questions of the Day, we interview Dr. Kate Biberdorf, better known as Kate the Chemist, about her new role as Notre Dame’s first professor for the public understanding of science. She shares insights on the role’s origins, modeled after Oxford’s position held by Richard Dawkins.

Kate discusses her ambitious plans, including launching ND STEM Studio, a high-tech lab designed for scientists to create accessible science content. “The big thing is that we’re trying to use science to show people what cool stuff is happening on this campus and maybe raise our international profile a little bit.”

Her new role at Notre Dame is designed to “bridge the gap between scientific communities and the general public,” ensuring that “scientific knowledge is widely disseminated and valued by society at large” (news.nd.edu). She is excited about the opportunity, saying she is “incredibly honored to join the faculty of Notre Dame” and hopes that the university’s new scientific engagement makerspace will “highlight and amplify the groundbreaking research happening on campus” (news.nd.edu).

Reflecting on her years as Kate the Chemist, she shares some lessons for aspiring science communicators. “You just have to try it. Scientists will always critique, but if you have fun, people will respond to that.” She emphasizes the need to drop jargon, use storytelling, and focus on clarity: “People don’t want a lecture; they want to feel engaged.” She also advises creators to be strategic: “Write a script, don’t just talk at the camera. And if a video flops? Delete it and try again!”

Insight Breakdown

🎥 ND STEM Studio: Kate the Chemist is building a new, cutting-edge space where scientists can create accessible science content.

🧑‍🎓 Science Communication Training: She is planning to launch courses at Notre Dame to train the next generation of science communicators.

🌍 Bringing PCST to the U.S.: Pitching for Notre Dame to host the Public Communication of Science & Technology (PCST) conference in the US for the first time in 2029.

📊 Measuring Impact: Working to rethink how to evaluate science communication success—engagement and understanding over social media metrics.

Fanuel Muindi

fmuindi@saicollective.org

Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science scholar-journalist and entrepreneur. He is a Professor of Practice in the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University where he leads the Civic Science Media Lab. Dr. Muindi received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Organismal Biology from Morehouse College and Stanford University respectively. He completed his postdoctoral training at MIT.

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