Decoding Dr. Kristel Tjandra’s journey to the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Master’s Program

Fanuel Muindi interviews Dr. Kristel Tjandra, a scientist-journalist and member of the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Master’s Program. Dr. Tjandra shares her journey from bench research to science communication including her late introduction to the field during her postdoc at Stanford University, the impact of the pandemic on her career shift, and the diverse training landscape in the US that she has observed. She highlights her passion for writing and the importance of mentorship and experiential learning in helping her navigate the landscape of opportunities.

Learn more about the master’s program here: https://scicom.ucsc.edu/index.html

— This conversation is part of an ongoing effort to visualize the landscape of training initiatives for scientists in public engagement supported by the Lasker Foundation and Research!America. Access the dashboard and read the full report here: https://www.researchamerica.org/reports/

— Search for more insights on the CivicSciTV Network Terminal featuring our reporting across video, audio and print journalism. https://civicscitv.org #CivicSciTV #civicscience

Fanuel Muindi

Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science ethnographer. He is a professor of the practice in the Department of Communication Studies within 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.