Key Information

September 22, 2023 — Two graduate-student-led science communication organizations at the University of Massachusetts, Life Science Cafe and That’s Life Science, have recently announced their decision to merge. Life Science Cafe is known for facilitating live in-person and virtual events featuring experts in the life sciences discussing their research passion with the local community. On the other hand, That’s Life Science has built its reputation on publishing student-written and peer-reviewed blog posts on a range of scientific topics for a broader audience. The merger aims to consolidate these distinct but complementary approaches into a single, unified platform for science communication. Slated to occur over the course of the current fall semester, the merger will require both organizations to put a temporary hold on their respective activities — events and content creation alike. This organization merger is actively seeking participation from graduate students to usher in what they term a “new era of life science community outreach.”

Why It Matters

By pooling resources and expertise, the newly formed entity is poised to streamline its operations, thereby offering a more efficient and impactful medium for disseminating scientific knowledge. The consolidation will likely result in a unified platform that provides a more comprehensive suite of materials and events, potentially engaging a wider audience. Furthermore, this union offers an unprecedented opportunity to innovate the methods and mediums of effective science communication in the age of digital information. While the immediate impact will be most tangible within the local community, the engagement ambition clearly extends to larger audiences around the world facilitated through web-based platforms.

Read more on the Civic Science Times

Civic Science Media Lab

CSML's mission is to document the diverse practices of civic science to inform, educate, and inspire current and the next generation of practitioners in the field, and the broader publics. Through the practice of ethnographic civic science journalism, the lab offers practitioners a sandbox for experimentation—using video, digital publishing, and audio—to surface and make sense of the knowledge, lived experiences, behaviors, motivations, and responsibilities that shape civic science.