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BISC members win Faculty of Science Excellence in Science Public Engagement, Communication & Outreach Award!
Congratulations to Isabelle Côté, Julian Guttman, Sam Meradj, 2024 recipients of the Excellence in Science Public Engagement and Outreach Awards!
The Faculty of Science Excellence in Science Public Engagement and Outreach Awards recognize Simon Fraser University faculty, staff and students who volunteer their time to communicating scientific research to the public and policymakers, through a diverse range of outreach activities.
Faculty Category
Isabelle Côté, Professor, Biological Sciences
Côté has had an extraordinary year of public engagement and science outreach. She rowed 5000 km across the Atlantic with a team of marine biologists to raise awareness for marine conservation. This journey received national and international media coverage and raised $300,000 for marine conservation charities, one third of which will be used to support scholarships for students from under-represented groups at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. This effort is one in a long line of outreach contributions. Côté has keenly pursued science communication and public outreach activities through media interviews, social media, podcasts and field blogs.
Julian Guttman, Professor, Biological Sciences
Guttman has developed two outreach programs for middle-grade students: "Hands on Science: Cell Biology" and "Hands on Science: Microbiology," and delivered them to hundreds of grade 6 and 7 students throughout Metro Vancouver. These programs help students explore scientific concepts and techniques through hands-on activities such as extracting DNA from strawberries, viewing microbes in microscopes and comparing bacterial growth on “clean” and “unclean” surfaces. His nomination was supported by hand-written letters by school students who have enjoyed his hands-on science lessons.
Student Category
Heshmat Sanam (Sam) Meradj, PhD student, Biological Sciences
Over the past two years, Sam has designed and conducted numerous science workshops tailored for Grade 5-12 students, covering a wide range of topics such as gel electrophoresis, diversity of life, and cell division. In May 2024 Sam was a co-facilitator for the Science Outreach program, specifically targeting K-4 students in the Friends of Simon Program. Sam also invests time in empowering young women in STEM through the virtual molecular biology and research workshops she runs for all-girls high school students in Iran.