Announcing Spring 2025 Public Scholar-in-Residence: Dr. Alice Motion (University of Sydney)

We are excited to welcome Professor Alice Motion as the Scholar-in-Residence for Spring 2025! Dr. Motion is a professor of science at the School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, where they where they lead the Science Communication, Outreach, Participation and Education (SCOPE) Research Group.  Alice’s research and practice explore science democratisation through open source drug discovery, citizen science, and exploring intersections between science and culture as creative methods for science communication. Alice was awarded the Australian Museum’s Eureka Prize for Promoting Public Understanding of Science in 2020. They have written a monthly column, Citizen Chem, for Chemistry World Magazine since 2018, are the creator of Live From The Lab, founder of the Breaking Good citizen science initiative and regularly produce and host creative science content for the public in live venues and across the media.

Dr. Motion will be at USC from March 10- March 14. While at USC, Dr. Motion will be hosting a Talk and a Graduate Workshop.

Talk  March 11th, 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm, DML 121

Live From The Lab: Sharing Science Through Music and Sound

Sound and music are powerful forces for human connection, emotional exploration, communication and artistic expression. Over the past five years, our interdisciplinary team has investigated some of the ways in which sound and music can be used in public contexts to build connection with, and understanding of, science.

This presentation will share some of our undertakings in creative forms of science communication through new musical compositions, sound design and embodied public performance. Together we will listen to music inspired by facilitated conversations between musicians and scientists (Live From The Lab) and acousmatic compositions designed to assist audiences to build their own mental models of scientific concepts (Sonaphor). To close, the audience will be invited to join in the creation of a new soundtrack to accompany a short scientific story (Atomic Choir).

Graduate Seminar  March 13th, 2:00 – 3:15 pm, DML 121

Queering Science Communication

To thrive as students, researchers and STEMM professionals, the LGBTQIA+ community needs greater representation in science and more inclusive environments in which to work. Similarly, efforts to communicate science need to be more representative and inclusive of queer people and embrace opportunities to challenge traditional formats for sharing science.

Through highly collaborative projects, we have explored new ways to share science as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. I will highlight some of our approaches and intent with a focus on the CLOAK project; a celebration of LGBTQIA+ people working in STEMM that increases their visibility through fashion and photography and sparks conversations about science, art and queer inclusion.  CLOAK challenges the normative stereotype of the ‘white lab coat’ and reimagines the garment as an identity statement of the kind a superhero might adopt.

This seminar will invite discussion on what it means to queer science communication and consider whether these approaches could better integrate science as form of public culture and build greater connection and inclusion.

If you are interested in attending these events, stay tuned for an RSVP by following our Instagram @usc_consortium.