{"id":2059,"date":"2022-08-12T20:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T20:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/wrigley\/?p=2059"},"modified":"2024-07-19T17:51:57","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T17:51:57","slug":"learning-universal-skills-through-environmental-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/2022\/08\/12\/learning-universal-skills-through-environmental-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning universal skills through environmental communications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Learning universal skills through environmental communications<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n By<\/span>Alex Palakian<\/strong>\n \n August 12, 2022<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Hello everyone, my name is Alex Palakian, and I am a rising second year undergraduate interested in the intersection of environmental science, communication, and policy! Alongside taking classes that cover a wide range of my interests, I knew I wanted to supplement my college career with unique, interdisciplinary experiences. USC Wrigley\u2019s\u00a0Environmental Communications Internship<\/a>\u00a0combines skills unlike any other, and I am lucky enough to be selected as an intern this summer.<\/p>\n

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In the snow during a visit to the San Gabriel Mountains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Specifically, I wanted to combine my affinity for art and design into my environmental studies. Living in a world that continues to be confronted with the consequences of climate change, visually communicating the who, what, when, where, why\u2019s of environmental issues is important to me. I want to use my skills as a vessel to inform, educate, and inspire change.<\/p>\n

A part of this internship is working with a university professor as a mentor and completing various communication projects for their work. This summer, I\u2019ve remotely worked with\u00a0Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Megan Fieser<\/a>\u00a0whose research tackles sustainable solutions for plastic pollution. Specifically, her lab, the\u00a0Fieser Lab<\/a>, works to synthesize degradable plastics as replacements for commercial non-degradable plastics and upcycle current plastics into useful chemicals. As a Southern California native, I am constantly confronted with plastic accumulation, in particular on our beaches, so this issue is a personal interest of mine. As you can imagine, when I learned of Dr. Fieser\u2019s research, I was even more excited to bridge the gap of understanding between the lab\u2019s work and general society\u2019s knowledge to raise awareness.<\/p>\n

Within this role, I\u2019ve completed a diverse range of communication projects\u2013all with endless support from Dr. Fieser and Wrigley coordinators Dr. Jessica Dutton and Kathryn Royster. For the lab, I\u2019ve: constructed new presentation slide templates, designed a t-shirt for Dr. Fieser\u2019s beach cleanups, made graphic material for the lab\u2019s research, constructed website pages, produced a promotional video\u2026 and so much more! From these experiences, I was able to polish my graphic design skills as well as gain more confidence in my artistic abilities.<\/p>\n

However, my biggest takeaways come from our weekly speaker seminars where accomplished, prestigious communicators from all fields came to share their story, and what they have learned from being in the communications industry. Their unique experiences in newspapers, magazines, university institutions, and freelancing were all eye-opening and highlight the importance of communication from a perspective I\u2019ve never thought about. The importance of relatable characters, the psychology of marketing, the power of social media, the emotional toll of journalism\u2026 (just to name a few) are all topics explored in our talks where I was able to ask one-on-one questions and learn from professionals.<\/p>\n

And during our weekly check-ins with the interns, we debriefed on what we have learned\u2013allowing me to connect the skills, tasks, and information acquired to\u00a0anything\u00a0<\/em>I want to do in the future. Which, at its core, is why I am grateful for this internship. Communication skills are universal and essential for success in any field. For me, this experience offered enough practicality and creativity to mature as a communicator and upcoming professional\u2013making me feel more confident in my capacity to tackle new situations and do so with proficiency.<\/p>\n

I cannot thank USC Wrigley enough for this amazing opportunity!<\/p>\n

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Watch the video Alex made for the Fieser Lab:<\/h4>\n