Activism Outside of Academia

This week was the grand finale Twitter Tuesday! As a reflection on my quarter and an additional showcase of my work, I wanted to highlight my advocacy project and the skills that the course has taught me.

This course was more than the content for me, and I let that be known in my posts this week using the hashtag # WhatILearnedInWR60. In previous blog posts, I discuss the bare research that I've learned (animal intelligence, dog cognition, etc.). However, my biggest takeaway and achievement I wanted to share is actually this website! My college career has consisted mostly of science-based courses, with the occasional social sciences or history class. And aesthetics are not usually considered in scientific settings. Through my time using Wix, I have fostered my creativity and learned that professional online communication can be visually appealing, credible, and informative. This mindset is also why I found this class to be so beneficial for me and my career aspirations. I have learned how to bring science communication into my daily life through X! Knowing how to grab someone's attention , concisely explain complex topics you've researched in an understandable way, and then transfer this information onto different mediums are such relevant skills in a digital world. As someone who wants to be a voice connecting science and activism, especially with my own research, I have a better idea of how to get started and how to succeed. I also shared how it has been helpful to have my peers reviewing my work and suggesting areas I could improve upon. Many of them shared the same thing, and it was great to see how everyone appreciated the conversations that were shared and the feedback provided. Communities with like-minded goals will always find a way to make time worthwhile.

My final moments for this Twitter Tuesday were spent finding marine science researchers and advocates to continue learning from. I was very excited about Dr. David Shiffman's (blog photo taken from his account), Shark Advocates, and Dr. Jodie Rummer's accounts. They are conducting shark research or involved in the ocean advocacy I aim to, and it's interesting to see how they have cultivated their account to promote outreach, higher engagement, and learning. I am very excited for future projects where I can incorporate all I've learned!