Science Engagement in Feast and Famine: Maintaining Our Connection to the Public in Times of Trial

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As scientists, many of us care about engaging the public through scientific outreach and informal science education. Even so, for many of us who have supported, facilitated, and championed scientific engagement, it is difficult to know how to proceed when administrative support for science turns from "feast" to "famine." When resources and personnel are stressed, overworked, or threatened, it's tempting to turtle up and relinquish our focus on outreach in favor of science's "core activities."  

In this talk, we argue that it is more important than ever for scientists to practice community through public engagement, and that doing so makes our labs and departments stronger, more resilient, and possibly even more competitive for grants. Drawing on our own and others' research on scientific public engagement, we'll provide some strategies for building and sustaining public engagement initiatives so that we don't lose our connection to society in this time of famine and, if and when we return to a "feast," we're better positioned than ever to build public trust.