Evaluation of a Faculty Fellows Program in Science Communication

Introduction

Science communication plays a crucial role in tackling pressing regional, national, and global health issues. Effective communication with various audiences is integral to dissemination of science findings.

Purpose

This study evaluates changes in self-efficacy and attitudes toward science communication skills over time and also assesses program outcomes and satisfaction with a Faculty Fellows in Science Communication (FFSC) program among faculty (N = 30) with interest in environmental health science and/or education in Appalachia Kentucky.

Methods

A mixed methods program evaluation was employed using longitudinal data on behaviors, attitudes, and program outcomes from three cohorts of Faculty Fellows who participated in the year-long UK-CARES Faculty Fellows in Science Communication (FFSC) program from 2018 to 2021. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance was used to evaluate changes over time in self-efficacy and attitude scores.

Results

A total of 30 Fellows enrolled in the program. Participation in the FFSC program significantly increased self-efficacy in communicating with peers in one's own department (F = 7.6, p = 0.002), outside department (F = 7.3, p = 0.002 ), and lay audiences (F = 5.8, p = 0.006) and evaluations of the program were positive. Qualitative feedback from participants offered insights into how program participation helped them communicate with different audiences, incorporate narratives or stories to engage audiences, and develop innovative methods of communicating with lay audiences.

Implications

The FFSC program provides a useful framework for other institutions and supports faculty as they build the communication skills necessary to effectively translate science with various audiences.

NMR chemistry analysis of red blood cell constituents in normal subjects and lithium-treated psychiatric patients

Red blood cells from 18 lithium carbonate-treated patients with bipolar affective disorder and 12 normal volunteers were analyzed using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The spectra were analyzed for alanine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), choline, 2,3-diphosphoglycerol, glucose, glutathione, glycine, and lactate. Significant elevations of choline and lactate were found in the lithium-treated patients compared with normal, unmedicated subjects. The elevation of lactate due to anaerobic metabolism in the red blood cells was further investigated via fluorometric analysis and appears to be caused by blood standing at room temperature. The observed increases in red blood cell choline are sufficiently high and statistically significant to warrant additional studies on the dramatic effects of lithium on this red cell metabolite, which might be important for an understanding of its mechanism of action in psychiatric disorders.