UK hosting symposium to promote STEM career path, develop communication skills

LEXINGTON (June 29, 2017) – The University of Kentucky is hosting a symposium Sept. 29-30 to help students and professionals who are interested in STEM careers design and implement a career path and develop skills to help them effectively communicate about their work.

The ability to communicate scientific work to a broad audience is imperative for those seeking a STEM career — the public’s ability to understand science can influence financial support, policy decisions and more.

UK’s symposium, titled “Preparing Science Professionals,” will consist of STEM-centered professional development sessions and workshops involving industry research, entrepreneurship, science and communication and outreach, government and science policy, academic research and academic teaching. It will also consist of breakout sessions that will teach students how to apply to college or graduate school, apply for STEM-related jobs, and how to network in the science field.

There will also be a “science café,” with the goal of engaging the public in order to have a dialogue about how science impacts the community.

Nathan Vanderford, assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine, is organizing the event at UK in collaboration with the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

“Participants will learn about the variety of jobs that are available to scientists and how to prepare for those jobs,” Vanderford said. “Participants will also receive training in science communication and outreach and we will put this into practice as we engage with the public on science’s impact on society.”

Registration for the symposium is now open. To register and view the full agenda, visit the ASBMB website.

This event is sponsored by the ASBMB, UK Graduate School, UK College of Medicine, UK College of Nursing, UK Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and three UK training grants (T32ES007266, T32DK007778, T32DA01617) directed by Daret St. Clair, Nancy Webb and Linda Dwoskin.