Science cannot be impactful without communication. The lack of public outreach is a one reason the public does not understand science (Roll, 2017). This lack of understanding has given way to a lack of trust in the system of science discovery, which has lead to a society that is reluctant to adopt new scientific discoveries even though they are instrumental to addressing complex problems. A leading factor in the complexity of such problems is the lack of communication that exists within the science world and between the scientists and the public. Informed constituents become communicators and advocates of science because of their interest, values, and sense of ownership. To develop informed constituents, scientists should maintain two-way communication with their constituent groups to establish information needs and preferred communication mediums, understand perceptions of science, and predict intent to adopt a practice. Ultimately, scientists who can effectively disseminate scientific information to the diverse 21st century constituent groups are instrumental in public perception and education.
Through multiple local, regional, and national funded grant projects, we work to improve the communication between scientists and the public. We focus on providing scientists with the skills, resources, and tools to communicate about science in a way the public can understand and appreciate.