Lessons From My Grade School Writing
As I've mentioned previously, when I was a kid, I liked to write. Recently, I was reflecting on the quality and kinds of writing I did as a kid, and I realized that some lessons I learned back then that…
SciComCon ’25 Recap
Last weekend, I was part of a career panel for ComSciCon-Triangle. ComSciCon is a nationwide workshop series organized by graduate students, for graduate students, focused on building science communication skills. It's super cool; I wish this had existed when I…
Why I’m No Longer Doing Uncompensated Peer Reviews
I love (love, love, love) reviewing communication products. I love critically evaluating whether writing and visuals are meeting their objectives and, if not, developing potential solutions. That's a huge part of why I started Data Soapbox and why it's one…
On Onions and Dataviz Training
This opinion is probably going to be unpopular, but here we go: Data visualization, or "dataviz," receives too much emphasis in research communication training and professional development. "Hypocrite!," you yell. "Wasn't the first research communication training you ever attended about…
If I Had to Do It Again…
In a recent post, I talked about the upshots of my indirect path to a science communication business. But, let's say I knew, early in my education and work life, that I'd want to do the work I do today…
How a Social Science PhD Supports My SciComm Career
Recently, I had a career conversation with a STEM PhD student. We got to talking about whether my PhD training was necessary background for my current work in science communication. I applied to graduate school at the blissfully youthful age…
School’s Out for Summer (Forever?)
When I finished by PhD in 2008, I'm pretty sure that I swore off being a student for the rest of my life. Flash forward to a couple of years ago, when I was starting to conceptualize Data Soapbox. I…
What I Want to Be When I Grow Up
My younger son, a kindergartener, recently had an assignment where he had to write one sentence about what he wanted to be when he grew up. “A construction worker,” he told me. And then, after a pause, “Would I have…