Astrobiology Science Communication Guild
We are an international, community-based network of astrobiologists who engage in science communication with diverse audiences and learners.
The NASA Astrobiology Program is proud to hold science communication as one of its core values. We have expressed that value through a variety of creative initiatives over the years such as FameLab USA, and now, the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild. Guild leadership strives to serve its members by bridging astrobiologists into existing outreach, communication, education, and public engagement opportunities. Much like the artisan guilds of old Europe, Guild members come together to build community and support each other as evolving science communicators, promote a more diverse and inclusive astrobiology community, and to leverage, innovate, and co-create science communication opportunities to serve broad societal needs. Welcome, and please join us!
Daniella Scalice, Guild co-founder
Astrobiology SciComm Guild Objectives
The Astrobiology Science Communication (SciComm) Guild is an international, community-based, community-led network of astrobiologists who engage in science communications with diverse audiences and learners. The purpose of the Guild is to help members in their evolution as SciComm practitioners (to both their research peers and to the public) by connecting astrobiology subject matter experts (SMEs) to science communication opportunities through NASA and external partners, especially NASA’s Science Activation program (SciAct). We have three objectives:
- Objective 1: Guild members will contribute astrobiology expertise to NASA and other astrobiology SciComm opportunities, initiatives, programs and projects.
- Objective 2: Guild members’ science communication skills will be enhanced by participation in professional development workshops. Topics of these workshops will be relevant to emerging science communicators, increasing the tools that Guild members will have available in their journey as well-rounded researchers and science communicators.
- Objective 3: Guild members will be participants in the process of community building in astrobiology and may receive support (e.g., resources, collaborators) if they have their own ideas for SciComm initiatives.
Membership
Our members are diverse and span different interests within astrobiology. Want to join? You are eligible if you are a practicing researcher who self-identifies as astrobiologist (or a student in training to become one), an astrobiology science communicator, and/or an educator who teaches astrobiology. If you are one or more of these three and would like to join to receive information about Guild SciComm opportunities, please contact svetlana.shkolyar@nasa.gov.
NASA SCoPE Engages and Empowers at AbSciCon 2024 with Gaming Activities and Childcare Support
At AbSciCon 2024, a NASA Guild and NASA SCoPE co-hosted game night illustrated effective NASA mission planning and science communication
Read the Story
Astrobiology SciComm Guild Meetings
We bring Guild members diverse SciComm and engagement opportunities with NASA and external partners regularly at our monthly meetings. Meetings are a chance for SciComm, engagement, outreach, and education leaders to seek subject matter experts from the astrobiology community through mutually beneficial partnerships. Guild members are notified about upcoming meetings by email and through our community Slack page. Watch recordings of meetings below. If you miss a meeting, recordings are posted within a week of the meeting occurrence.
Many feature ongoing opportunities and it may not be too late to participate in some of them. Contact svetlana.shkolyar@nasa.gov to be connected to an opportunity presented by a past Guild speaker.
Monthly Meeting Recordings
Member Surveys
We are interested in hearing from our members so that we can get support to continue offering and co-creating high-quality, relevant, and beneficial SciComm experiences for and with members. If you just became a member, please fill out the first two surveys below. If you just performed a Guild-related SciComm activity, please fill out the Outreach Reporting Tool.
Member Needs Assessment
Have you just become a new member of the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild? If so, please fill out this short survey to share what you would like to gain from the Guild. Questions include personal goals for science communication and outreach, topics and events that interest you, and how you would like the guild to contribute to the community.
Member Roster
Have you just become a new member of the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild? If so, please fill out this roster. If not, please see Membership section on how to join. Members are diverse and span different interests within astrobiology.
Outreach Reporting Tool
Have you recently completed an outreach activity with the Guild (or a relevant non-Guild activity)? Tell us about it in this short tracking form.
Meet the Team
Guild Leadership is dedicated to helping members on their journeys of practicing the art of communicating astrobiology effectively and impactfully.
Dr. Svetlana Shkolyar, Implementation Lead
Dr. Svetlana Shkolyar is an astrobiologist who specializes in developing life detection techniques and strategies on planetary surfaces using laser spectroscopy instruments, particularly on present and upcoming Mars missions. She is currently the community engagement lead for NASA’s Center for Life Detection, where she leads CLD’s engagement strategy to increase awareness and participation in tools to help life detection mission planning efforts.
She is also passionate about using the powerful narrative of astrobiology to engage students and the public in learning science and recognizing its importance in society. In her role as an educational liaison between the NASA Astrobiology Program and NASA’s Science Activation program, she bridges astrobiology resources and subject matter experts to public education and engagement programs.
When she’s not doing astrobiology, she is doing science experiments of a different kind – in her kitchen. The ultimate experiment is whether her two kids, ages 1 and 5, like her creations.
Mike Toillion, Co-Implementation Lead
Mike Toillion is a media production specialist and filmmaker for the NASA Astrobiology Program. Mike founded the NASA Astrobiology YouTube channel and has created multiple science communication video series, including the Early Career Spotlight Series, Ask an Astrobiologist, Countdown to Mars, Exploring the Universe with NASA’s JWST, and Astrobiology in the Field.
After work, you can find him hiking, climbing, and snowboarding the mountains of Colorado, walking his bulldog, Mochi, and traveling the world in search of the greatest street food.
Dr. Hilarie Davis, External Evaluator
Dr. Hilarie Davis is an external evaluator in science education. She has worked extensively with NASA Astrobiology on learning progressions, AbGradCon, Santander, Navajo education, incarcerated programs, Winter School, and the Guild community. She uses a collaborative model of evaluation to iterate with program staff to provide the most effective programs, and collect the best evidence of effects. As a former K-12 teacher and administrator, she is keenly aware of issues and opportunities for formal and informal education and outreach, specializing in astobiology outreach.
She has evaluated projects funded by NASA, NIH, NSF, and NOAA.
Daniella Scalice, Co-Founder
Daniella Scalice is the Education Lead for NASA’s Astrobiology Program as well as the Community-Based Education Lead for the MUREP for American Indian/Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE) program of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. Daniella also leads the American Indian/Alaska Native Working Group for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Daniella has led the Astrobiology for the Incarcerated program, as well as a FameLab, a science communication training program for early career scientists.
With Guild Evaluator Hilarie Davis, Daniella co-developed an Impact Assessment Method and together they also developed the Astrobiology Learning Progressions which organizes astrobiology content to support learners of all ages.
Daniella is a settler colonialist of European descent who lives and works on the lands of the Piscataway in the occupied territories known by some today as Annapolis, Maryland, United States.