Sophie Prosolek meets NASA pilot as part of her Sci Comms work
Sophie Prosolek, a final year DTP student at QIB, recently hosted a high-profile Science Communication event featuring the esteemed ex NASA pilot Tony Antonelli and talented local astrophotographer Shaun Reynolds (https://shaunreynoldsastro.com/).
The event was part of a series in Tony’s UK tour, funded by the International Space Schools Education Trust (ISSET) and made possible by the international outreach initiative ‘Pint of Science’. Sophie, as the Pint of Science Norwich Coordinator, was approached to host the event.
“As the Pint of Science City Coordinator I’ve had loads of exciting opportunities, and hosting a genuine NASA Astronaut has been one of the best” says Sophie. “It’s so rewarding to work together with other Pint of Science volunteers to make an event like this happen”.
Sophie wasn’t alone in coordinating this once-in-a-lifetime event; together a total of seven dedicated volunteers hosted over 250 paying guests, all of which reported extremely positive feedback. “It’s not just the event itself” Sophie tells the DTP team, “It’s all the other great Sci Comms opportunities that come with running an event of this scale – for example, myself and my volunteer co-host, Leah Bundy, got the opportunity to speak live on BBC Norfolk to advertise the event!”
Running events like this has helped Sophie gain experience in many aspects of science communication, such as media relations, social media communications and of course public presentations. When asked ‘What advice would you give to students looking to gain experience in science communication?’ Sophie answered: “Just get stuck in and give it a go! There’s definitely an art to science communication, but you learn the most by trying things and seeing what works”
If anyone would like to find out more about Pint of Science, or how to get involved with local science communication, feel free to get in touch with Sophie via email (Sophie.prosolek@quadram.ac.uk).