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Spring has finally sprung — and with it, a new Science Soapbox episode! Stepping onto this month’s soapbox, we have one of our favorite climate scientists, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. An atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, Dr. Hayhoe is known not only for her leadership in climate science, but also for her phenomenal outreach and communication work. She has effectively joined her identity as both an evangelical Christian and a staunch advocate for climate action to engage with communities that are traditionally thought to be skeptical of science. Her work is a testament to the power of bringing our full identities to our science and outreach efforts. We’ve been following Dr. Hayhoe on social media for years and were thrilled to chat with her about her approach to public engagement and how (and why) she finds hope in the face of our changing climate.

For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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A neuroscientist turned science communication expert, Dr. Mónica Feliú-Mójer understands all to well that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to public engagement with science. A Puerto Rican native, she is a prominent advocate for culturally relevant approach to science communication to increase access to the scientific endeavor and ensure that science serves society at large. In fact, the title of this interview — "ciencia para hacer patria" — loosely translates to the idea that science is for nation building. She has put her communication philosophy and expertise to use serving as the Director of Communications & Science Outreach for Ciencia Puerto Rico and the Associate Director of Diversity & Communication Training for iBiology. We had the incredible privilege of catching up with Mónica at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Austin where we got the chance to pick her brain about how she found science in Puerto Rico, how she has given back to her community through her bilingual science communication and mentorship endeavors, and why she believes science belongs to everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Another month, another podcast! Join the Science Soapbox team as we delve into a work that has inspired some of our science policy heroes — C.P Snow’s lecture ‘The Two Cultures’. Published in 1959, the brief lecture has received worldwide renown for addressing matters on the culture of science. We first heard of this work during our interview with Dr. John Holdren — President Barack Obama's former science advisor — and decided to read it ourselves to discuss on the podcast. While many things have changed since the time of this lecture, it provides a stepping stone and fascinating reference point towards the state of our contemporary science community.

For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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We close another year of Science Soapbox by learning about the battle being waged against plastic pollution in our waters and its impact on public policy and perception. We talk with Marcus Eriksen — science educator, researcher, and founder of 5-Gyres Institute — to hear about his advocacy on behalf of our planet's waters. He talks about his new book Junk Raft, which documents his three-month trip across the pacific on a raft made of recycled junk with a cessna hull for a cabin. Through our conversation, we learned about lobbying tactics used by the plastic industry and got to handle plastic trash from the ocean with bite marks from turtles and fish.

For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Congressman Joe Kennedy is as passionate as we are about STEM education, making it a priority for his district and the nation. So the Science Soapbox team was thrilled to visit his office to talk about what inspired his interest in STEM education and its relationship as a critical concern for our economy. The Congressman also discussed how his degree in Management Science and Engineering influences his outlook on policy, and how it's informed his concerns around the looming tax reform, especially its impact on graduate students. This episode was recorded one day before the House voted to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill, so we hope you find our conversation timely and useful.

For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox
Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox