Visual SciComm Seminar Series

Spring 2025 | Fall 2024  |  Spring 2024 |  Fall 2023 |  Spring 2023

Spring 2025 Visual SciComm Seminar

Join us for this virtual speaker series on a wide range of topics related to visual scientific communication.

The Spring series will take place on Fridays (see each session for the exact times). Participants must register for each session separately to receive the Zoom link.

If you are interested in being a future speaker, please email Sara Kobilka at [email protected].

Friday, February 14, 2025, 11am-noon AZ time/1-2pm ET

Headshot of Louis Charron. Louis is looking off to the left.

How to Make Science Captivating

Louis Charron

Freelance Designer

Drawing from how people engage with scientific content, freelance graphic designer Louis Charron will examine three powerful tools – storytelling, metaphors, and beauty – that transform scientific communication. By understanding how stories create meaning, how metaphors shape understanding, and how beauty drives both curiosity and cultural relevance, we can develop more effective approaches to sharing complex ideas.

Louis Charron Website

Registration closed

Friday, February 28, 2025, 11am-noon AZ time/1-2pm ET

Philipp Dexheimer ina lab coat in front of a chemistry lab

AI Tools for Visual Science Communication

Philipp Dexheimer

Science Artist, The Dexheimer Lab GmbH

Creatively communicating science to a diverse target audience in a way that engages and informs is a challenging endeavor. Choosing visual metaphors that resonate and creating memorable images are no easy tasks, and typically require substantial experience. In this context AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney & co are exciting resources to utilize. In this talk, scientist artist Philipp Dexheimer will give an overview about the manifold possibilities how to employ them to level up your science communication game.

Philipp Dexheimer Website

Friday, March 28, 2025, 11am-noon AZ time/2-3pm ET

Avatar of Zen Faulkes with a crustacean drawn on his shoulder.

Poster Pitfalls and Power-Ups

Zen Faulkes

Biologist
Conference posters are the hardest format for technical communication because of their tight constraints. I will discuss the most common graphic design mistakes on posters and how to avoid them. I will also talk about ensuring your poster is accessible, both during and after the conference.

Zen Faulkes’s Website

Friday, April 4, 2025, 11am-noon AZ time/2-3pm ET

Alex Lombard headshot

Science in the Shape of Fiction

Alex Lombard

Artist-Researcher
By exploring collaborations between scientists and artists, we will look at the value of shifting scientific communication into artistic forms like sculpture, film, and performance. While diagrams and scientific visualizations convey certainty, these other mediums reflect science as it truly is—complex, dynamic, and full of questions. By abstracting the context in which we present explanations, we open new ways of seeing and understanding.