Communicating Bench Research: inclusive STEAM education approaches

Shaz Zamore, PhD, Teaching Assistant Professor, Atlas Institute CU Boulder

Shaz Zamore (they/them) is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the ATLAS Institute at CU Boulder who shifted research fields from Neuroscience to STEAM Education. Their research team is creating inclusive, at-home STEAM learning tools that incorporate current STEM discoveries and artistic practices for middle school learners. The team is using these tools to explore approaches to cultural responsiveness and establish frameworks for cultural inclusion and belonging outside of the classroom. Zamore has extensive STEAM outreach experience, writing for SciShow (YouTube), leading the Public Affairs Committee for the Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology, designing museum exhibits, hosting research training for teachers, and many years of classroom visits. Before working at ATLAS, Zamore earned an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Virginia Tech and their PhD in Neuroscience at University of Washington. In their spare time, Zamore enjoys foraging, hobby mechanics and backcountry snowboarding. 
 

Communicating research is a central, but often-overlooked component in many forms of research training. Today's need for widespread, approachable STEAM communication is larger than ever, as the digital divide exacerbates learning challenges seen among low-income, rural, Black and Hispanic communities. Comic art offers a unique solution to the multitude of challenges in education.