Public Engagement & Knowledge Transfer

I strongly believe that as scientists it is our job not only to research, but to effectively communicate that research to the public. To that end, I actively engage in science communication / education on social media, and also engage with the public through museum outreach programs. I have also worked, and continue to work, with a number of different organizations dedicated to science education, and have also assisted in programs designed specifically for younger audiences and underrepresented communities. Details of these organizations and programs, as well as my role with them, are discussed below.

Professional Consulting

I have provided professional consulting services to Emily Graslie and the team at Window to the World Productions, assisting in the planning and development of the PBS documentary series Prehistoric Road Trip, which aired during the summer of 2020. I provided input into the choice of topics and researchers to be covered, as well as reviewed content for the program, including scripts, animations, and interviews for technical accuracy.
As a component of my work with the Field Museum of Natural History and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, I have also consulted on a number of technical art pieces, including Blue Rhino Studio's life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex reconstruction and Beth Zaiken's Hell Creek Formation mural (both in the FMNH Traveling SUE Exhibition, and the latter also in the permanent SUE exhibit at the Field Museum). I also consulted on art that Liam Elward produced for the Evolving Planet permanent exhibit at Field Museum (Citipati, Anchiornis, Archaeopteryx, Deinonychus, and Tianyuraptor) and for the Cretaceous Creatures program at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences (18 illustrated species and 1 environmental reconstruction).

Museum Outreach

Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to work in several natural history museums (Canadian Museum of Nature, Royal Ontario Museum, Field Museum of Natural History). Museums, and specifically their collections and specimen-based research programs, represent an outstanding venue in which to engage with the public and provide an effective medium for teaching about science and the natural world.

A few of the museum outreach programs I have taken part in are listed here:

January 2020 - present: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

In my role as a postdoc at the NCMNS, approx. 50% of my duties involve acting as the project manager for a major in-development pubic education and citizen science program aimed at middle-school classrooms, making use of fossils and sediment collected from vertebrate microfossil bonebeds in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Tasks thus far involve designing fossil identification keys for participants, working with graphic artists designing logo and website materials, working with research assistant to perform sorting and preparing microvertebrate site samples for use in the program, 3D scanning of specimens, assisting in designing and implementing of automated screenwashing equipment, working with developers to create a specimen and educational database system for the program (both for participants and for researchers wishing to make use of data generated from the program), preparing lesson plans to conform to state and federal curriculum requirements, and developing partnerships with other museums to deliver synergized educational opportunities.

In addition, I have also taken part in several in-gallery specimen-based public engagement programs related to the above-mentioned program.

January 2018 - December 2019: Field Museum. Took part in multiple in-gallery and off-site specimen-based public engagement programs in conjunction with the Exhibitions, Education, and/or Institutional Advancement departments. These include:
  • Interacted with museum visitors, explained Cretaceous vertebrate fossil ecosystems and the species in them during the ‘SUE moving on up’ event in preparation for the disassembly and removal of ‘Sue’ the T. rexfrom Stanley Field Hall (Jan 11th, 2018). 
  • Provided guided tours of the fossil collections during the Women’s Board and Founder’s Council ‘Winter Family Day’ event (Feb 10th, 2018).
  • Provided guests with a behind-the-scenes look at the planned & under-construction ‘SUE Experience’ exhibit, with particular emphasis on the new scientific data informing our reconstructions of Sue the T. rex, how it grew, and the ecosystem it inhabited (May 10th, 2018).
  • On two evenings, interacted with museum guests/members (June 14th, 2018) and Founder’s Council members (June 21st), discussing the newly opened ‘Antarctic Dinosaurs’ exhibit and recently installed ‘Maximo the titanosaur’.
  • Presented on my scientific research and led multiple tours of the ‘Evolving Planet’ fossil exhibit for guests of the Adult Engagement department’s ‘Field Museum Adult Sleepover’ event (July 7th, 2018).
  • Discussed Utah field research and recent fossil discoveries with museum guests as part of regular ‘Meet a Scientist’ event at the Field Museum ‘Science Hub’ (Aug 24th, 2018).
  • Engaged with event guests and discussed both my research and the upcoming Sue exhibit during the ‘EVOLVE’ event at the Field Museum (Sept 22nd, 2018).
  • Field Museum 'A. Watson Armour Seminar Series'. Gave a lecture on my research to the staff and public at the Field Museum, as part of their ongoing invitational speaker series. The title of my talk was "Multi-scale approaches to understanding dinosaur ecology and evolution – from growth and diet to whole faunas" (Dec 5, 2018)
  • Took part giving tours and answering questions from members of the press, museum donors, members, visitors, and representatives from visiting institutions during a series of events (‘Welcome Back SUE’) focused around the opening of the ‘SUE Experience / SUE’s World’ exhibition at the Field Museum (Dec 15-21, 2018).
  • Engaged with guests discussing my research on dinosaur growth & the development of the ‘SUE Experience / SUE’s World’ exhibition during an evening member+donor event (‘SUE Celebration’) (Jan 16, 2019).

January 2014 – September 2017: Royal Ontario Museum. Took part in multiple in-gallery and off-site specimen-based public engagement programs. These include:
  • Gave lecture to students entitled ‘Fieldwork in Palaeontology’ as part of the March Break ‘ROMology’ program. (March 2014).
  • March Break Dinosaur Touch Table. Interacted with museum visitors, explained fossil specimens, and answered questions on a wide range of topics relating to dinosaurs, palaeontology, and evolution. (March 2014, 2015).
  • Provided tours of palaeontological collections to public during ‘ROM Revealed’ open house weekend (May 3rd& 4th2014)
  • Alongside Dr. David Evans, provided tour of collections and research facilities to visiting guest Adam Savage (‘Mythbusters’). (November 29th, 2014).
  • Interacted with museum visitors, hosted interactive station focused around vertebrate microfossil bonebeds and their use in inferring palaeoecology and palaeoenvironments. Depending on year, either part of the ‘Dinosaurs Invade! Weekend’ (January 24th-25th, 2015; January 23rd-24th, 2016) and/or ‘Fossil Fest Family Funday’ (January 22nd, 2017) events.
  • Interacted with museum visitors and discussed recent ROM palaeontology discoveries during ‘DinoNite’ Friday Night Live event (June 2nd, 2017).
  • Interacted with museum visitors, explained vertebrate fossil microsites and their use in inferring palaeoecology and palaeoenvironments during the ‘Up Close with Nature’ component of the ‘Brilliant Science Family Fun Day’ event (Sept 24th, 2017).

May 2010 – November 2011: Canadian Museum of Nature. Took part in multiple in-gallery and off-site specimen-based public engagement programs. These include:
  • Museum Grand Re-Opening Event ‘Rediscover Your Museum’. Positioned at station in fossil gallery to explain and answer questions regarding the ‘missing-link’ fossil Puijila darwini. (May 22, 2010).
  • Royal dedication of ‘Queen’s Lantern’ addition to museum’s Victoria Memorial Museum Building, during visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Assisted in event set-up, selection of collection objects to be moved to gallery spaces for guest viewing, and took part in staff welcome to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. (June 30, 2010).
  • ‘Meet the Experts’ event. Positioned at station in fossil gallery to explain and answer questions regarding the ‘missing-link’ fossil Puijila darwini, and my M.Sc. research on pinniped evolution. (November 2010).
  • ‘Meet the Experts’ event. Positioned at station in new arctic research gallery to explain and answer questions regarding the ‘missing-link’ pinniped fossil Puijila darwini, arctic field work, and my M.Sc. research on pinniped evolution. (November 2011).

Science Communication through Social Media

I maintain a personal twitter account in order to communicate my research and engage in direct dialogue with  the public and other stakeholders. While I don't personally feel that knowledge transfer can be as effectively conducted over social media when compared with in-person, specimen-based experiential learning, it nonetheless represents a critical component of effective public science outreach due to the ability to reach a much wider range of audiences. My feed is viewable on this page or at the link below.
@cullen_thomas

Science Borealis

Since February 2017 I have worked with Science Borealis, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting and disseminating Canadian scientific research & policy through blogs, events, and social media. My primary duties with Science Borealis are as a member of their Outreach Team, where I contribute to discussions of public engagement strategies, create social media an outreach content, and assist in running social media accounts. More information about Science Borealis can be found here.

Science Travels

In November 2012 I worked with Science Travels, an organization based out of the University of Ottawa that sends graduate students to provide elementary and high school students in remote or First Nations communities additional science education opportunities. I participated in four-person team sent to northern Ontario (within and between Dryden and Kenora), which visited multiple schools and First Nations communities and performed a series of science workshops/seminars. More information about Science Travels can be found here.

Geoheritage Day

'Explore Geoheritage Day' is an event organized by the Ottawa-Gatineau Geoheritage Project and the Carleton University Dept. of Earth Sciences, which takes place every October during National Science and Technology Week. The goals of the event are to increase awareness and education about the geological history of the National Capital Region. During the event, volunteers are sent to a variety of geoheritage landmarks in Ottawa and Gatineau, and make themselves available to interact with and educate the public about the natural history of those locations. Maps and descriptions of each site are also available during and before the event, allowing interested members of the public to seek out and learn about multiple sites. During my undergraduate and M.Sc., I worked with the organizers of Explore Geoheritage Day and interacted with the public at a number of different geoheritage sites. More information about this excellent event can be found here and here.

Media Appearances & Press Coverage

TV/Radio/Online appearances and invited comments: Written media coverage of my research:
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