#FaceOfScience celebrates scientists for a fourth year
Fourth annual social media campaign celebrates STEMM community
By Hansook Oh
May 15, 2024
What does a scientist look like?
Scientists from across the country answered that question during the fourth annual #FaceOfScience social media campaign on April 24.
Individuals, labs, research programs and scientific and governmental organizations posted ‘selfies’ and group photos on social media and shared what they loved about being a scientist.
Keith Curry, a National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) Fellow researching bioengineering at San Francisco State University, highlighted community and access.
“What I love most about being a scientist is having the opportunity to work alongside such talented people, and the access to tools and systems that help me turn my curiosity into knowledge," Curry said.
Others highlighted how science can have an altruistic role for people.
“I love that science is so broad and interdisciplinary, that no matter how little you think your contribution is, we are all working together for a greater goal — the good of humanity,” posted Jorlane De Jesús, a biomedical sciences undergraduate student and an incoming oncology doctoral student at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center.
Research laboratories also participated by posting group photos to represent their teams.
“We are a diverse group of young scientists from different backgrounds, geographical areas, and upbringings all excited and motivated by understanding how the cell works at a fundamental level,” posted Danielle L. Schmitt, PhD, who is the principal investigator of the Schmitt Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The campaign saw 800-plus posts from 300 unique authors, garnering 6,000-plus engagements and 5.2 million potential impressions.
Notable governmental organizations that participated include the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
#FaceOfScience is coordinated by the Diversity Program Consortium (DPC), an initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health that aims to engage and support a more diverse field of individuals in biomedical research careers.
The idea for the campaign was sparked by an original video series called "Face Of Science," produced by the DPC's Enhance Science visual media project. Through digital content and social media engagement, Enhance Science creates opportunities for the science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) community to come together.
The campaign celebrates scientists at all levels of their careers. This year, the face of the campaign was Ramon Holquin, an undergraduate student researcher in the BUILDing SCHOLARS program at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Holquin, who is studying mechanical and biomedical engineering, shared his passion for making positive change as a scientist.
“The inquisitive desire to discover new ideas, concepts, and solutions is a self-fulfilling journey that drives me to become a researcher,” Holquin said. “A researcher who has the opportunity to help not only locally, but the entire world.”
Gabriela Chavira, PhD, principal investigator for the BUILD PODER program at California State University, Northridge, highlighted the importance of inclusivity in the research community.
“We need scientists who come from all backgrounds with different ways of thinking to solve the world’s problems,” Chavira said. “By becoming a scientist, you get the opportunity to make an impact in the scientific world. No matter how big or small, your voice matters.”
Learn more about the Enhance Science project at enhancescience.org.
Watch the “Face Of Science” video series featuring undergraduate research trainees from the DPC.
Watch the “Become A Researcher” video series featuring DPC researchers at different stages of their careers.
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The Diversity Program Consortium Coordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA is supported by Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health / National Institutes of General Medical Sciences under award number U54GM119024.
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