Message from the Executive Director: Interview with Nyazia Sajdah-Bey, ASLO Spring/Summer 2024 Science Communication Intern

In April 2015, ASLO launched a new Science Communication Internship (https://www.aslo.org/opportunities-in-aslo/scicomm-internship/). The selected interns work with the ASLO Communications Office on a variety of communication, social media, policy, education, and public outreach projects designed to provide direct experience in how science is communicated to a variety of audiences.

Nyazia Sajdah-Bey was selected as the Spring/Summer 2024 Science Communication Intern. Nyazia worked with Brittany Schieler, ASLO Communications and Program Manager, on a variety of initiatives, including communications and social media for the ASLO Madison 2024 Summer Meeting.

ED: WELCOME, NYAZIA. TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO APPLY FOR THE INTERNSHIP.

NSB: I am a second-year Ph.D. student at Oregon State University studying the impacts of oceanic climate change on Dungeness crabs. Communication has naturally been a cornerstone in my life. I have always had an affinity for public speaking and writing, and I have a mild addiction to Instagram like many well-adjusted people my age. I really developed my science communication skills professionally when I worked at Oceana as a Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Conservation Fellow. There, I worked on all sorts of projects ranging from drafting tweets on United Nations (UN) meetings, designing flyers for social events, creating newsletters, and so on. When I started graduate school, I felt like there might not be many opportunities for me to sharpen those skills outside of my own personal projects. I was also keen to learn more about different careers outside of research. I applied for the internship and the rest is history!

ED: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT ASLO DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU? YOU HAVE ATTENDED MANY OTHER ASLO AND NON-ASLO MEETINGS, INCLUDING ONE ASLO MEETING AS PART OF THE ASLOMP PROGRAM. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ASLO FROM EXPERIENCING A MEETING FROM THAT SIDE OF THINGS?

NSB: I did not really understand how ASLO worked. I knew it was standard for scientists to give back and participate in a scientific society. I had attended ASLO conferences, both on Zoom and in-person (Palma for ASLO 2030 anyone?!). But this was always from an inexperienced undergraduate lens where my biggest worry was networking at the poster session. What happened behind the curtain at the conference, or even throughout the year, remained a mystery to me. During this internship, I got to attend the ASLO Board Meeting and learned all about funding, administration, and topical issues. I did not previously consider how ASLO leadership really must stay ahead of all the rising political issues both within the United States and internationally, as an organization by scientists and for scientists. I also got to hear all the stats about the ASLO publications from the journal Editors, including future directions of the publications. I did not really grasp the difference between all of the publications, but I do now.

Also, I did not know how much work went into organizing a conference! Going to a conference as an attendee is already pretty intense, but it is even more so when you are working social events, taking a million photos, and advertising presentations in real time. I just remember sleeping for like a week straight after that. Kudos to the event planning team for doing this several times a year! I won't take coffee hour for granted again.

ED: WHAT WERE SOME OF THE PROJECTS YOU WORKED ON DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP? HOW HAVE THOSE IMPACTED YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? AS A MARINE SCIENTIST, WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM ATTENDING THE MADISON 2024 SUMMER MEETING WHICH WAS LARGELY A FRESHWATER MEETING?

NSB: During my tenure, I dabbled in many aspects of ASLO communications. I spent a lot of time learning graphic design and social media marketing, and developed dozens of graphics and social media posts. For instance, I led the Raelyn Cole Early Career Researcher Honoree highlights, where I published tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts, and designed original graphics for the six honorees. Additionally, I published blogs and email content on burgeoning policies of relevance to ASLO members. I attended Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies meetings and updated pages on the ASLO website. All of these experiences taught me how to communicate with various audiences across different media, all skills I still use today. I am in the process of publishing my own personal website for instance, and think about my internship experiences often. What was really special was how the Comms team spent time coaching me through all the details of graphic design and social media marketing. We had many discussions on color theory and branding, and tiny details too—the placement of logos, the size of text, and so forth. That really helped me understand what works from a visual communication perspective.

I was initially hesitant about my participation at the 2024 Summer Meeting for the reason you explained, but I ended up having such an awesome time! Seriously, smaller conferences are underrated. I really felt like I got to form deep connections, and I rubbed elbows with everyone from international students to ASLO Presidents. It was cool to see the research connections between my upstream colleagues and myself, especially in the ocean-like great lake ecosystems. I still chat with folks I connected with at this conference to this day. I would recommend going to a summer meeting for anyone who wants to build stronger networking connections.

ED: TELL US ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE PUTTING TOGETHER THE MADISON WORKSHOP “PERSONAL BRANDING 101: STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING YOURSELF AND YOUR SCIENCE.” WHY DO YOU BELIEVE PERSONAL BRANDING, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATION ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR SCIENTISTS TO LEARN AND PRACTICE?

NSB: I think sometimes scientists, who are stereotypically introverted, can be intimidated by the concept of personal branding, and I really wanted to demystify that with my workshop. First, the job market is super competitive these days, and sharpening your personal brand can help provide an edge. Second, your personal brand is all about communicating a message to an audience based on your own values. AKA establishing a strong vibe. Every single one of us has a message about the science that we do, and we all could do a better job of communicating that to the audiences that matter. Personal brands do not have to mean social media either if you are averse to that. Steve Irwin, for instance, had a powerful personal brand, and he never made a single TikTok.

I knew I wanted to present at the Summer Meeting, and this topic is a personal passion of mine. I had so much fun connecting with everyone and picked up a few ideas for my own brand and website. For anyone who is interested in the subject, I have a little activity. Find the website or social media account of a scientist who you admire—it can be your lab mate, colleague, or someone you never met. Spend a couple of minutes looking at the color choices, logo, use of images, verbs, and so forth. If you had to describe who this person was in a few words, what would you say? This exercise can help us consider what tools to use to communicate our own messages.

ED: WHAT EXPERIENCES FROM YOUR INTERNSHIP WILL HELP YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD INTO THE NEXT STAGE OF YOUR CAREER?

NSB: One of my proudest projects was the development of an article that I eventually published in ASLO's Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin “Not the Only One: Black in Marine Science (BIMS) Tidal Wave Fellowship” (Sajdah-Bey 2024). In this article, I describe my experiences attending the UN Ocean Decade conference with BIMS during the ASLO Science Communication Internship. I am a proud and active member of BIMS, and I knew coming into the internship that I wanted to somehow connect that work back to ASLO. As a first-year graduate student, I had never published a paper on my own before, and was intimidated by the process. Brittany really helped guide me throughout the entire process, helped revise drafts, explained the review process, and connected me with the Editor of the L&O Bulletin so I could discuss my concerns. I remember being most confused about the economics of publishing and the cost–benefit of open access, so I got a lot of support on that. I feel much more confident now tackling the process on my own as a young researcher, and I am really grateful for that experience.

ED: NYAZIA, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ASLO COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING! WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS EXPERIENCE TO YOUR PEERS?

NSB: Totally! I would recommend this experience to anyone who wants a safe and guided introduction to science communication and marketing, and wants to learn more about the inner workings of a prolific science society. I am so grateful to ASLO, Brittany Schieler, and Fenina Buttler for welcoming me further into the community and investing in my future success.