Category Archives: Community & Social Innovation

Our 10th KAUSTiversary: making the most of living in a small town

By | July 12, 2021

I believe that with living in a very small town comes the responsibility of every citizen to make the most it. As I reflect on our 10 years here, I want to share a few thoughts on how anyone can make a positive impact in their small town.

Tinkering with Technology: An interview with Peter Rautek from the KAUST Maker Space

By | September 9, 2017

I recently connected with Peter Rautek, a research scientist at KAUST to ask him about a side-project he’s been working on. He, along with several other collaborators at KAUST, launched the Maker Space Self-Directed Group to enable builders, tinkerers, and innovators to create and connect.  I was eager to learn more about this group when… Read More »

Communicating Science in the Post-Truth Era | TEDxKAUST

By | August 14, 2017

My TEDx is live! Here’s the video of my talk. I’ve also included the full transcript at the bottom of this post for those who prefer to scan. Mine was one of nine talks in a full-day TEDx event hosted here at KAUST. I was particularly touched by Tsiki’s talk about the impact of education in… Read More »

Creating a community of science communicators at KAUST

By | March 13, 2017

On March 4, I did at TEDx talk here at KAUST which aimed to inspire scientists to communicate beyond their scientific ecosystems and engage with the general public. In the nine days since the event, I’ve had numerous people approach me to say they agreed with what I had to say and wanted to push… Read More »

Upcoming TEDx Talk: “Communicating Science in the Post Truth Era”

By | February 17, 2017

In 2 weeks, I’ll be speaking at the first ever TEDx KAUST, talking about the opportunities for scientific communication in the post-truth era. My talk will cover why and how scientists can communicate beyond their scientific ecosystem and the value of public communication in today’s media landscape. For those of you at KAUST, I hope… Read More »

Getting started with the KAUST Core Labs

By | October 16, 2015

Yesterday I started a part-time position as the Events and Community Relations Coordinator in the KAUST Core Labs. The Core Labs are a host of shared resources to be used across the university – a dazzling array of leading scientific equipment and brainpower including the 7th fastest Super Computer in the world. I’ll be working on an… Read More »

Entrepreneurship at KAUST

By | September 14, 2014

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Gordon McConnell, the Acting Director New Ventures & Entrepreneurship, in the Entrepreneurship Center at KAUST. He was telling me about all the programs they have for both students and community members here at KAUST. Avid readers will know that I have a passion for social innovation and using technology to improve/build communities.… Read More »