Feature Friday: Dr Jen Martin

This morning I opened my inbox to see an email from the Provost of UniMelb announcing the recipients of the 2020 Melbourne Excellence Awards. I was so excited to see that none other than our very own Dr Jen Martin was the recipient of David White Award for Teaching Excellence!

Seeing as it’s also exactly 10 years to the week since Jen stood up and presented her first lecture in Science Communication at the University of Melbourne, I thought today was a great day to feature her and her amazing career.

Jen started as a field-based ecological researcher. Her teaching career began in 2001 when she was a demonstrator for first-year biology practical classes during her PhD.

“I soon learned that passion, interaction, storytelling and forming genuine connections with students were essential components of engaging practical classes.”

Here, Jen learned that these were the hallmarks of effective science communication, which was part of the awakening for her passion for SciComm.

“Despite my deep commitment to ecology and conservation, during my PhD I became increasingly uneasy about the societal impact of my work. It quickly dawned on me that if I didn’t share my findings beyond academic journals and conferences, few people would ever know what I did and why it mattered. I began to write and speak about my work to many people – including farmers, public servants, teachers, amateur natural historians and school students – but soon became aware I was seriously lacking in the skills I needed to engage effectively with these audiences and have impact with my work.

This realisation led me to take part in the 2006 National Fresh Science Competition, which offered science communication training to finalists. As a result, I observed the enormous improvements my fellow early-career scientists and I made in our ability to explain our research to both scientific and non- scientific audiences. Fresh Science convinced me of the need for, and fundamental importance of, communication training for scientists. It catalysed my transition to science communicator and educator: I had a new purpose and vision for science students at The University of Melbourne.”

Jen realised that whilst science degrees claimed that students would graduate with communication skills, at no point in their syllabus was communication directly taught. And that these skills were perhaps the most important thing a student could learn that would be needed in the workforce as a scientist.

So in 2010, she began designing her first science communication subject for the University of Melbourne.

In the 10 years since then, she has taught over 5000 students, and has expanded her programs to now employ a teaching team that run multiple subjects per semester. She’s also active in her own science communication work, spreading the word by Twitter, her own blog Espresso Science and on RRR Radio.

As one of her former students, I could gush about Jen’s incredible teaching style for days, but here are some awesome quotes from some of her students:

“Jenny is so enthusiastic and passionate about science that it is hard not to be inspired” 

“I was terrified of undertaking a Masters before taking this subject. I am FAR more confident now with my ability to write and communicate my science. And am now actually excited to do so.” 

“I can’t fault this subject. I was really not looking forward to my research project this year, but in week 4 I realised that my motivation had done a complete 180 thanks to this subject. The lecture material was great – I was hanging off every word.” 

But we aren’t the only ones who think Jen is the coolest thing for the world of SciComm since the increase in Twitter’s character limit. In 2019 she was named the Unsung Hero of Science Communication by the Australian Science Communicators for her amazing work in the field and in her teaching. She was also invited to join the Visibility Team within the Homeward Bound teaching faculty, a group of leaders supporting women in STEMM to change the world.

And now, in 2020 she’s won the David White Award for Teaching Excellence, which means that Jen’s teaching aces the following criteria:

• Approaches to learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn
• Development of curricula and resources that reflect a command of the field
• Approaches to assessment and feedback that foster independent learning
• Respect and support for the development of students as individuals
• Scholarly activities that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching

In talking to Jen today, she spoke about a mentor from her early career who told her that one day, she needed to apply for this award, but it had to be at the right time – only when she had made a significant mark with her career. Every year since then, Jen would ask herself “Is this the year to apply?”. Despite all of the crrent challenges: moving all of the UniMelbScicomm classes fully online, juggling working from home and her kids doing remote learning, 2020 apparently is her year!

We’re all so proud of Jen for this amazing achievement and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.

– Written by Rosie Arnold