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Hi everyone,

I'm excited to launch our Utah LSEN community and connect with local scientists and engineers who are eager to create an impact. 

My name is Faith Bowman and I'm the LSEN Liaison for Utah. LSEN's mission is to empower scientists and engineers to engage with their communities, elevating the visibility of and trust in science while building and satisfying the demand for scientific evidence that addresses needs, solves problems and informs state and local decision-making. 

As we get started in forming our local network and fulfilling the mission of LSEN, please take a moment to introduce yourself here and share some of the science-related topics and issues that are specific to Utah that you're interested to learn more about. What pressing issues would you like to address within our network? What skills and learning opportunities are you looking for that would help you hone your professional, personal and civic engagement skills? Your input is vital to shaping our community's focus. 

Here's a little about me to start the introductions. I am a doctoral candidate in the Summers-Holland Lab in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah, where my research focuses on the transcription factor FOXN3 and its role in heart failure and diabetes. As an Indigenous scholar from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation in Wisconsin, I am committed to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by serving as a bridge between Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and the scientific research community. I am passionate about community level engagement, and look forward to working with you all on this mission.

I look forward to reading your introduction, learning about your background and the topics that are important to you. Let's join forces and champion the cause of science in Utah.

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Faith Bowman
(Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Nation)
Doctoral Candidate- Biochemistry, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
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Hello! My name is Justice Morath. I'm an Associate Professor of Psychology at Salt Lake Community College. I've done a lot of local and national science communication initiatives over the years but the main one these days is being Membership Director for the Association of Science Communicators. We are a newer group that looks to connect and educate all SciCommers whether you're a researcher, educator, social media influencer, museum staff, journalist, whatever! I've got to shamelessly promote our group so be sure to check it out and feel free to reach out with questions. We do virtual workshops year round and we have a great conference in Portland and virtually every spring also. https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/ 

As for what initiatives I'd like to see here in Utah, I'd like to see more political engagement and education by scientists. I was on the communications team for Utah's March for Science in 2017 and we did some lobbying around that, but we need more, especially with our state legislature. I think all the push from advocacy groups and scientists for the Great Salt Lake is a good example of how we can make change when we rally.