Projected Futures: Experimental Science Journalism Studies

Projected Futures 4 is an intensive and experiential summer school that will challenge participants to rethink how science is communicated with society. Graduate students will be exposed to the foundations of evidence-based science journalism and then asked to experiment to create new forms of scientific storytelling.

The school issues a collaborative, experimental challenge to participants:

What plausible future do you project for science journalism?

Show us and the world in two weeks!

One of a Kind Experience
A first of its kind in the Department of Journalism, Projected Futures was designed with the World Federation of Science Journalists and the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. Student work will be presented at a Science Journalism Summit July 16.

Audience
Local, national and international graduate students from any discipline with an interest in new forms of scientific storytelling and interdisciplinary experimentation. Those interested in communicating about health and medicine, in particular, should apply.

Academic Leader
David M. Secko, Ph.D.
Chair of Journalism and Professor
Concordia University

What skills will you learn?

Faculty

The school's faculty include leading science journalists and journalism educators.

Special Lecturers:

Laura Helmuth
Laura Helmuth is a science journalist and the current editor-in-chief of Scientific American. She previously worked at The Washington Post as the Health and Science Editor. Recently, she has developed guides to help journalists cover the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ivan Semeniuk
Ivan Semeniuk is a science reporter for The Globe and Mail. Throughout his career as a journalist, editor, and broadcaster, he has worked for the journal Nature, New Scientist magazine and Discovery Channel, garnering several awards and nominations.

Roxanne Khamsi
Roxanne Khamsi is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in publications such as The Economist, WIRED magazine and The New York Times Magazine. She has taught at Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

Hannah Hoag

Hannah Hoag is the deputy editor and the energy and environment editor at The Conversation Canada. She has been a science journalist for 20 years, writing for a wide variety of publications including Nature, Discover and The Globe and Mail. She was the founding editor of Arctic Deeply, which provided news and analysis about circumpolar Arctic issues.

Pauline Dakin

Pauline Dakin is an author, journalist, and journalism professor based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She teaches at the University of King’s College. For 14 years, Pauline was the national health reporter for CBC News.

Faculty:

Paul Gott
Lecturer, Department of Journalism
Paul Gott produced the evening news for CBC Television and Global News in Montreal for almost 20 years. He also worked as a political commentator on radio and managed a station for five years. Before than he worked in print, including editing and publishing his own music tabloid for almost a decade. He has finally found steady employment teaching at Concordia.

David Secko
Chair and Professor, Department of Journalism
Now a science journalism scholar and leader of the Concordia Science Journalism Project, David Secko previously worked as a science journalist for The Scientist magazine, Vancouver’s Tyee, the Science Creative Quarterly, Canadian Medical Association Journal and the U.S. Public Library of Science (PLoS).

Cristina Sanza
Digital Journalism Instructor, Projected Futures Coordinator
Cristina Sanza is a Digital Journalism Instructor at Concordia University, working on the Departmental magazine, The City. She has previously worked as a multimedia journalist and content producer for outlets including The Review, Concordia University’s Faculty of Arts and Science and Montreal’s healthcare network.