Drs. Paul Narguizian and Brian Swimme
I work at the intersection of science and science communication to make science more meaningful and exciting for my students and the public. I develop pedagogical strategies and curricula for educators and for scientists, largely inspired by Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker, the Universe Story, popular film, science fiction, the nature and history of science, and scientific research.
Science is the search for evidence, but science communication is the search for meaning. Nothing makes content and our understanding of our place in the Universe more meaningful than a good story. Drawing inspiration from Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, and the Universe Story, offers me the opportunity to share biology content with my students and the public through compelling stories. This is functional cosmology at its finest. Using examples from indigenous cultures, my research focuses and explores the question of how to humanize science through story-telling and development.
Using examples from both popular films, science fiction, documentaries, the nature and history of science, and scientific studies, our research lab develops curricula for non-science and science majors. Our lab also explores the role of informal science education centers along with natural history collections in the telling of the universe story.
Key research questions my students explore include:
- What is this work we call biology?
- What are the major milestones in biological discovery that expanded our knowledge of life on Earth?
- What role, if any, should the grand narrative of the formation of the universe and complexity play in biology education?
- What does it mean to be human?