Jason Lochmann, a student at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, will attend a Science Communication Masterclass at the University of the West of England, Bristol in November.
UWE Bristol’s Science Communication Masterclass is an intensive, one-week course created to provide professional development in science communication. The masterclass draws on the existing expertise of the team that delivers the University’s popular and practical master’s degree in Science Communication.
Lochmann, who grew up in Pine Bluff and was the student body president at Lyon College, hopes to apply his communication expertise to the field of global health practice.
“I applied on behalf of our research team, hoping to explore new perspectives on science communication as it relates to health, the subject of our statewide study,” Lochmann said.
For the past year, along with associate professor Christina Standerfer and graduate Emily Loker, Lochmann has studied health communication in rural areas, exploring the relationships among literacy, autonomy, and disease management. The research has been supported through a Joint Research Agreement with the Kettering Foundation and a Memorandum of Agreement with the Arkansas Department of Health.
“In our health communications work, we’ve run into myriad instances of low health literacy and found it particularly challenging to tailor persuasive communication for these audiences,” Lochmann said. “We’ve seen, as other researchers have noted, that science communication often follows a deficit model, where industry experts disseminate information to a less informed public. I’d like to learn more about this strategy and search for new, empowering science communication paradigms.”
In May 2019, Lochmann will earn two degrees, his Master of Public Service from the Clinton School and his concurrent Master of Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
