Researcher. Leader. Catalyst.
Researching Creativity to Improve Our Communities
I study and facilitate art-science integration to foster creativity and transdisciplinary work that will make a difference in researchers' own communities.
My own art-science integration research and practice includes drawing and illustration, ceramics, creative writing, and more. Through this work, I demonstrate the value of fully integrating the arts into science inquiry, training, and communication.
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IMPACT: Innovative Methods to develop Adaptive Capacity through Transdisciplinarity
I am the lead investigator on a pair of studies investigating scientists' and institutions' capacity to use transdisciplinary approaches to understand and address modern challenges.
Our current work includes a mixed-methods approach (e.g., interviews, surveys, document analysis) to understand how transdisciplinary research impacts are understood, reported, and supported. We are also conducting experimental training programs to investigate how transdisciplinary training can enhance research creativity, community engaged co-production, and effective scicomm.
Collaborators: Corrie Knapp, Rachel Watson, Drew Bennett, Brandon Gellis (all UWyo)
This work is supported in part by the UWyo Grand Challenges Initiative, the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station's Global Perspectives Program, and the WyoGlobal Program.

Drawn to Science: Studying the Efficacy of Art-Science Integration to Enhance Science Learning
I lead a set of studies investigating the efficacy of art-science integration for teaching and learning about the natural sciences.
In particular, we are studying (1) how art and creative writing practices can enhance teaching, learning, and research in the sciences, (2) how transdisciplinary research and public-facing work is conducted, and (3) how to enhance scientists’ ability to learn from and use arts and humanities practices to inform and improve their research and sharing their science.
My main collaborator in this work is Dr. Jennifer Purrenhage (Univ. of New Hampshire).
This work is supported in part by the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station's Global Perspectives Program, the WyoGlobal Program, Sheridan College, the Neltje Center, and the UW Biodiversity Institute.
If you would like to join the Drawn to Science study investigating how drawing instruction can enhance student learning in field and lab courses, follow this link!
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Public Art & Publicly Engaged Art
I am increasingly melding my training in visual arts and my childhood as a 4-H kid who learned to quilt and knit. Recent projects range from murals and main street beautification project featuring native wildlife and ecology, to massive flags commemorating women’s right to vote and fiber arts projects encouraging everyone to vote.
I have also facilitated connections for University of Wyoming students, staff, and faculty to engage with public and museum art as a means of better understanding their social responsibilities as science researchers and professionals.
Some of these projects include:
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Interpreting Energy: Student-produced science interpretations of museum exhibit
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Downtown mural collaboration: Student interpretations of local public art
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Her Flag: Commemorating women's right to vote
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School of the High Plains: My contribution to a downtown mural in Laramie, WY
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My field sketches as public art in Lander, WY