Hi. My name is Apoorva.
I’m a researcher and communicator.
I believe that science should be accessible, understandable, and actionable outside the walls of academia or research labs.
If we really want to solve the complex, multidimensional problems of today and tomorrow using collaborative, evidence-based, solutions-oriented approaches, we need people who can un-scramble scientific jargon and weave it into powerful stories and solutions to elicit positive, meaningful impact.
That is what I do in my role as a Research Scientist. I work with Federal agencies like NOAA, and with multidisciplinary teams of scientists, community partners, media professionals, students, non-profits, and other stakeholders, to translate data and scientific evidence into actionable strategies and design recommendations to improve the designs, impacts, and use of their products or messages. To do this, I rely heavily on my own interdisciplinary systems-thinking skills, as well as my expertise in understanding and then communicating complex science to both technical and non-technical audiences in a clear, compelling, and actionable manner.
I have been building bridges and relationships through effective science communication for 15+ years, so I have seen the immense power of storytelling first-hand. I worked in conservation for over a decade, and learned quickly that the disconnect communities and stakeholders felt from scientists made it extremely difficult to secure buy-in from local people and decision-makers to implement conservation policies or programs.
Over the last nearly 10 years, I have built a robust research portfolio specializing in:
Designing communication that can influence decision-making and inspire behavior change.
Understanding what drives people’s decisions and behaviors, especially when it comes to scientific or environmental risks.
Identifying the most effective strategies to visually communicate data and scientific information.
Using a multidisciplinary approach to improve the usability, comprehension, and decision support impacts of key data and risk visualizations, interactive products, and ensemble forecast products.
This takes many shapes and forms but what I enjoy the most about it is that I get to draw from research in communication, decision-making, behavioral science, social and cognitive psychology, media studies, UX, human-centered design, visualization science, and human-computer interaction to inform both my research design as well as my research-to-operations work.
Sneak peek at what i do:
At IonE, I lead research to evaluate the understandability and usability of visual science communication products related to natural disasters and hazard risk forecasts. I also translate the findings from this research into clear, actionable recommendations for Federal partners, facilitating the redesign of key decision support tools, and improving their usability, accurate interpretation, and impact among users.
Have you ever seen maps or graphics like the ones above on the evening weather report and thought — What on earth does this mean? What should I be expecting in my area? How bad is it likely to be? What do I need to do to stay safe?
If you have, you’re not alone.
This is what ineffective science, risk, and visual communication looks like. It’s not helping you get the most important information quickly, and it’s not super helpful when it comes to making decisions, especially potentially life-saving decisions!
Unbeknownst to most people, there are talented forecasters, meteorologists, climate modelers, physical scientists, statisticians, GIS experts, web developers, engineers, and now, even social scientists like myself who are working behind-the-scenes to produce these decision support products, and part of my job since 2022 has been to provide the communication, decision science, and social psychological expertise to multiple (amazing) teams within various NOAA divisions to produce better and more effective decision support services.
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Science; University of Pune, India
Master of Arts - Science Journalism; University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
Ph.D. in Information and Media; Dual major: Environmental science and policy - Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI, USA