Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science

08/18/2026

“This Academy began with a simple question: if we can help scientists and engineers communicate their work all over the world and in organizations from AstraZeneca to NASA, why not here in our own backyard of SUNY?” - Alda Center ED Laura Lindenfeld

Consistently described as "transformative" by participants, the SUNY Research Leadership Academy is continuing to grow a network of scientists, researchers, and engineers across SUNY - The State University of New York system who are prepared to engage effectively with their teams, across disciplines and institutions, and with stakeholders and communities.

Read the latest on the Academy at the link below, with comments from SUNY Chancellor John King and Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith, as well as details for additional programming to expand access to communication and leadership training. This includes Alda Center Summer Accelerators for junior faculty, postdoctoral researchers and emerging research leaders, and Signature Alda Method® Flagship Workshops for faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students.

Laura noted, “Expanding this partnership across the SUNY system means more experts will have the tools to connect their work to the people it’s meant to serve — and to lead with clarity, confidence and connection.”

SUNY and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University have announced the expansion of the SUNY Research Leadership Academy.

08/07/2026

📣 Reminder: Application deadline for the SUNY Research Leadership Academy is today, August 7th! Join a cohort of SUNY research leaders building communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills through the Alda Method®.

Open to all STEM and STEM-adjacent mid- to senior-level faculty across the SUNY - The State University of New York system. Learn more and apply: https://www.aldacenter.org/suny_research_leadership_academy

Pictured: 2025-2026 Academy cohort

08/03/2026

👉 Applications for the 2026-2027 SUNY Research Leadership Academy are open to all STEM and STEM-related mid- to senior-level faculty across SUNY - The State University of New York system. Learn more and apply by August 7th: https://www.aldacenter.org/suny_research_leadership_academy

Helena Blumen, professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Neurology at Stony Brook University was part of the first cohort of the Academy, which gathered over 30 scientists, researchers, and engineers from 10 SUNY campuses. During the final session, Dr. Blumen delivered her 3-minute Alda Spotlight Talk, "Dementia in America and Beyond: a call for prevention, communication, and connection."

With clear and compelling data, and the moving personal story of her mother's struggle with dementia, Dr. Blumen made her science matter to everyone in the room within those 3 minutes, and her call to action could not be ignored.

"The SUNY Research Leadership Academy came at a really good time," Dr. Blumen said. She reflected on the challenges she faces as a research leader, including a changing research funding landscape and institutional transition. "It gave me an opportunity to step away from that and rethink why I'm doing what I'm doing...getting out of the lab is a good exercise."

Dr. Blumen also shared what she views as her next step as a research leader: public engagement. "I'm hoping I can use some of the skills that I've learned here at the Academy to improve on that."

06/29/2026

New RAND Europe research for Wellcome Trust explores conceptual and empirical evidence on public trust in science and the qualities associated with trustworthy scientific practice. Their findings and recommendations reflect an outlook Alda Center ED Laura Lindenfeld shared on The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC Radio earlier this month when discussing the Center's work:

"Trust may be challenged, but it’s not broken. And I’m hopeful there’s a lot we can do together.”

An enlightening read for all scientists, researchers, engineers, and science communicators, you can access the report here, including an exploratory analysis of scientific trustworthiness in a social media context: https://wellcome.org/insights/reports/public-trust-science-and-scientific-trustworthiness

06/23/2026

In the recent Scientific American article, "What people get wrong about scientists," Dava Sobel writes:

"The word I hear most often from scientists speaking candidly about their research—the word most at odds with the prevailing stereotype—is 'passion.'"

We know that passion. We get to see, hear, and feel it many times over during our workshops with scientists, researchers, and engineers. And because we get to experience it so often, we hold that passion for their work with them.

It's not by accident. Our programs are designed to bring that passion to the forefront of conversations to create genuine human connections between experts and their audiences. When the very human passion and curiosity of scientists shines through and connects with the passions of their audiences, the value of scientific work becomes clear and meaningful to others, and that is precisely when action and impact become possible.

Read more from Dava's piece on her observations of scientists and the "pernicious" scientist stereotype here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/distrust-in-science-thrives-on-dangerous-stereotypes/?utm_campaign=sprinklr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

Let's continue the conversation on this subject in the comments, and reach out to us at aldacenter.org to learn more about what we do for scientists, researchers, and engineers.

Scientists are seen as oddballs, and that’s a problem

06/09/2026

The ways people discover and engage with information are changing rapidly.

More people now get their news from social media platforms, where reliable information competes with misinformation in crowded, algorithm-driven feeds.

A recent Nature editorial, "The future of science communication is not an article like this" (Vol. 654, June 4, 2026) notes:

"Information exchange is becoming faster, more visual and more personal. Short bursts of content compete for people’s attention in algorithmically curated feeds, increasingly generated by artificial-intelligence tools. The boundaries between news, opinion and entertainment content are becoming blurred — as is the dividing line between fact and fiction." https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01723-1

What does this mean for science communication training?

For us, it highlights the enduring importance of our mission and approach. While communication channels, platforms, and technologies continue to evolve, the need for experts to connect authentically with their audiences remains constant. We help scientists, researchers, engineers, and other experts meet audiences where they are and increase the impact of their work through training grounded in human connection.

The research-backed Alda Method® combines improvisation techniques with communication strategies that work across communication formats, platforms, and audiences. Our facilitators meet experts where they are, delivering training experiences that speak to their specific needs while remaining grounded in the core principles of the Alda approach.

The Nature editorial concludes, "In this increasingly competitive environment, it is essential that credible science broadcasts a strong signal."

We agree. Strong signals require strong communicators. That means treating communication skills as core infrastructure for STEMM professions, and investing in building those skills.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing science communicators today? What is needed to meet those challenges?
We would love to see your thoughts in the comments below! 👇

Researchers and science publishers need to seize the opportunity offered by the drastic shifts in the way news is produced — one reason Nature has joined TikTok.

06/04/2026

More than 15 years after Alan Alda founded the Alda Center at Stony Brook University, the need for better science communication continues to grow.

Today's Wall Street Journal feature by Peter Loftus highlights the Alda Center's expanding reach and the growing demand for effective science communication training. As the article notes, Stanford, NASA, and AstraZeneca are just a few of the organizations we've partnered with, and more than 35,000 scientists and researchers have participated in Alda Center programs around the world. Demand for our workshops is so strong that we often have a months-long waiting list.

The reason is simple: people are more likely to engage with science when they feel connected to the person sharing it.

The article also takes readers inside a recent Alda Experience workshop at the SUNY University at Albany, led by Alda facilitators Josh Rice and Kim S. Stauffer. If you've ever wondered what happens in an Alda workshop and how scientists are willing to step outside their comfort zones to improve their communication, this story offers a firsthand look:

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/scientist-improv-classes-alan-alda-mash-b866de7d

We're proud of the work our team does every day to help experts connect, engage, and be understood. As we look ahead, the Alda Center will have more exciting news about partnerships and initiatives to advance effective communication training for scientists, researchers, and engineers, as well as the efforts of Executive Director Laura Lindenfeld to promote communication as core research infrastructure. At a moment when trust in science is declining, the Alda Center is one of the few organizations actively doing something about it.

Contact us to learn more about our work and how it can advance the impact of critical science, engineering, and research: aldacenter.org

The “M*A*S*H” star’s program to help researchers overcome their communication challenges now draws thousands. We sat in on a class.

06/01/2026

Improv? For some scientists, that can sound far outside their comfort zone.

SUNY Upstate Medical University Associate Professor Jessica Ridilla arrived at the SUNY Research Leadership Academy unsure of what an Alda experience would involve—especially the improv. What she discovered wasn't pressure to perform, but a space to experiment, connect, and grow as a communicator and leader.

By the end of the program, she reflected on how the experience helped her strengthen her communication skills in a way that felt supportive and grounded in genuine human connection.

That's the power of the Alda Method® and the SUNY Research Leadership Academy: meeting people where they are and creating an environment where scientists, researchers, and engineers are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones, build confidence, and expand what's possible as leaders in their fields.

Hear what Professor Ridilla has to say about her Alda Experience, read more about the SUNY Research Leadership Academy at the link below, and stay tuned here for upcoming Academy news: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/building-connection-and-leadership/

SUNY - The State University of New York
Stony Brook University

05/28/2026

Science communication occurs with others, not to them.

This is a critical and strategic starting point on the path to being an effective science communicator, and one on which the Alda Center and its methods were founded.

The Alda Center approach to science communication emphasizes genuine human connection through dialogue, active listening, and mutual respect rather than simply delivering information “to” audiences. Effective science communication means not only helping others reconsider what they think, feel, and do, but also allowing experts themselves to be changed by listening, reflection, and engagement with diverse perspectives.

Learn more about Alan's inspiration to create an institution to champion effective science communication, and how we help scientists, researchers, and engineers connect people to their work, here: https://www.aldacenter.org/about/alda-origins.php #2024-Present

05/20/2026

Alda facilitators Josh Rice and Kim Stauffer brought the Alda Experience to SUNY - The State University of New York at Albany this week.

Participants represented an extraordinary range of disciplines and perspectives, spanning the social sciences and humanities, public policy and education, the natural sciences, computing and technology, and multiple areas of engineering.

But they all had something in common: a willingness to jump in, challenge themselves, and expand their communication toolbox. The group was deeply engaged, embracing the playful exploration and thoughtful reflection that are central to the Alda Experience.

And just as importantly, they brought joy to the work!

Watching people from so many different disciplines come together with curiosity, openness, and a commitment to growth is always a reminder of what makes the Alda Experience so powerful.

Learn more about the Alda Method® of science communication training and reach out to us here: https://www.aldacenter.org/about/alda-method.php