FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Nonprofit Launches to Strengthen Appalachia’s Science Communication Landscape
PITTSBURGH, February 28, 2023 – The Appalachian Science Communicators (AppSciComm) has officially acquired a fiscal sponsor to strengthen the group’s goal of providing support and camaraderie for communicators in the Appalachian region seeking to share scientific discoveries and evidence-based research.
“Appalachia is a traditionally underserved part of the country that is nevertheless brimming with innovation and a curious spirit,” said Allison Hydzik, co-founder and president of AppSciComm. “Our science communicators shine light on research happening in our own backyards, question how this work contributes to society and reveal the ways scientific evidence can serve our communities.”
With its fiscal sponsor status through New Sun Rising, AppSciComm’s volunteer organizing committee has ambitious plans to expand upon its community-building events, bring transparency to the scientific process, fund scholarships and host professional development activities for the region’s science communicators.
AppSciComm formed in 2019 when a group of science communicators realized that the Appalachian region – which includes West Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi – was not represented among regional science writing associations in the country, the majority of which were concentrated on the East and West coasts or centered on a large metropolitan area. Since its creation, AppSciComm has grown to more than 100 members and hosted multiple events, including a bird banding trip, a day of cave exploration and multiple virtual meetings with scientists, science journalists and others working in the field.
To celebrate its new ability to receive tax-deductible donations, AppSciComm’s organizers are giving members and friends the opportunity to help build the organization’s general fund, paving the runway for larger fundraising efforts. Donations can be made directly through AppSciComm’s project page, hosted by New Sun Rising.
“Sharing the wonder of scientific discovery, while also connecting it to all of our lives is the critically important work that our members perform for their communities,” said Ana Gorelova, AppSciComm’s communications director and co-founder. “When I joined AppSciComm, I was a scientist working in a laboratory. Due in part to connections and encouragement from AppSciComm’s members, I now have a career in science communication, explaining how the discoveries made in the labs I once worked in impact people here in Appalachia and around the world.”
Science communicators of every ilk – practicing journalists, institutional writers, freelancers, talkative researchers, students, podcasters and anyone who enjoys sharing science – are welcome to join AppSciComm by signing up for the mailing list. Members can also ask questions and seek advice from fellow science communicators through AppSciComm’s active Facebook group.
Contact AppSciComm at appscicomm@gmail.com.
###
About the Appalachian Science Communicators
The Appalachian Science Communicators (AppSciComm) is a dynamic group of science communicators in the Appalachian region. Founded in 2019 and relaunched as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2023, AppSciComm seeks to provide science communication support and camaraderie in a traditionally underserved part of the country. A social and professional network, AppSciComm hosts regular meet-ups and events centered around the communication and understanding of science.