Public Engagement with Science Hub (PESH)
PESH at Northeastern University aims to bring together faculty, scholars, and practitioners across the university who work at the intersection of science and society.
Specifically, the hub showcases the people and their work in science communication, outreach, informal science education, public engagement, participatory science, science policy, and other related areas.
By connecting these efforts, PESH aims to stimulate more collaboration, shared learning, and the development of new approaches to public engagement within the Northeastern ecosystem.
Our Community
Carousel with one slide shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate.
Discover People
-
Matthew NisbetProfessor
[email protected]Matthew C. Nisbet is Professor of Communication, Public Policy, and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University.
-
-
Jonathan KaufmanDirector, Professor
[email protected]Jonathan Kaufman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and Director of Northeastern’s School of Journalism. He previously held senior roles at Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.
-
John P. WihbeyProfessor, Director of AIMES Lab, Institute Co-Founder
[email protected]John P. Wihbey is professor in the College of Arts, Media and Design at Northeastern University.
-
Catherine LambertAssistant Professor
[email protected]Catherine Lambert is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, researching science and risk communication and how people and communities respond to environmental change.
-
Daniel NwogwugwuPostdoctoral Teaching Associate
[email protected]Daniel Nwogwugwu holds a Postdoctoral Teaching Associate position in the Department of Communication Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
-
Fanuel MuindiProfessor of Practice
[email protected]Fanuel Muindi is the Founder and Director of the Civic Science Media Lab which is conducting civic science journalism to map and report on the civic nature of science.
-
Eileen McGivneyAssistant Professor
[email protected]Eileen studies how immersive technologies like virtual reality can bring transformative experiences to education that help students learn beyond what they can read in a textbook.
-
Javier Apfeld
Associate Professor (Biology); Cellular Redox Chemistry, Multicellular Aging, Neuronal Biology
[email protected]avier Apfeld uses a quantitative imaging perspective to address fundamental questions in neuronal biology that spans topics from cellular redox chemistry to multicellular aging.
Launching a new science engagement initiative @NU?
Latest news
Art + Design
Casondra Sobieralski wins two awards for her experimental film
Congratulations to Casondra Sobieralski! Casondra, Associate Teaching Professor of Art + Design at Northeastern University in Oakland, won two awards for her experimental documentary “Rasos with Wildflowers”.
June 9, 2026
Art + Design
Michael Arnold Mages publishes book about Somaesthetic Design
Congratulations Michael Arnold Mages! Michael, Associate Professor and recently appointed Interim Chair of Art+Design, published Somaesthetic Design: The Experiencing Body and the Dynamics of Time
June 9, 2026
Investagative Reporting
Putting humans at the center of spatial computing at AWE 2026
Across talks, roundtables, demos, and posters, CAMD's presence at AWE 2026 reflects a throughline that runs through much of our XR scholarship.
June 11, 2026
Research
The Center for Design at DRS 2026
DRS 2026, the Design Research Society's biannual conference, takes place from June 8-12. Members of the Center for Design contributed to five theme tracks, seven papers and one conversation in the conference's program.
June 4, 2026
Explore the directory
Browse this non-exhaustive list of NU centers, labs, projects, courses, programs, degrees, fellowships, offices, institutes, events, and student organizations involved in engaging the public with science.
Centers
Center
Marine Science Center
College of Science
Shares marine science research with students and communities through outreach programs, field trips, public events, and online STEM resources.
Center
Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute
College of Health Sciences
Focuses on collaboration between life scientists and social scientists, including community-based participatory research training.
Center
Center for STEM Education
College of Engineering
Northeastern center focused on STEM education and related outreach and engagement work.
Labs
Lab
Science Media Lab
CAMD
Raised awareness of science scholarship at Northeastern through stories spotlighting research across the university. Marked in the dataset as no longer active.
Lab
Co-Lab for Data Impact
CAMD
Advances civic-oriented data storytelling and visual communication around issues of public urgency, with a focus on impact in the public sphere.
Lab
Northeastern University Public Evaluation Lab
College of Health Sciences
Public-facing evaluation lab connected to Northeastern’s work in evaluation research and practice.
Lab
Civic Science Media Lab
CAMD
Documenting the practice of civic science journalistically.
Courses
Course
ENVR 4000 – Science Communication and Professional Development
CAMD
Connects science communication with professional development, helping students communicate complex scientific ideas to broader audiences.
Course
COMM 1125. Science, Communication, and Society
CAMD
Introduces the science of science communication and examines how communication and media shape public debates over science, technology, and the environment.
Course
JRNL 3650 – Science Writing
CAMD
Explores how journalism delivers science news and information to general audiences across print and digital media.
Course
COMM 3500
CAMD
Analyzes debates over climate, energy, food biotechnology, and the environment while emphasizing public communication and policymaker engagement.
Course
COMM 2300
Unspecified
Examines how psychological, social, and communication processes shape effective risk communication strategies.
Course
OGL Crash Course
College of Science
Uses storytelling to communicate the Ocean Genome Legacy Center’s mission and research to public audiences.
Degrees
Degree
Design and Behavioral Neuroscience, BS
CAMD
Interdisciplinary program connecting design, biology, psychology, and neuroscience, including ways to make complex concepts intelligible to wider publics.
Degree
Communication Studies and Health Sciences, BS
CAMD
Combined degree focused on public health communication, including how communication shapes public understanding of health issues.
Degree
Communication Studies and Computer Science, BS
CAMD
Combined major integrating computer science with communication theory and practice for solving problems in society.
Projects
Project
Salt Marsh Game
College of Science
Education-oriented science board game about managing a fictional salt marsh and learning how different stakeholders interact within the same ecosystem.
Project
Spaghetti, Meatballs & Blackouts: A Tasty Lesson in Network Robustness
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Public-facing explainer using a food metaphor to communicate network robustness, vulnerability, and system failure.
Project
Engaging Students in Coastal Ecology Research
College of Science
Translates coastal ecology research into lessons and activities for students through the Kimbro Lab and Marine Science Center outreach work.
Project
PsychPress: Graduate Voices in Science
College of Science
Website featuring short blog posts by psychology PhD students to help make research more accessible and bridge the gap between psychology and the public.
Programs
Program
The REU Science Communication Workshop
College of Engineering
Science communication workshop emphasizing how to connect scientific ideas with broader audiences and stakeholders.
Student organizations
Student Org
Girls who Code
College of Computer Science
Supports undergraduate-led coding outreach to girls in grades 6 through 12 through the national Girls Who Code model.
Student Org
Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
Supports underrepresented groups in science and engineering and organizes outreach through graduate student-run organizations.
Student Org
GWISE: Graduate Women in Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
Supports the professional and personal advancement of women graduate students and postdocs in science and engineering.
Student Org
Science Club for Girls
College of Science
Supports girls and gender expansive youth through STEM programs that build excitement, confidence, and literacy.
Student Org
Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology (WEST)
College of Science
Connects Northeastern students with the broader WEST network to support women’s leadership and career development in STEM.
Student Org
COS Student Diversity Advisory Council
College of Science
Supports community science enrichment and helps expose high school students to science while addressing disparities in local communities.
Student Org
STEMout at Northeastern
College of Engineering
Student organization that supports STEM outreach efforts in Boston and connects students, organizations, and faculty interested in community engagement.
Other initiatives
Fellowship
PEAK Experience #4: The Bridge-Builder Award
Unspecified
Award connected to undergraduate research and community engagement.
Institute
Coastal Sustainability Institute
Unspecified
Focuses on cleaner, safer, and smarter coastal communities and on adapting to threats at the land-sea interface.
Office
The Office of City and Community Engagement
Central Administration
Builds relationships between Northeastern and neighboring communities through partnerships, programs, and events centered on engagement.
Event
Physics at the Cambridge Science Carnival
College of Science
Public-facing physics booth featuring activities on black holes, dark matter, cloud chambers, solar observing, and kid-focused science engagement.