Two courses that might be of interest to your teams, please consider passing along:
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David Shiffman
Aug 4, 2025, 3:10:49 PMAug 4
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Dear colleagues,
As you may have seen, I am teaching two online courses this fall through the Center for Wildlife Studies. All CWS classes can be taken for graduate school course credit, for CPE credit, or just to learn a new skill.
I thought they may be of interest to you, or some of your teams or collaborators.
Please consider passing along these opportunities, and I am happy to answer anyone's questions about them. Thanks in advance! The course descriptions and links are below.
I thought they may be of interest to you, or some of your teams or collaborators.
Please consider passing along these opportunities, and I am happy to answer anyone's questions about them. Thanks in advance! The course descriptions and links are below.
Course 1: A masterclass in public science engagement using online tools (Fully online/asynchronous/complete at your own pace)
It’s never been more important for scientists to get out of the ivory tower and engage with the public. Social media (“Web 2.0”) tools make it easier than ever before in human history for an expert to share their expertise and passion with the masses, and can offer many other professional benefits to scientists and environmental advocates when used properly. However, far too many well-intentioned scientists and environmental advocates don’t learn how to master these tools, resulting in well-intentioned shouting into the void with no possibility of making positive change. This class will cover online public science engagement, from the basics to advanced tips, tricks, and strategies. It will include a thorough overview of the social media landscape, highlighting the best platforms for different goals, who to follow and how to find them, and how to craft messages. It will include a discussion on public-facing scientific writing and blogs, and a discussion on building social media campaigns with actionable and measurable goals. Case studies of successful (and unsuccessful) social media outreach will be discussed throughout, and there will be many interactive guided activities. Your instructor Dr. David Shiffman is one of the most-followed scientists on social media and has taught masterclasses in online public science engagement to over 1,500 early career scientists on five continents.
https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses/p/public-science-engagement-using-social-media
Course 2: An online asynchronous course on shark biology and ecology, with an optional 3-day field research experience (November 20-22 in Miami, Florida).
It’s never been more important for scientists to get out of the ivory tower and engage with the public. Social media (“Web 2.0”) tools make it easier than ever before in human history for an expert to share their expertise and passion with the masses, and can offer many other professional benefits to scientists and environmental advocates when used properly. However, far too many well-intentioned scientists and environmental advocates don’t learn how to master these tools, resulting in well-intentioned shouting into the void with no possibility of making positive change. This class will cover online public science engagement, from the basics to advanced tips, tricks, and strategies. It will include a thorough overview of the social media landscape, highlighting the best platforms for different goals, who to follow and how to find them, and how to craft messages. It will include a discussion on public-facing scientific writing and blogs, and a discussion on building social media campaigns with actionable and measurable goals. Case studies of successful (and unsuccessful) social media outreach will be discussed throughout, and there will be many interactive guided activities. Your instructor Dr. David Shiffman is one of the most-followed scientists on social media and has taught masterclasses in online public science engagement to over 1,500 early career scientists on five continents.
https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses/p/public-science-engagement-using-social-media
Course 2: An online asynchronous course on shark biology and ecology, with an optional 3-day field research experience (November 20-22 in Miami, Florida).
Sharks are an ancient, biodiverse, ecologically important, and highly threatened group of animals. This class will provide a broad overview of their ecology, biology, and behavior, along with the scientific tools and methods used to study these aspects of their lives. Students will have a broad understanding of key issues in the field and the scientific methods needed to address them, as well as scientific problem solving and critical thinking skills. This online course is equivalent to 1 academic credit.
An optional 3-day field experience in which students join instructor Dr. David Shiffman for hands-on shark research in South Florida is offered, with a maximum of ten students, at additional cost. Participants will live aboard the research vessel Garvin in Miami, Florida, where they will practice shark field research skills. They'll help catch, measure, tag, and sample sharks, learning a variety of field research skills. Completing both the field experience and online course is equivalent to 2 credits total.
(Please note that one can take just the online course and not the field component, or one can take both. But the field component is about half full and filling up fast so I would encourage anyone interested in that part to sign up ASAP).
https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses/p/biology-and-ecology-of-sharks-and-their-relatives
An optional 3-day field experience in which students join instructor Dr. David Shiffman for hands-on shark research in South Florida is offered, with a maximum of ten students, at additional cost. Participants will live aboard the research vessel Garvin in Miami, Florida, where they will practice shark field research skills. They'll help catch, measure, tag, and sample sharks, learning a variety of field research skills. Completing both the field experience and online course is equivalent to 2 credits total.
(Please note that one can take just the online course and not the field component, or one can take both. But the field component is about half full and filling up fast so I would encourage anyone interested in that part to sign up ASAP).
https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses/p/biology-and-ecology-of-sharks-and-their-relatives
Thanks for your help, and please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
David Shiffman, Ph.D.
Marine Conservation Biologist, Scientific and Environmental Consultant, and Science Writer
Washington, DC
e: david.s...@gmail.com | t: @WhySharksMatter |
b: Southern Fried Science Blog | cv: Online CV
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