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    Nova

    Meet the NOVA Science Studio Team

    ByLaura-Ashley Alegbeleye, Tenijah HamiltonNOVA Science StudioNOVA Science Studio

    The NOVA Science Studio (NSS) is NOVA’s first youth program created to teach science journalism to high school students. In the program, educators guide students through a Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards aligned curriculum with lessons and activities on science journalism, video production, and digital media literacy in a 6-8 month program.

    As one of the premier science communication brands in the world, NOVA is uniquely positioned to prepare the next generation of science communicators. Leveraging the combined experience and expertise of science documentary producers, journalists, and educators on our team, we have created the NOVA Science Studio to empower students with the skills to tell engaging local stories about science through short-form video.

    NOVA Science Studio Team

    Ralph Bouquet — Director of Education and Outreach, NOVA

    Ralph Bouquet is the Director of Education and Outreach for NOVA, the PBS science documentary series produced by WGBH in Boston. At NOVA, Ralph’s team supports science educators through the creation of free STEM classroom resources distributed through PBS LearningMedia and engages new audiences for NOVA’s broadcast and digital content through science communication events and outreach campaigns across the country. Before NOVA, Ralph taught high school biology and chemistry in Philadelphia and then worked in ed-tech at a Boston-based startup. Ralph received his B.A. in psychology from Harvard University and studied secondary science methods while completing his M.Ed. at UPenn.

    Laura-Ashley Alegbeleye — NOVA Science Studio Program Manager

    Laura-Ashley Alegbeleye is the NOVA Science Studio Program Manager and oversees program implementation across all sites, organizes and facilitates NSS training programs and workshops, determines NSS programming schedules, manages NSS social media platforms, and creates NSS program text articles and newsletters. Prior to joining NOVA, she worked as a high school chemistry and math teacher and as a STEM education program manager. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and a M.A. in Teaching from Loyola University Maryland. Laura-Ashley is passionate about inclusion and opportunity in STEM.

    Former NOVA Science Studio Team Members

    Alex Clark

    Alex joined NOVA in August 2020 as a Digital Video Producer for NOVA Science Studio. A video producer, host, and editor, Alex produced the NOVA YouTube series Misinformation Nation, created video production curriculum for the program, and produced a video production tutorial series. Alex also produced several short form videos for NOVA’s digital team, including for Out of Our Elements, and co-produced the long-form doc Crypto Decoded. Alex holds a degree in journalism from Columbia University and has created TV and digital content for PBS, NBC, NowThis, and Vox.

    Laura Fong

    Laura joined NOVA in January 2023 as the Science Editor for NOVA Science Studio. Laura managed the editorial review process for student videos and developed many of the editorial templates for scripting and fact checking in the NOVA Science Studio curriculum. Prior to NOVA, Laura was a longtime WNET producer, producing segments for PBS Newshour Weekend and she also taught elementary school in Houston.

    Tenijah Hamilton

    Tenijah Hamilton joined NOVA in September 2018 as the first Program Manager for the NOVA Science Studio and launched the Boston pilot of the NOVA Science Studio. During her time as Program Manager, Tenijah designed and implemented new program models and contributed to the NSS curriculum, NSS video tutorial series, and the Misinformation Nation YouTube series. Previously she has worked in the public sector in Wellington, New Zealand as well as in New York City film festivals. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications and Film/Media Studies from the University of West Georgia.

    Kara Norton

    Kara joined NOVA in September 2020 as the Digital Editor for the NOVA Education team, producing social media and newsletters for the NOVA Education brand and original text articles for science educators. Kara also worked with the NOVA Science Studio team, helping to develop student workshops and designing lesson plan resources for the program’s educators. Prior to NOVA, Kara worked as an independent wildlife and environment journalist. She has reported on a range of topics at the intersection of science and social issues and holds degrees in journalism and environmental studies from New York University.

    Dr. Brian Southwell

    Dr. Brian Southwell was an advisor to the NOVA Science Studio Program. Dr. Southwell is Lead Scientist for Public Understanding of Science at RTI International. He is a social scientist who oversees quantitative and qualitative research to assess risk perceptions, mental models of scientific concepts, and trust in science and scientists. In addition, Dr. Southwell is an Adjunct Professor and Duke-RTI Scholar with Duke University, where he has taught courses in sociology, public policy, and documentary studies. He also is a graduate faculty member (in Media and Journalism) and Adjunct Associate Professor (of Health Behavior) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Southwell’s contributions appear in more than 100 journal articles and chapters and his various books, including Misinformation and Mass Audiences (University of Texas Press) and Social Networks and Popular Understanding of Science and Health (Johns Hopkins University Press), have been focused on public understanding of science. Southwell is host of a public radio show, The Measure of Everyday Life, for WNCU. He also is an active participant in efforts to address public understanding of science, including frequent talks in venues such as the Aspen Ideas Festival.

    Dan Tobin

    Dan joined NOVA in September 2021 as the Curriculum Writer for the NOVA Science Studio. In his role, Dan updated and wrote new lesson plans and activities on science journalism, interviewing, research, and editorial guidelines currently available in the NSS curriculum on PBS LearningMedia. Dan brought years of journalism experience, as both a practitioner and educator, to his work at NOVA Science Studio, along with expertise in curriculum development, pedagogy, youth media, and publishing.