#UCSciCommSeries Presents: Niba Nirmal

It was a privilege for UC Berkeley CLEAR to host Niba Nirmal (@NotesByNiba) for the #UCSciCommSeries. Niba is a Multimedia Producer and Digital Strategist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBL). She received a bachelor’s in Genetics and Genomics from UC Davis, completed a master’s in Genetics at Duke University and earned a Science Communication Certificate from Northwestern University. In 2021, she was awarded a AAAS Mass Media Fellowship hosted by Complexly/SciShow. Niba is the host and producer of Notes by Niba, an ongoing video series that explores plant science in cosmetics, fashion, and skincare. She has also worked as a video coordinator at PBS NOVA, a TikTok and Podcast Host for Feminist Book Club, and as a host and writer for Seeker.

With this wealth of experience, Niba shared practical advice about reaching a target audience and content creation, as well as career advice for scientists interested in continuing or transitioning to science communication. She gave specific recommendations for how to tailor SciComm content for a specific audience through exercises like imagining your ideal viewer. She offered guidance on which platform to use to communicate to audiences, whether for a single event or for a series. Niba also shared her experience as a woman of color in academia and in science communication. She emphasized the importance of building a community of communicators on social media.

 In discussing social media platforms, Niba shared general rules for science communication through social media, including insights into how social media algorithms can help or hurt science communication efforts. She also shared advice that will be beneficial as social media continues to change, including specific guidance on how to make content concise and digestible. Overall, attendees left the seminar with tangible advice on how to create content that stands out, build and maintain a social media presence, and how to communicate complex topics in digestible ways. 

Nate Diplock is currently a PhD candidate in Plant Biology at UC Berkeley. He studies the molecular mechanisms of the plant immune system, and is interested in applications related to agriculture.