This virtual panel will explore the evolving nature of public trust in science institutions and informal learning organizations that are often perceived as trusted experts. Featuring science communicators and educators working in climate science and planetary science, the conversation will examine what it means to be an “expert” or an “expert institution” in today’s social and political context.

Grounded in research suggesting that declining trust in science is driven less by knowledge deficits and more by polarization, identity, and political dynamics, the panel will move beyond a “more facts” approach. Panelists will reflect on trust as a multidimensional concept shaped by transparency, fairness, relevance, and institutional legitimacy, and share insights from their professional experience engaging diverse publics. The program will consider how trust is earned, challenged, and rebuilt, and what a renewed social contract between science and society might look like in practice.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Julia DeMarines is an Astrobiologist, working as a senior scientist on evolutionary intelligences for an Australian-based data architecture startup. She is a National Geographic Explorer, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s Earth and Planetary Science, and a researcher with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Her research involves detecting life in the Universe through biosignatures and technosignatures and the ethics of sending messages to contact aliens. She holds an MSc in Space Studies from the International Space University and a Bachelor's in Astronomy from the CU Boulder. Outside of academia, Julia is an educator and a science communicator because everyone deserves to understand the Universe we belong to.

Eric Havel is an environmental science educator and museum professional with over 25 years of experience in science education. Eric holds a degree in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley and specializes in earth and climate science, recycling, renewable energy, and sustainability. He currently serves on the Alameda County Waste Management and Recycling Board and is a Climate Reality Project Leader.

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