Andy Albertson, director of research and economic development communications, brought real-world savvy to the classroom, helping honors scholars turn complex research.
Honors Course Trains Students in Research Communications
By Shelby Gill / Photos by Russell Cothren
When a team of University of Arkansas physicists developed a circuit capable of capturing graphene’s thermal motion and converting it into electrical current, Andy Albertson and his team understood that the story wasn’t just about challenging Richard Feynman’s well-known theory. At its core, the story was about the possibility of creating limitless power. Both angles are valid, but effectively communicating groundbreaking scientific research to the public requires its own skillful flair, and the latter had media legs.
Albertson, director of research and economic development communications, is teaching honors scholars how to translate complex research for broader audiences in his Honors Forum course, Science Communications.
“During that first class, I walked into a room where legitimately brilliant young people were passionate and already teaching me new things,” Albertson said. He describes the lightbulb moment that often occurs when “students realize people would be excited to learn about their research.”
“I want people to get as excited about their work as I am,” Albertson added, and he’s using his experience in the field to help students with the final step in their research: communicating it.
Albertson has an admittedly cool job — he’s on the pulse of innovation at the university and in charge of communicating the immense impact the university has on the economy. From groundbreaking patents to multi-million-dollar research grants, his work connects academic breakthroughs to real-world outcomes. However, his path to covering highly technical research started somewhere more creative, and that creativity shows in his approach to making research not only digestible but also delectable. After working in London for Euro Money Magazine, Albertson moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to pursue his M.F.A.
“I wanted to be the next great American novelist,” he laughed.
His journey to research communications didn’t stop at fiction. He became a successful and award-winning speechwriter, crafting remarks for U of A leadership and visiting dignitaries, including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, President Bill Clinton, President George H.W. Bush and others.
Since then, he has held various communications roles across the university, ultimately leading efforts to promote academic research and highlight the university’s impact on economic development. That experience made him a natural go-to when Leen Samman, a Bodenhamer Fellow majoring in biology and psychology, asked for a course to help turn her passion for science and journalism into a career and pointed out a significant gap in coursework to get there. Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College, called Albertson to brainstorm.
“I’ve always had a vision that I want to be a medical correspondent,” said Samman. She was in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and remembers watching Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and medical journalist, report on CNN.
“I knew I wanted to combine journalism and science to break down information for the public,” Samman said. “In journalism courses, we weren’t focusing enough on the science side for my purposes, and in science courses, we couldn’t inject creativity into communications. I asked Dean Coon if we could combine the two in a course for honors students.”
With Albertson at the helm, the course took off, filling to capacity in its inaugural run. It quickly became clear that students across disciplines were drawn to this intersection of science and storytelling. The class included students majoring in engineering, journalism, communications, biology, data analytics and computer science.
“The whole point of research is to advance knowledge,” Samman said. “But if you can’t explain your research in a way that makes sense to the general public, it’s unlikely to reach the people who can help put it into action. Science communication is such a necessary intermediate to make an impact.”
The course draws from Albertson’s extensive network and deep portfolio of work, a unique benefit to students being taught by someone actively working in this role. He often brings in guest speakers, and students sample communications across fields and mediums.
“Professor Albertson has a curiosity that he’s trying to instill in us,” Samman said. “Because to do this work, you have to have an open mind and be okay with not knowing everything. It’s not about being the most knowledgeable person in the room; it’s about listening and being able to communicate the important parts to your audience.”
Albertson reminds the class weekly that their audience should always come first.
“Who do we hope reads this article, sees this video or listens to the podcast?” he posed. “How do we figure out what they’re interested in learning, and what do we want them to take away from what we’re saying?”
He pushes students to think beyond information delivery, especially when communicating more divisive research. “How do you reduce resistance?” he asked. “How do you frame the benefit to the audience, so they don’t tune out immediately?”
One of the hardest lessons, Albertson noted, is helping students realize they’re not writing for him or even for people within their field. They have to zoom out and learn to speak to the broader public. That’s the real challenge, and their final project in the course.
“We have to be able to hook readers from the beginning, and that starts with understanding who they are,” Samman said. “Professor Albertson gives us tips, but we also read his work, which has been the most helpful. The combination of his research communication experience and background in creative writing underline the practicality of an interdisciplinary course like this and how necessary it is to excel in the field.”
For her project, Samman developed a video series concept titled In Plain Science and produced a pilot episode explaining research on methanogens conducted by Daniel J. Lessner, professor of biological sciences and department vice chair, and his team in the Lessner Lab. Her goal was to make undergraduate research more accessible and empower students to get involved by demystifying complex topics, a resource she wishes she’d had as a younger student feeling overwhelmed by the world of research.
Using the communication tools she learned from Albertson’s course, Samman filmed footage in the lab, interviewed faculty and student researchers and broke down the more complex explanations with recognizable imagery and tangible examples.
“I would urge students to ask for the courses they need,” Samman said, noting that her connection to Honors College leadership through the Bodenhamer Fellowship made her feel comfortable approaching Dean Coon. “The Honors College is here to support us. It’s a huge resource for our future, so we should use it.”
Leen Samman, a biology and psychology major, created a dynamic video series during the course to break down specialized methanogen research for wider audiences.
