Justin Shaifer ‘16: A Hampton Alumnus Leading Black Scientists into the Next Millennium Justin Schafer ‘16 founder of Fascinate Media, discusses his journey in the field of science communication. He was inspired to create Fascinate Media during his time at Hampton, where he realized the need for exposure and inspiration in the science fields. Justin Schafer ‘16, a marine and environmental science graduate of Hampton University, founded Fascinate Media, a STEM-based media company. His inspiration for creating the company came from realizing the need for exposure and motivation in science, particularly among younger students. He started his journey by hosting science shows for PBS and Discovery Channel but soon realized that he needed to own the company to have the desired impact. “I think it’s an exciting 20 THE HAMPTONIAN
challenge to be either a black-owned company or work with other black-owned companies that have made shows for networks like PBS. One of the initiatives we made a show for was the grant funded by the National Science Foundation, advancing informal STEM learning. And with this grant, they asked us to make shows for target demographics that
