About the awards
Graduate College Knowledge Mobilization Impact Awards Photo by Jesse Senko
A
fter spending several stints Marine Fisheries Service and exploring studying endangered sea turtles the social and cultural dimensions of along the Pacific Coast of Mexico’s sustainable solutions, Senko helped Baja Peninsula when he was a develop and field test a simple LED conservation biology master’s student, light which attaches to the net and Jesse Senko realized many of the illuminates it in the dark ocean waters, sea turtles he was trying to track did effectively cutting the unintended not survive the long fishing nets that nighttime sea turtle bycatch by 50 local native fishermen used to catch percent. Better yet, the solution halibut. This unintended bycatch often surprisingly increased halibut catch by included up to 16 endangered sea 25 percent, improving the livelihoods turtles a day, greatly impacting the of the fishermen and increasing the entire ecosystem. Senko soon set his likelihood they will adopt the solution sights on how to solve this problem and work with Senko on refining and through continued doctoral research at implementing the product widely. ASU with the goal of also preserving Senko won the postdoctoral the livelihoods of the local fishers he category of the Knowledge had come to know and respect. Mobilization Graduate Impact Awards “That’s what really for his dedication drives the research “That’s what really drives to working with I do. I think that’s the research I do. I think the community to where conservation that’s where conservation develop his research biology often biology often comes up approach, which comes up short,” short. There is too much was the key to says postdoctoral emphasis on how to save their receptiveness researcher Jesse the animal or ecosystem, and collaboration Senko. “There is and not enough on the on the design and too much emphasis need to inspire people implementation. His on how to save the and empower them commitment to the animal or ecosystem, to become part of the well-being of the and not enough on solution.” community that would the need to inspire – Jesse Senko be impacted by his people and empower solution built the them to become part of the solution.” necessary relationships to successfully By partnering with the National bridge research and practice. 24
Social embeddedness
In an effort to bring scientific discovery to the public to solve social problems, the ASU Graduate College introduced the Knowledge Mobilization Impact Awards in 2017. This small grant award funds master’s, doctorate and postdoctoral student projects that are designed to make their research accessible and usable to broader public audiences. Judges evaluated each of the nine finalist projects based on broad-scale intellectual significance of the topic, effective communication to a non-specialist audience, clarity and presentation delivery.
The course GRD 791: Knowledge Mobilization Studio Challenges students from all disciplines to experiment, innovate and design new ways to communicate research to a broader audience, including honing skills in blogging, op-ed article writing, film and performances, TED Talk-style presentations and infographics.
OPEN
ACCESS
Expanding access to knowledge In 2017, ASU became one of 70 open access universities in the U.S. that promote policies to make peerreviewed research accessible to the public at no cost to the user.