MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — James Mutunga, assistant professor of biology in Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, was recently selected as a fellow for the 2025 SciComm Identities Project (SCIP).
The University of Rhode Island's (URI) Metcalf Institute, Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and the URI Science and Story Lab launched the SCIP to prepare the next generation of science communicators from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Mutunga was one of 14 fellows selected for the 2025 SCIP fellowship, which will focus on the intersection of climate change and food-related issues, including food insecurity, agriculture and aquaculture.
“Scientific inventions do not generate solutions; it is when communities are impacted through adoption and use of these inventions that solutions are achieved,” Mutunga said. “Science communication is integral to this pathway. As I utilize interdisciplinary research approaches to confront issues of climate change on arthropod pest and vector biology, I need to equally, effectively communicate to diverse audiences the scientific inventions in order to achieve the intended societal impact of reduced pests and disease risks. This SCIP fellowship enables me to do that.”
Mutunga added that he is applying the communication skills gained through the fellowship in his teaching, having a positive impact for his students.
In addition to teaching courses in biology, Mutunga conducts research in arthropod biology using tools in field ecology, molecular biology and biochemistry to understand how pests and vectors, or bugs, affect the health of animals, plants, humans and the environment, under changing climate scenarios. His focus is on understanding insecticide resistance, resistance-breaking and pathogen transmission-blocking chemistries.
The Science Community Identities Project aims to create a more inclusive approach to science communication training and a more representative suite of academic science communicators. The SCIP includes two in-person workshops in January and July 2025, and a series of monthly virtual workshops, during which a suite of innovative science communication tools will be covered and applied. During this fellowship period, the faculty at SCIP will work with the fellows to ultimately develop a peer-reviewed podcast addressing a specific research topic of choice for each fellow.
