Communication and Outreach apprenticeship
Michelle Koo, Staff Curator
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) is a vibrant research and informatics center for the campus and the natural history communities around the world. If you enjoy sharing natural history news and research as well as connecting people in our community and the public, this is the apprenticeship for you! We seek an apprentice to help manage the MVZ's social media (e.g., website, Facebook, Twitter, etc). The successful apprentice will learn about the research and informatics activities of the museum and its faculty labs and graduate students (https://mvz.berkeley.edu/) including the AmphibiaWeb project (https://amphibiaweb.org), and share breaking news, facilitate online discussions and promote our missions.
This is an unique opportunity to help shape the public ‘face’ of these projects and the MVZ in general while learning about science and research, and interacting with people ‘behind the scenes’ of a premier research facility. The candidate will work closely with the staff curators.
More on the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology:
The world's natural history museums are responsible for documenting over 1.8 million species known as a result of 300 years of biological exploration of the planet. The information contained in museums include observational and specimen-based data, text, images, sound and video and form the foundation of what we know about life on earth. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) on the University of California at Berkeley campus, is no exception, holding over 740,000 amphibians, reptiles, fish, mammals and birds from around the globe.
Role: Specific duties may include:
--writing, posting and monitoring FaceBook pages of MVZ, AmphibiaWeb, MVZ Archives
--writing, posting and monitoring Twitter accounts of the MVZ
--use social media tools (above and others) to promote MVZ for CalDay
--helping curatorial assistants brainstorm, write and edit blog posts
--help with virtual CalDay exhibits
--assist the appropriate staff in these activities
The apprentice will learn about the myriad of research and outreach activities of the MVZ. Depending on interest, apprentices may 'specialize' in promoting and communicating a specific project's activities and goals with a broad audience of fellow students, other researchers and the public globally. Initially, the apprentice will be exposed to a broad scope of MVZ work.
This project can be done remotely.
Qualifications: Requirements include: familiar and comfortable using online social media such as Twitter, Facebook, etc; excellent writer (be prepared to highlight some of your writings) and love of communicating with others about science and nature. Facility with web-based tools such as Google Drive and with graphic tools, e.g., Adobe Creative Suite. Preference for WordPress website experience. We seek candidates who are interested in outreach and communication with the public and enjoys talking with scientists and students.
Biology major not required. A background in science is helpful but not required; more important is a love and enthusiasm to learn and talk about the natural sciences.
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: https://amphibiaweb.org
Related website: https://amphibiaweb.org