SciCom Team

Stéphane Kenmoe, researcher and science communicator, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

Stéphane Kenmoe got his PhD in Physics at the Max-Planck-Institute for Iron Research in Germany in 2015. He is also a science popularizer on TV and on social media, a science writer and novelist. In 2020 he produced the movie ‘’Science in the City’’ (Science dans la Cité) in Cameroon. He is the promoter of the Central African School of Electronic Structure Methods and Applications. He is very active in networking for the promotion of early career African scientists and for connecting science and society. In 2022 he was appointed Editor in Chief of the African Physics Newsletter, a vehicle of communication for African physicist published quarterly by the American Physical Society (APS). He has won many awards for his engagement, among which the 2020 Diversity Prize for Academic Leadership at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the 2021 Falling Walls Award for Science Engagement and the Dubai 2022 Prototypes for Humanity’s award.

Melanie Bartos is a Science Communicator and Media Relations Officer at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. In addition to the ‘traditional’ channels of science communication, she focuses on promoting scientific content across different online platforms and (social) media channels. Audio formats such as the science podcast ‘Time for Science’ – ‘Zeit für Wissenschaft’ and their combination with transmedia storytelling tools cover an essential part of her work. Melanie shares her knowledge in workshops and trainings for scientists in and outside the university. She established one of the first science podcasts by a university in the German-speaking world already in 2014 and is actively engaged in the Austrian community radio sector.

Toby Erik Wikström, Ph.D., Project Manager, the Graduate School & Research Specialist, Centre for Research in the Humanities, University of Iceland

Toby Wikström draws upon his experience as a scholar of early modern French literature to help PhD researchers at the University of Iceland develop outstanding skills in public presentation and writing. A veteran of over 30 academic conference presentations, Wikström teaches workshops on presentation skills at the University of Iceland, and is especially interested in helping PhD students become outstanding orators in the public sphere. He also teaches workshops on social media where he uses his humanist skills in textual and visual analysis to help doctoral candidates effectively get their message across to academic and general audiences.  A specialist of globalization and cross-cultural encounters in early modern literature, Wikström earned his PhD in French & Romance Philology at Columbia University in 2010 and taught French at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana for 8 years before joining the University of Iceland in 2018.

Suzanne Whitby, operates at the intersection of facilitation, communication, and sustainable futures. As a futures and foresight professional, she designs and delivers participatory workshops and interactive learning experiences for businesses, organizations, and communities navigating rapid change.

Believing in the vital role of science and research in shaping intentional futures, Suzanne also leads communication workshops at SciComm Success, helping researchers share their work effectively. Additionally, as an external lecturer at the University of Innsbruck, she teaches on science communication, climate communication, and storytelling.

With a strong background in communication and sustainability, Suzanne runs a consultancy that partners with changemakers and visionary leaders as a coach, facilitator, and moderator. At VU Amsterdam, she researches multi-sensory, place-based stories and participatory experiences to encourage pro-environmental thinking.

An active sustainability educator at klimafit. zukunftsfit., Suzanne conducts workshops on climate change and the circular economy. Since 2010, she has been a performing oral storyteller, using immersive narratives to educate and empower audiences. A serial entrepreneur, she founded Future Makers and multiple initiatives, including Facilitators for Future and Ways to Walk.