APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR OUR 4TH COHORT, WHICH WILL RUN SEPT-AUG. APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 16TH

Good independent science communication is hugely important, but grossly under-supported. In terms of needed training opportunities, access to resources (intellectually and financially), and just general support. This is what our SciComm mentorship cohorts are attempting to address.

We now host 4 cohorts per year, which run alongside each of our e-summits. Cohorts last 3 months, where the group receives ongoing mentorship on effectively communicating science in a written format, with opportunities for further format mentorship afterwards. The culmination of the cohort is an eBook summary to distill the insights of each summit we host. Each cohort member will author their own chapter, with credit alongside our summit speakers.

So far we’ve hosted 3 cohorts, mentoring over 30 prospective science communicators. Find the eBook creations from our previous cohorts here!

What do the cohorts involve:

Group calls to train up on skills important for effective SciComm. These include sessions on critically navigating science, source vetting, misinformation, effective SciComm, and more.
Pairing with a dedicated SciComm advisor. Our cohort advisors will help our mentees along the way to think through how they distill their chapter insights.
Group chats for ongoing connection and support. We do this via WhatsApp where cohorts and advisors can work together on an ongoing basis.
And more!

Time commitment: ~2-5 hours weekly. Think of this course like a full uni course. The more you put in, the more you'll get out :).

The intention behind this initiative is to create opportunities for science communication training which did not exist in the cosmetics sector. In the process, a valuable free resource is created to benefit whoever wants to access it.

The team working hard to make this happen:

Cohort Coordinator: Luciana Smaldore and Jen Novakovich

Mentorship Advisory Group: Jen Novakovich, Luciana Smaldore, Todd Squires PhD, Annika Lagut PhD, Lyle Burgoon PhD ATS, Lisa Gandalfi PhD, Ryan Kudla PhD and Michelle Niedziela PhD.

FACTS Q&A

How can you be a part of a future cohort? Cohort applications open 1.5 months ahead of each of our summits. Watch out for the cohort application period on our LinkedIn and Instagram. Application tip - pay extra close attention to the challenge question! That is our ultimate deciding factor for who makes it into the group! We give scicomm feedback to all applicants so that everyone gets some guidance, even if they don’t make it. If you don’t get in the first time, take our suggestions and re-apply! :)

Why have we focused on written communication as an entry? Because we feel strongly that this provides a good groundwork for scicommers to grow from. It helps establish strategy in the way we approach communicating science that translates really well into other content formats - from creating compelling infographics to scripting for video content.

Is there a cost to cohort members for participating? No. This program is free, made possible by a group of people who have volunteered their time to help us create this opportunity for the beauty space!

As part of this program training up science communicators in cosmetics, we’re also trying to create opportunities for them. This has included scicomm shadowing and content creation at conferences with Jen Novakovich (here’s an example of what that’s looked like!), authorship in trade magazines (here’s an example of what that’s looked like!), and paid written scicomm opportunities. If you have an idea for an opportunity, please let us know! If you are a company looking for a science communicator to hire, reach out and we can connect you with a suitable candidate from our cohort program.

This program needs support so we can keep growing our impact. If you’re a company interested in sponsoring a future cohort, please reach out!

About our SciComm Advisory Group:

Todd Squires PhD has served as a Professor of Chemical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara since 2005 and is faculty advisor for UCSB’s student chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. His research group studies soft materials and complex fluids, both experimentally and theoretically. He teaches a technical courses on how surfactants, colloids, polymers and solutes interact within fluids to drive the textures, flow properties, stability and performance of complex fluid formulations, a hands-on “Cosmetic Sci DIY” course for first-year STEM and non-STEM students that combines brief discussions of the science cosmetic products with lab-based product formulation, and industrial short courses on the basic science, conceptual design, characterization, processing and troubleshooting of formulated complex fluid products. Professional honors include fellowship in the American Physical Society, the NSF CAREER award, the Beckman Young Investigator, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar award, and the inaugural GSOFT Early Career Award in Soft Matter.

Lisa Gandolfi PhD is a scientist-turned-executive who has spent 20+ years translating deep technical expertise into commercial growth. With a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering, Lisa's career spans novel technology development for iconic Johnson & Johnson brands like Johnson's Baby and Neutrogena to executive leadership roles where she led teams focused on bridging the gap between R&D and market impact. At Clariant and Inolex, Lisa built her reputation on translating complex science into compelling market impact. She has transformed communications-centric marketing functions into strategic organizations, built technical marketing capabilities from the ground up, and led corporate strategy at the executive level. Her ability to connect scientific innovation with market-ready storytelling delivers measurable results, increasing the speed and size of innovation-driven sales. Today, as Founder of Sunhaven Consulting, Lisa helps science-based companies translate technical innovation into undeniable market impact. She is the author or co-author of multiple issued US patents and industry publications, reflecting the technical depth she brings to every strategic conversation.

Annika Lagut PhD is a materials scientist turned cosmetic science consultant and the founder of Coherent Beauty, where she helps beauty brands communicate peer-reviewed science and make sense of ingredient-supplier data. She specializes in separating genuine science from fleeting marketing trends and in building cosmetic claims that are both compelling and compliant. She brings a strong STEM foundation to the beauty industry — a background in physics and a PhD in materials science — which she carried into cosmetics after her doctorate, going on to earn the UK SCS Diploma in Cosmetic Science with distinction in 2022. Annika has built her work around a single conviction: that good science is only useful once people can understand and act on it. That belief makes her open to the many ways science can shape a brand, whether through engaging, regulation-compliant stories about the power of natural ingredients or the results of decades-long research. Her longstanding interest in social media marketing and her published work on green claims reinforce this science-driven approach to brand support — one she also passes on to future cosmetic scientists and brand founders through guest lectures at Laurea University of Applied Sciences.

Ryan Kudla PhD is a trained Solid-State NMR Spectroscopist turned Cosmetic Chemist turned Account Manager at Barnet Products. He is deeply involved with the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC), including as the current Education Chair and Chapter Chair for the California Chapter since 2021. Ryan was integral in building the first chemistry centric west-coast cosmetic chemistry certificate program at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Currently he teaches the Product Development class and works closely with the Program Director to further develop and expand this amazing program. In partnership with UCR, he helped establish the first cosmetic chemistry endowment on campus and coordinated the launch of scholarship opportunities within the California Chapter for students looking to join the cosmetic industry from local universities.Ryan earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from UCR, before moving on to several cosmetics industry roles in R&D, technical management, to technical marketing. Now, he does his best to weave together the intricate tapestry of science and fashion into an ingredient story everyone can use and understand at Barnet. In his free time, he enjoys doing anything outdoors. He is also an avid dirt-bike racer, which has given him the opportunity to travel across the Western United States and represent his country 3 different times in international competition.

Michelle Murphy Niedziela PhD is a behavioral neuroscientist, consumer researcher, and founder of Nerdoscientist, LLC, where she helps organizations understand why consumers think, feel, and behave the way they do. Through consulting, education, and speaking, she integrates behavioral science, consumer neuroscience, and traditional consumer research to develop more meaningful research approaches and translate insights into product innovation, strategy, and foresight. Michelle is passionate about making complex science practical and accessible, empowering research, marketing, and innovation teams to move beyond measuring what consumers do toward understanding why they do it. Before founding Nerdoscientist, Michelle held research and innovation leadership roles spanning academia and industry, including the Monell Chemical Senses Center, Johnson & Johnson, Mars Chocolate, and HCD Research. She is an active speaker, author, podcaster, and educator, regularly presenting at scientific and industry conferences and teaching workshops on behavioral science, consumer neuroscience, and innovation research. Michelle earned her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience and Neurogenetics from Purdue University following a postdoctoral fellowship at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her family, exploring cultures through food, and sharing her curiosity through writing and the Nerdoscientist podcast.

Lyle Burgoon PhD ATS is the President and CEO of Raptor Pharm & Tox, and the Founder and President of the non-profit Science for Healthy Families. Dr. Burgoon is an internationally recognized expert in artificial intelligence, pharmacology and toxicology, biostatistics and risk assessment. With a background in national security and a career spanning intelligence, defense, regulation, and litigation, Dr. Burgoon is a pioneer in applying critical thinking and advanced artificial intelligence technologies to achieve his clients’ objectives. Whether he’s addressing scientific distortions in the courtroom or speaking to global audiences about the need for better evidence in public discourse, Dr. Burgoon brings a fierce commitment to truth, clarity, and intellectual rigor in everything he does. In addition, Dr. Burgoon is a US Soccer Federation Licensed coach, and coaches goalkeeping and a competitive youth team at the North Carolina Football Club Youth soccer club.

Luciana Smaldore is a marketing and communications professional who has been an integral part of The Eco Well's SciComm Cohort Program from the start! Before the cohorts, Luciana independently authored The Eco Well's summit eBooks, which laid the foundation for what would become a collaborative initiative to support good SciComm in beauty. Our cohorts are an offshoot of that initial work to create even more value for the cosmetics industry and aspiring science communicators within it. Today, Luciana serves as both a mentor and our dedicated Cohort Coordinator, where she’s had an instrumental role in shaping our cohort program behind the scenes. We are incredibly grateful for Luciana's continued dedication to supporting our cohort members and this project!

Jen Novakovich is a science communicator, cosmetic scientist, and founder of The Eco Well, a SciComm social enterprise in the beauty space. Through The Eco Well, she hosts a regular cosmetic science podcast and free conference series, which these SciComm cohorts are an extension of. While Jen continues to work as a technical consultant, her passion is in SciComm and supporting information integrity in the cosmetics industry. Since 2022, Jen has also worked closely with Independent Beauty Association to support their social media and in-person scicomm and education advocacy. In 2023, Jen co-founded BeautySciComm, a social enterprise dedicated to fostering better scicomm in beauty. Here, she has been responsible for creating briefing notes that feature relevant subject matter expert reactions to viral headlines. Outside her scicomm work, Jen is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa. Her research explores the relationship between misinformation and environmental outcomes, broadly and within the cosmetics industry.