Stories

Civic Science Fellow Amml Hussein creates communication pathways between research and communities  

This fall, experts and communicators from a wide range of disciplines will convene at Boston University to discuss the challenges of conveying the science and impacts of climate change to the public. The event is the culmination of Amml Hussein’s Civic Science Fellowship at BU.  

Amml, a licensed social worker, is building the program on a strong foundation of connections she has been developing all year. This work included participating in the planning of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building Trust in Science for a More Informed Future conference in March. MIT Press, which was part of that conference, has enthusiastically accepted Amml’s invitation to her own event.  

“It’s nice to have that relationship between people,” Amml says. “You invite them, they invite you, and you both benefit from both events. It’s been a really amazing networking experience.”  

This reciprocal approach—building communities where everyone contributes and benefits—lies at the heart of Amml’s Fellowship work, and is a core tenet of civic science. At a time when trust in science is declining, this growing movement aims to rebuild those bonds. Unlike traditional science communication, which often flows one way from experts to the public, civic science emphasizes listening to communities, understanding their concerns, and making research more responsive to real-world needs.   

As part of this movement, Amml is creating the first graduate certificate in civic science communication, at Boston University. The online program launched with pilot courses in spring 2025. Rather than training scientists to simply explain their work better, the program shows them how to bridge the gap between research and communities by building genuine relationships, and how to translate complex information into digestible knowledge that can reach diverse audiences.  

“We’re all about breaking boundaries,” Amml says. “We welcome learners from a wide range of disciplines including public health, engineering, medicine, doctoral studies, media, and communications. Here, students come together to learn how to craft culturally relevant narratives that are powerful and engaging, and how those stories can inspire audiences to take meaningful action.”  

From journalism to social impact  

Amml’s journey into civic science began with an undergraduate degree in journalism and media studies, fueled by a passion for effective communication. This foundation in storytelling has shaped every stage of her career, even as she transitioned into social work and earned her master’s degree from Rutgers University in 2011 and her doctorate from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2020.  

Alongside teaching at Rutgers University, Amml continues to see clients virtually. “The work we do with individuals is deeply connected to the health of our communities,” Amml says. “If we can transform lives one person at a time, those lessons scale up to create meaningful social impact on a much broader level.”  

The graduate certificate in civic science communication Amml designed reflects this multi-level thinking. The four, seven-week, online courses—Science Storytelling, Engaging and Persuading Audiences, Transformative Data Storytelling, and Advocating Science—each address a crucial skill for civic science practitioners.  

“Our goal is to cultivate not just knowledge, but genuine connection,” Amml says. “By starting with foundational skills and building toward a master’s degree, we’re preparing a new generation of communicators who can bridge divides and foster trust between science and the public.”  

When representatives from the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances learned about the program, they contacted her about opportunities to speak to students about the Science family of journals and to share information that could help them as they source stories and navigate ongoing uncertainty in science communications.  

“I was thrilled,” Amml says. “People are reaching out, and there’s a lot of interest in this program.”  

The data storytelling aspect of the coursework is hands-on and aims to be transformative. “Data alone doesn’t move people. It’s the story behind the numbers that ignites urgency and action,” she says. “When we bring statistics to life visually, we transform abstract information into a compelling call for change.”  

This approach stems from her experience at the Council on Social Work Education, where she led the Assessment Institute, a daylong session after the council’s annual conference to help educators refine their teaching methods.  

“I would invite the speakers, moderate the panels, and engage the audience with different activities,” Amml says. “We’d provide sample assessments and resources that they could take back to their university or agency and implement.”  

Centering community voices  

Throughout her Fellowship, Amml has championed authentic community engagement rather than solutions that are imposed. “Authentic engagement means sharing power,” she says. “When communities are co-creators, and not just recipients, the solutions we develop are more just, sustainable, and impactful.”  

She has found that giving the relevant community a role in a project makes an important difference. This philosophy extends to her work with BU’s anti-racist curriculum fellowship, where faculty from across disciplines collaborate on inclusive course design.  

“It was fascinating to see how different disciplines design anti-racist activities, and how racism or colonial ideas show up across different fields,” she says. One example that made an impression was the disproven idea in medicine that Black people have greater tolerance to pain than white people.  

Amml’s commitment to connecting education with action extends beyond the classroom. She recently partnered with the National Collaborative on Health Equity, the National Black Justice Collective, and students at the University of California, Los Angeles to organize “Equity Week,” which includes advocacy meetings with policymakers on Capitol Hill.  

“Connecting education to advocacy is essential,” Amml says. “By bringing voices to Capitol Hill and fostering dialogue with policymakers, we’re turning knowledge into action.”  

Her approach has also shaped the upcoming Communicating Climate Summit she’s organizing at BU’s Center for Media Innovation and Social Impact on November 7. Speakers, including a former CNN correspondent, the City of Boston‘s first chief climate officer, a representative from the Conservation Law Foundation, and leaders from public media, academia, news organizations, and local communities, will address the challenge of informing the public during these uncertain times for governmental agencies. “It’ll bring a really interesting lens to our students,” she says.  

Building a movement  

Looking ahead, Amml and her colleagues are working on expanding the certificate into a master’s degree program in health and science communication. For those interested in civic science, Amml emphasizes its accessibility and importance.  

“Civic science is more than a field—it’s a movement for systemic change,” she says. “It’s about uniting diverse perspectives around a shared mission to create science that listens, learns, and leads communities forward.”   

Early results from the pilot certificate classes show a ripple effect. Students from diverse backgrounds are enrolling, faculty across disciplines are reaching out, and institutions that once worked in isolation are finding new ways to collaborate.  

“Civic science is inherently interdisciplinary,” Amml says. “What unites us is that civic science thread. We’re all working toward the same goal.”  

The certificate program represents just the beginning. With each connection made, each student engaged, and each community partnership formed, the work helps to build an infrastructure for civic science that will outlast any single fellowship or program.  

“Every conversation we start has the potential to grow into something transformative,” Amml says. “This is how we build not just programs, but lasting relationships and movements that endure.”  

Amml is a member of the 2024-25 Civic Science Fellows cohort. Her Fellowship is supported by the Rita Allen Foundation and Feld Family Initiative for Civic Science Communication.