I use audio alot with my students, not just having them listen to podcasts but to have them each create their own earth science narrative and record. I also oversee the StoryCorps Archive and record conversations for Tales from the Deep: Stories of Scientific Drilling. And once in awhile, I’ve had the opportunity to be featured on a podcast. Interestingly, all of my podcast “appearances” have related to my science storytelling with quilts. Take a listen!

My Sediments Exactly: One quilt at a time

In 2024, I was featured on the My Sediments Exactly podcast from the publisher Springer Nature. The episode, titled “Empowering Science Communication through Storytelling, One Quilt at a Time: An Interview with Prof. Laura Guertin, Penn State Brandywine University”, is an overview of my journey into telling stories with quilts. The podcast includes my concerns and hesitation when I started moving in this direction for science communication, not knowing if as a university faculty member in the Earth sciences I would be taken seriously. This is an important part of my science quilting journey that I haven’t had much of an opportunity to share. You can hear about this and more in the 30-minute conversation, which can be accessed on the Episode 6 page.

Distillations: Quilting science & changing climates

This was such a fun podcast to be a part of! I have much respect for AGU’s Third Pod from the Sun podcast. And this recording was a little different, as I was being recorded on video as well as audio. I’ve embedded just the audio here, and you can also visit the page with this podcast audio and a transcript.

LabOratory at Ocean Sciences 2020

The hosts of this podcast were at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego in 2020 and saw my quilts hanging in the poster hall. They asked if they could record me as part of a podcast episode that would feature ocean-themed art at the meeting. What an opportunity! You can check out the full episode of this LabOratory podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/813023/3402694

The Academic Minute

I also was featured on The Academic Minute, “a two-and-a-half minute daily module which features researchers from colleges and universities around the world, keeping listeners abreast of what’s new and exciting in the academy.” This program is produced by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). My highlight was on Science and Communication, where I discussed – what else – how I use quilts to broaden dissemination of scientific research.

What’s next?

I hope to be a part of additional podcasts someday! (*podcasters – reach out and let’s talk!) Until more opportunities come along, I’ll continue to share my quilts in-person.