Dr. Dominique Bachelet, an ecologist and associate professor at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, spoke to 35 Upper School students about her experiences as a climate scientist and the role that art can play in communicating scientific findings. Dr. Bachelet, whose research has focused on global climate change impacts, has been involved in several IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports and was elected to AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) in recognition of her climate change science contributions. 

During her presentation, Dr. Bachelet described her work with various NGOs on climate change science information delivery and communication. After distinguishing between the work of data scientists (researchers who gather and analyze information) and model scientists (experts who utilize research to build models to further test and understand data), she articulated the importance of communicating research findings to the public. She cited art as an effective method of building awareness around urgent scientific issues like climate change. As a scientist and member of the Oregon Watercolor Society and the Corvallis Art Guild, Dr. Bachelet provided an example of the power of interdisciplinary work and thought. Thank you, Dr. Bachelet, for an engaging and informative presentation!