Asking Better Questions: Rethinking Teaching, Tenure, and Impact with Dr. César Nufio

06/08/2025 1h 20min Temporada 1 Episodio 18

Listen "Asking Better Questions: Rethinking Teaching, Tenure, and Impact with Dr. César Nufio"

Episode Synopsis

💡 What if asking better questions changed everything, from the classroom to your career?Today on the ⁠Science with Impact Podcast⁠, Dr. César Nufio is a Multimedia Content Developer and Program Officer II at BioInteractive. In this episode, he shares how his journey, from a high school student unsure about science to a creative leader in science communication, shaped the way he approaches teaching, leadership, and learning. Through storytelling, design, and a commitment to inclusive education, César shows how we can make science more human, and more meaningful.🤔 Who is this for?Educators and scientists building learning environments that prioritize curiosity, not just contentResearchers rethinking success beyond tenure, prestige, and traditional academic metricsSTEM professionals using storytelling, collaboration, and inclusive practices to broaden their impact📋 What is it about?César shares his path from art to science, critiques the limitations of academic metrics, and offers ideas for building inclusive, collaborative spaces where students lead their own learning. He also reflects on what it means to leave behind outdated definitions of success—and how embracing discomfort can open the door to more meaningful work.🔑 Key Takeaway: When we center curiosity and collaboration, we create space for deeper learning, more inclusive science, and more authentic definitions of success.⌚️ Time Stamps00:00 Introduction: Helping Others Develop00:28 The Role of Curiosity in Science03:17 Personal Journey: From Art to Science05:56 Teaching Philosophy and Student Engagement09:00 The Intersection of Art and Science12:58 Navigating Academic and Research Challenges16:17 Effective Science Communication and Storytelling20:27 Reflecting on Academic Metrics and Success39:39 The Struggles of Collaborating Institutions40:41 The Pressure to Publish Single Author Papers41:20 Valuing Collaborations in Academia42:33 Redesigning the Academic Tenure System44:44 The Importance of Diverse Faculty Roles46:18 Challenges and Opportunities in Academia49:54 The Role of Tenure in Academic Institutions01:04:06 Embracing Discomfort and Uncertainty01:15:05 Engaging Students with Phenomena-Based Learning01:19:07 Unlearning Academic Values for Personal Fulfillment📣 GuestDr. César Nufio | Multimedia Content Developer and Program Officer II, BioInteractive, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteHost:⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanessa Rosa, Ph.D⁠⁠⁠⁠., is the founder of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Science with Impact⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we partner with research organizations to translate STEM advancements into measurable societal benefits beyond academia.🙌🏽 Want to collaborate?If you know of a research organization seeking support in:Measuring (program evaluation, statistics/data analysis, and reporting) orCommunicating (illustration/animation, data visualization, and presentations)the impact of their STEM research, ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to connect them with Dr. Rosa⁠⁠⁠⁠. ❤️ Love the cause?Our mission is to provide grants and supplemental awards to research scientists and organizations that have a broader societal impact. To support this mission, we've established a ⁠⁠⁠⁠nonprofit⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click this link to donate to a specific initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠.🙌🏽 Enjoying the content?Here are 3 things you can do to help other research scientists see this content:⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ and receive case studies, conversations, and resources for broadening the societal impacts of STEM research.Subscribe to or review our podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help others interested in impactful science find us!Do you know someone who embodies the phrase "impactful scientist?" If so, please click here to ⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a speaker⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thank you for all you do to broaden the societal impacts of STEM research.Sincerely,The Team at Science with Impact

More episodes of the podcast Science with Impact