Amanda Boyd, co-director of the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), has been appointed to the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication of the National Academies for Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Boyd, who is also an associate professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, is one of seven new committee members and will serve a three-year term.
The Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication works to more effectively engage all communities with science in ways that are equitable, evidence-based, and inclusive. The committee comprises 17 individuals and hosts events such as webinars, workshops, and colloquia to bring together the disciplines of science communication research and practice.
“I am honored to be part of this group, particularly because of their focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Boyd said. “I’m especially excited to work toward expanding collaborations between practitioners and researchers and discussing ways to engage with marginalized communities around science communication.”
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world. Their work helps shape sound policies, inform public opinion, and advance the pursuit of science, engineering, and medicine.
Boyd is a member of the Métis Nation from the Northern Peace Country of Alberta. She has been a WSU faculty member since 2013 and an IREACH faculty member since 2017. In December 2022 she was announced as one of two new IREACH co-directors. Boyd has more than 16 years of communication practice and research experience with rural and Indigenous populations in the United States and Canada.
Her research examines the impact of communication on risk perceptions and behavior, media depictions of health risks, and the development of effective, culturally-relevant ways to communicate about health. Her current work includes examining communication about COVID-19, assessing Inuit perceptions of traditional foods and contaminants in Arctic regions, and working with Indigenous youth to create health messaging for their communities. Boyd served on a 2022 panel as part of the 5th National Academies Science Communication Colloquium: Re-Imagining Science Communication in the COVID Era and Beyond.
Visit the IREACH website to learn more about the institute and its mission promoting health and health care equity among rural and Indigenous populations.
