Join us in collaboration with (Organization of Regulatory and Clinical Associates) ORCA on May 21 for an engaging Seattle AWIS event, Improving Science Communication with Storytelling, Comedy, and Improv.

Effective communication is essential in STEM, and our expert panelists will share how humor, narrative techniques, and improv can make complex scientific ideas more accessible and compelling. This hybrid event will take place at Fred Hutch (Thomas Bldg, Sze Conference Room) and online. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to enhance your science communication skills!

Presenters:     

Audra Sisak – Actor, Comedic Storyteller, Therapist
Audra aka Polite Kitty, (they/them) is a Washington State native who has lived and traveled around the country, to include performing for the entertainment industry. They are a comedic storyteller talking about being a super parent to two kids as a disabled person navigating life. They have a full time job with side projects in filmmaking, art, crocheting, and writing. They have a natural passion for justice, advocating for marginalized communities. They have a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology, and are a certified yoga instructor. Audra used to work as a clinical research scientist, but made a career change in 2016 becoming a therapist for neurodivergent people. Audra is a forever learner with a curious mind. 

Theresa Flores – STEM Educator, Comedian
Theresa (she/her) is a formally trained scientist and educator and an informally untrained stand-up comedian. She graduated from MIT with a physics degree and a teaching license. Her education career has included classroom teaching, textbook publishing, museum education, private tutoring, and holding workshops at teachers’ conferences. Her comedy career has included GeekGirlCon, the Association of Science Communicators, and cat memes. 

Samantha Borje – UW Engage, teaching instructor
Samantha is currently pursuing her PhD in Molecular Engineering at the University of Washington. Within the lab, she studies scaling up DNA nanotechnology for new applications. Outside the lab, she serves on the Board of Directors for Engage UW, an organization dedicated to communicating science to the public. She has worked with Engage to give public science talks and science communication workshops throughout Seattle. She was the Fall 2024 teaching instructor for the Engage seminar course, where graduate students learn to present their research to a general audience. She subsequently produced and hosted the UW Science Now Speaker Series in 2025. Beyond UW, her writing can be found in Drug Discovery News and 2024 New Horizons Newsroom by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, covering everything from chemical compounds in fungi to the future of dark matter research. She enjoys stand-up comedy, science fiction movies, and picturing her life as a sci-fi mockumentary sitcom.

Seattle AWIS events are FREE and Welcome ALL

Free parking is available directly outside the Thomas Building
1305 Ward St., Seattle, WA 98109