Chartered in 1891 as a state school for women teachers, UNC Greensboro became North Carolina's leading college for women and now enrolls nearly 19,000 students
Dr. Raven Baxter gave the UNC Greensboro Department of Biology seminar in Greensboro, N.C., on Nov. 19, 2025. Her talk, "From Lab Bench to Public Impact: Why Graduate Students Need Science Communication Skills," was held in Moore 226. It was open to the public and shared on Microsoft Teams, with Joshua Ajowele as host.
The talk's premise was that explaining research is part of a scientist's job. "Whether you're trying to secure funding, land your dream job, or just help people understand why your work matters, communication skills could make or break your career," the department's event listing said.
Those stakes were in the news that year. The seminar came one week after the 43-day federal shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, ended on Nov. 12. During it, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued no new awards. In April, the National Science Foundation cut its Graduate Research Fellowship awards to 1,000, from the roughly 2,000 it usually offers. In February, several universities paused or cut graduate admissions over a proposed cap on NIH indirect costs.
The listing said the talk would offer "practical strategies for translating complex biological concepts into compelling stories that actually stick." Its topics included "why communication makes you a better researcher (yes, really)" and "how to build your communication skills without sacrificing lab time." It also promised concrete steps for sharing science with different audiences.
The listing closed on the talk's aim. "This isn't about becoming a science influencer, it's about becoming the kind of scientist who can defend their work, inspire others, and make a real impact beyond the lab bench."
The state chartered UNC Greensboro on Feb. 18, 1891, as the State Normal and Industrial School, a school for women teachers. As the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, it was the leading college for women in North Carolina through the mid-20th century. It took its current name in 1963, when it began admitting men. Today it enrolls nearly 19,000 students.
Its Department of Biology offers an M.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Science. Its faculty are funded by the NIH, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and private funders. The seminar series meets on Wednesday afternoons and is open to the public.
Baxter is a molecular biologist who earned her Ph.D. at the University at Buffalo, where her research focused on science communication.
The seminar description is on the UNC Greensboro Department of Biology website.
Dr. Raven Baxter joined National Fair Housing Alliance President and CEO Lisa Rice on June 28, 2026, for a fireside chat on housing discrimination at the alliance's national conference in Washington.
Dr. Raven Baxter joined three fellow University at Buffalo alumnae on the UB Distinguished Keynote Panel at the 4th Annual WNY Leadership Summit on May 29, 2026.
Dr. Raven Baxter gave the interactive closing keynote of SCIENCE TALK '26, the Association of Science Communicators' 10th conference, in Portland, Oregon, on March 27, 2026.
