Less than two months into Robin Oliverio’s new science communications role at Carnegie Science Center, she had to respond to a crisis.
In late February, a Texas child had just died from measles—the first confirmed death from the largest measles outbreak in the state in three decades. Like the virus itself, misinformation was spreading rapidly. Even though Oliverio sat at her desk 1,500 miles away, this was precisely the kind of situation she was hired to communicate about.
She immediately crafted a post for the Science Center’s new Science Centered Blog.
“I wanted to understand what was happening with the measles outbreak—why it was spreading so fast, how it compared to past outbreaks, and who was most at risk,” says Oliverio, the Science Center’s science communications and media specialist.
Oliverio, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience, sifted through federal and state health data to answer essential questions such as “What are measles?” “What are the symptoms?” and “How effective is the measles vaccine?” Her “just-the-facts” post titled “Who Gets Measles and Why Is It Back?” cut through the speculation with evidence-based information. Part of a four-part series on measles, the post remains the Science Center’s most-read post this year.
The blog series is part of the Science Center’s new Rapid Science Engagement Initiative (RSEI), which aims to respond to science-based news events when it’s most critical for the public to have reliable information. Already known as a community convener for science learning, the Science Center wants to be able to react quickly to news events with science-based activity at their core—like the measles outbreak or the Canadian wildfires, for example—through a three-pronged approach of communications, public programming, and exhibitions.
Photo: John SchislerA RSEI team of a dozen staff members from across Science Center departments meets several times each month to discuss topics for blog content and public programming.
Using this RSEI model, the Science Center can develop exhibitions more quickly than usual—in six to nine months, as opposed to a typical timeline of two or more years. Staff will also be able to create more topic-specific programming for the public—including panel discussions with experts—in a matter of weeks as well as share social media and web content in just days.
“The three facets—communications, programming, and exhibitions—allow us to reach different audiences in different ways and at different speeds,” says Kim Amey, the Science Center’s chief of staff.
“All of these efforts encourage new audiences to turn to us for factual and approachable science content,” said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl, Jr., Director of the Science Center. “Whether through social media, public programming, or exhibits, the RSEI initiative aligns directly with our mission to connect people and science, igniting curiosity that endures for a lifetime.”
In this way, the Science Center is acknowledging the critical role that museums play in informing the public. According to the National Awareness, Attitudes, and Usage Study, a majority of Americans—76 percent—consider museums to be trustworthy institutions, more than daily newspapers (60 percent), nongovernmental organizations (60 percent), and the federal government (54 percent).
“How do we help our community to make sense of the world?” Amey asks.
Going Deeper
Amey recounts conversations among Science Center peers when the COVID-19 pandemic began. They wondered how to reach people amid an overload of conflicting information. At the time, the Science Center didn’t have the resources to build comprehensive programming around a single topic, and certainly not within a matter of months.
This new rapid response model not only allows the Science Center to be that source of trusted information, but also pushes the museum to be more innovative, says Mary Ann Steiner, research associate at the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center.
“Every day, we’re inundated with so much information at once, and a lot of us don’t have the tools to be able to interpret it.”
Robin Oliverio, Science Communications and Media Specialist, Carnegie Science Center
“That kind of turnaround is going to break them out of their normal patterns,” says Steiner, who has consulted with the Science Center on how to engage with visitors and choose topics for the pilot. “If you have to do it quickly, then you’ve got to try something different.”
While most of the Science Center’s social media posts had traditionally focused on promoting the next event, exhibition, or program, now Oliverio and her colleagues are able to curate science-based content for social media and the website. In addition to the blog, the RSEI team is adding short-form video content and launching a science-based podcast this fall.
No matter the platform, the challenge remains the same: to provide scientifically sound information, more quickly, in a digestible form.
“Every day, we’re inundated with so much information at once, and a lot of us don’t have the tools to be able to interpret it,” Oliverio says.
The RSEI team, which includes Oliverio, plans its editorial calendar around topical seasonal events such as hurricane season, heat waves, and wildfires. But they pivot to address breaking news events, such as a massive storm in April that tore through Pittsburgh, downing hundreds of trees
and knocking out power for more than 400,000 residents. That event prompted blog content about understanding winds
in a changing climate.
A commitment to not oversimplifying the science remains a priority, too. “As a museum, we’re used to making complex topics accessible,” Oliverio says, “but through the blog, I also aim to preserve the depth of the science—whether it’s physics, biology, or statistics. I want readers to walk away with foundational knowledge that empowers them to understand even more complex ideas.”
Timely Programming
The Science Center’s early foray into rapid response programming came in February 2023 following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The Science Center assembled environmental experts—two from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and another from the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center—to answer public concerns about air quality, water safety, and animal well-being. More than 200 people attended the live session, and the recording has since been viewed more than 1,000 times on YouTube.
But responses to the webinar highlighted the challenge of cutting through the online discourse. One viewer commented that they had become skeptical of expert opinion: “Look at how many professionals were misguided and wrong about the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to see data.” Another launched into claims of the health threat: “HAVE YOU TESTED FOR DIOXINS. NO, YOU HAVEN’T. SO, stop talking things are safe when you don’t know about dioxins!”
Still, this feedback, even when it’s negative, can serve the Science Center well, Steiner says.
Sometimes what is perceived as a negative response is a signal that the person is really thinking about the content and wrestling with ideas. This can help the team to better understand how to engage the audience with such complex topics.
“Let’s open up the amount of time we spend listening to how people respond to things and give people opportunities to define what their questions are,” she says.
Recently, Science Center staff developed a transportable “extreme weather” activity to contextualize events like July’s flooding in Texas. Visitors to the museum sprayed water on a model landscape, about the size of a cookie sheet, to see how stormwater flows during a normal storm. Then they poured a “flood” of water from a cup to demonstrate how flash flooding occurs during extreme rain.
Museum educators encouraged guests to record the impacts of extreme weather in their own lives. One senior visitor who used a mobility device wrote that she couldn’t leave her home. Other visitors cited transportation disruptions from road closures, and one hospital worker shared that an extreme heat event led to power reductions that limited the hospital’s ability to perform surgeries.
“All of these efforts encourage new audiences to turn to us for factual and approachable science content.”
Jason Brown, Henry Buhl, Jr., Director of the Science Center
“We’re actively seeking out what it means to be relevant,” Amey says.
The Science Center is also engaging people outside the museum, at community events including festivals and farmers markets, as well as at its own adult programming, to learn what kinds of topics are of interest, and how people understand them.
During a recent 21+ after-hours event at the Science Center, the RSEI team organized an activity to assess how climate change was relevant to people’s experiences. They asked participants to choose from cards with different topics—recreation, conservation, energy, jobs, etc.—to find one that most concerned them.
“Taking that time to talk with people helps us. Climate change can feel like a politicized topic,” Steiner says. “And hearing how many people are thinking about it and wondering about it and curious about it helps an institution like a museum feel a little bit more confident presenting it in a way that’s about solutions and possibilities, and not just thinking of it as an inevitable dire future.”
Expediting Exhibitions
The first Rapid Science exhibition will debut in early 2026. It’s designed to be modular and adaptable—built to swap in new content, graphics, and activities when the subject matter is ready to change. The framework will be reused, significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to introduce new topics on the gallery floor, and designed in a way that it will fit anywhere in the museum.
Climate change was selected as the first topic for the exhibit’s test run based on visitor feedback, collected through online surveys and written notes. “Visitors told us overwhelmingly that they wanted to learn more about climate change,” says Eve Andrews, exhibit developer at the Science Center. “And it’s a smart topic choice because these exhibits take months to develop and stay open for roughly a year, so they have to address subject matter that will remain relevant beyond a few trending headlines.”
Photo: John SchislerAmey says the larger vision is to create an “inviting and emotionally resonant experience that also inspires action.” They’ll do this through interactive displays, powerful visuals, and storytelling elements that connect climate science to everyday life.
And it’s not a one-way conversation, says Jennifer Lawrence, director of experience design and fabrication. There will be opportunities for discussion, including tables with activities, as well as couches and seats where people can comfortably reflect on the information they’ve just encountered.
“What we really hope will happen is that people use this exhibit space as a safe place to engage in these kinds of difficult conversations,” Lawrence explains.
The RSEI team is also aware of the risks of tackling controversial issues. So they’ve created an internal rubric to evaluate the risk/reward of taking on a heated topic. Ultimately, no matter what topic they’re addressing, they hope to be a conduit for learning through respectful dialogue.
“There are so many spaces that are overrun with misinformation,” Andrews says. “The Science Center is one that has been saved from that. We want to build that trust in the community by creating spaces for people to learn more about what they might be hearing, but in a more clarifying, educational way.”
