Electron Microscopy: Building Nanoscale Knowledge and Community Connections

Electron microscopy (EM) is not only key to solving the greatest challenges we face in the energy sphere, but it can also be a powerful tool for establishing connections between current and aspiring scientists as well as the public. The work of scientists and engineers is often portrayed as complicated and inaccessible, which can alienate the general public and deter students from pursuing the STEM fields, particularly those who don’t often see role models like themselves as scientists. Here, I will present the results of three types of community outreach events that used EM to provide both the public and K-12 students an opportunity to engage in the same type of work that researchers do. In two events, the general public was invited to experience EM demos and use the tools themselves, which allowed the process and tools of research become demystified. In another event, a group of middle school students used the transmission electron microscope to image gold nanoparticles at atomic resolution. By including the community in our everyday research activities, we can work towards building trust between scientists and the public to pave the way for stronger science policy in the future.