In the science lab, Sheeva was totally that person that her colleagues would turn to when their analysis wasn’t working. Sheeva’s all about helping people succeed in life, and yes, life in the science world includes a lot of communication and science policy.
Fancy Comma provides one-on-one science writing tutoring, group science communication and/or science policy workshops, science communication education consulting, and science communication and/or science policy teaching at all levels.
Fancy Comma has taught science communication and science policy at various US and Canadian universities, including:
- McMaster University (Canada)
- University of Rochester
- University of Minnesota
- Wake Forest University
- University of California, Irvine
- Hawaii Pacific University
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Florida
Check out some of those lectures here.
Here’s what people have to say about Sheeva as a mentor and teacher:
“I highly recommend working with Sheeva because of her problem-solving abilities, keen attention to detail and excellent listening skills.”
“Very patient and helpful. The best!”
“Sheeva is a great writing tutor! […] She created a safe space for me to develop my skills while still giving me directions about how to improve.”
“I feel accomplished and fulfilled, and I gained some valuable knowledge.”
An MIT- and Georgetown-trained neuroscientist turned freelance science writer, communicator, and journalist, Sheeva Azma has taught students since 2001 and is author of the books How to Get Started in Freelance Science Writing Amplifying Science Communication through Public Relations, and SCIENCE X MARKETING. Sheeva, who has 20+ years of science teaching experience, has trained SciCommers and scientists at various US and Canadian universities, the ScienceTalk ’22 conference, and elsewhere. She is also a writing tutor (both K-12 and university levels) and substitute teacher (K-12) with 20+ years of teaching experience, both in science and writing, with an interactive teaching style. She’s also developed a FREE SciComm add-on curriculum for high school through postgraduate students.
Whether you’d like to get better at writing (and talking) about your research as a scientist, or you want to follow your dreams of becoming a science writer or working in the science policy world, you can benefit from the science communication (SciComm) and science policy (SciPol) mentorship and training provided by Fancy Comma, LLC’s Sheeva Azma.
Why you should hire Sheeva for SciComm and/or SciPol training
Sheeva has been a science writer since 2013, but she has taught at K-12 and university level since 2001; that was when, as a freshman at MIT, Sheeva taught a one-day course on US Literature as a break from her difficult science studies! Enchanted by words just as much as the brain, the college Sheeva helped improve MIT’s science communication requirement, and taught middle school and high school courses in neuroscience when she had time. In graduate school, her teaching activities included co-directing a neuroscience survey course for undergraduates and graduate students, helping medical students navigate a hands-on neuroanatomy lab, and welcoming new graduate students by teaching them neuroscience (mostly sensory, cognitive, systems, and affective neuroscience, but other areas as well) in a summer course.
Fast forward to today, and Sheeva is a neuroscientist turned science writer who has been teaching students in English/writing and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels for over 20 years. Sheeva has taught all kinds of subjects, both in the classroom and at the lab bench.
Science students in college and graduate schools write about science a lot, often without any specific training in scientific writing. Hire Sheeva to help you learn how to communicate science better, whether you’re a scientist or aspiring science writer. Get in touch or keep reading for more info.
Learn how to write (and talk) about science
Fancy Comma, LLC has a dual mission as a leader in the SciComm industry: just as much as we serve our clients by providing impactful science communication, we also strive to help scientists communicate science better. We work in the SciComm space in various, multifaceted capacities, and share FREE tips for SciCommers on our blog. (Subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube channel too, for more free insights!)
Fancy Comma’s SciComm mentoring and/or training can help:
- Aspiring and early-career science writers
- Freelance science writers and communicators
- Science copywriters, including health/medical copywriters
- Researchers
- University science and social science (for example, political science) departments
- Public information officers (PIOs) in academia, government, and elsewhere tasked with communicating science issues
- Aspiring science policy professionals
SciComm Training
Sheeva teaches science communication both in one-on-one and group contexts. You can hire her to work with you on a specific project, like writing a thesis, a research paper, or a conference poster, or to gain general science communication skills.
In Sheeva’s SciComm training sessions, you will learn how to write and talk about science in a way that is both impactful and can be easily understood. You’ll:
- Walk away with tried-and-true science communications techniques
- Learn about ways to organize and structure complex science communication
- Develop a SciCommer mindset, merging your oral and written communications skills with your science expertise to powerfully and masterfully communicate science to the general public
- Be able to communicate science to anyone, whether that’s your research supervisor, a lawmaker, or a person reading your grant application, or your friends and family who are not in science
- (Optionally) Be able to amplify your science communications endeavors through social media and public relations strategies
One-on-one sessions are $60/hr and are paid in advance of the session. Reach out to schedule a session today! Package discounts are available.
Please contact us for pricing for SciComm and/or SciPol training in a group context (for example, a class of college or graduate students). Payment must be paid in advance of the session.
SciComm Mentoring
“Sheeva [helped] me come up with a plan to better integrate psychology in copywriting and business development. She really went above and beyond, carefully listening to my concerns, and making helpful suggestions based on her years of experience as a freelance science writer.“ – A Former Mentee
In Sheeva’s SciComm mentoring sessions, you will:
- Get answers to your questions about pursuing SciComm, whether as a part-time or full-time freelancer, or to complement science research;
- Help solve problems you are facing as a SciCommer; and
- Gain actionable steps you can take to help you move forward in your SciComm career.
One-on-one SciComm mentoring sessions are priced hourly at $250/hour; package discounts are available. Sessions must be paid for in advance. Contact Fancy Comma to book a SciComm mentoring session.
Fancy Comma, LLC 