UMass Dartmouth brings inaugural Scientist Stories event to New Bedford

UMass Dartmouth event uses storytelling to strengthen community connections, highlighting the human side of science

On May 28, scientists from UMass Dartmouth gathered not in a lecture hall, but at the community space of the Unitarian Church of New Bedford, for an evening of live storytelling.  

In a series of short stories, scientists from diverse fields pulled back the curtain on the human side of their work, sharing personal experiences that revealed the people behind the research. Participants included students and faculty from the School for Marine Science and Technology, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering, as well as founder of GreenCrab.org Mary Parks and members of the public.  

"We were especially excited to host something like this here in New Bedford because this region is such a hub of science, technology, ocean research, fisheries, climate work, and innovation," said Assistant Professor of Fisheries Oceanography Melissa Cronin. "There is so much scientific expertise here, but it is not always visible to the broader community." 

For organizers, the event reflected an important part of UMass Dartmouth's mission as a public university: bringing knowledge beyond campus boundaries and creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with the communities it serves. By sharing personal stories rather than research presentations, speakers made science more accessible, relatable, and grounded in lived experience. 

"Ultimately, I hope people leave the event feeling more connected — to science, to the waterfront, to the university, and to the people doing this work. Science is often presented as a polished final product, but behind every project is a person with a story."

"Ultimately, I hope people leave the event feeling more connected — to science, to the waterfront, to the university, and to the people doing this work," said Cronin. "Science is often presented as a polished final product, but behind every project is a person with a story." 

Those stories included Cronin's own recollection of a near-death experience on an Ecuadorian tuna fishing boat where science collided with superstition.  

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh described her journey from a defiant child bored by nature documentaries to the leader of a research lab doing nature-inspired engineering.  

PhD researcher Drake Ssempijja transported the audience to the shores of Lake Victoria in Africa where conversations with fishermen taught him that "science must listen before it speaks." 

Assistant Professor of English & Communications Megan Fletcher shared a story of surviving intimate partner violence, and how this informed her current work in strategic communication and advocacy for women of the SouthCoast.  

 The event, intended to be the first in an ongoing series, demonstrated how storytelling can serve as a bridge between the university and the broader community, creating space for dialogue, understanding, and connection. It was also a reminder that research has its greatest impact when it is shared beyond campus and woven into the life of the region it serves.