KPBS Midday Edition

Actor Alan Alda Partners With Scripps Research To Improve How Scientists Communicate

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, John Carroll / General Assignment Reporter & Anchor

Published January 20, 2020 at 9:00 AM PST

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

Alan Alda attends the AARP 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Saturday, Jan 11, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Alan Alda has a mission — to teach scientists how to be better listeners and communicators. He wants them to be able to empathize with their audiences, to communicate their work in understandable and compelling ways.

Emmy-award winning actor Alan Alda is bringing his experience from the screen to the world of science. Several years ago, he founded Alda Communication Training (ACT) to teach scientists how to become storytellers.

Now, Alda is bringing ACT to La Jolla. He's partnering with Scripps Research in the endeavor. Alda said it's more important than ever for scientists to be able to communicate what their work is all about and why it's important - especially when it comes to issues like climate change.

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He joined Midday Edition on Monday to talk about the new partnership, his life today and living with Parkinson's disease.

KPBS Midday Edition

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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John Carroll

John Carroll is a general assignment reporter and anchor at KPBS. He loves coming up with story ideas that are not being covered elsewhere, but he’s also ready to cover the breaking news of the day.

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