2022 speakers

Value Action Gaps workshop

Smriti Safaya 

Why don't people act on the values they hold dear? This phenomenon, often known as the "value-action gap", has perplexed behavioural scientists, marketing departments, policy makers and educators for decades. In this interactive workshop, we (i) identify barriers to action, (ii) learn about how to tackle the value-action gap, and (iii) discover tools to increase the impact of one's research in society. Findings from scholars and think tanks reveal valuable lessons about reducing this gap, and we will collectively give tangible shape to the abstract notion of value-action gaps by reflecting on our own perspectives using individual reflections and small group discussions.  Workshop participants will gain concrete knowledge and steps to help reduce the value-action gap related to the outputs of their research interests.

An insight into working in Open Access

Callum Scott

I am a recent ACCE graduate who specialised in Archaeology, exploring the impact of neurodiversity on our species evolution and ability to adapt to different environments. Now I am working in Open Access publishing for F1000, part of Taylor & Francis. My work involves identifying Environmental Science topics that may benefit from an Open Access approach and setting up collections (virtual special issues) to support these research communities. This talk will explore this role, what it is like working in publishing and how open access publishing may contribute to helping us achieve the sustainable development goals.   

Human-wildlife interactions: Opportunities and applications

Hannah Mumby

Human-wildlife interactions are universal, even when describing such a diversity of experiences and behaviours. The research in my group analyses these interactions using tools from behavioural ecology to conservation science. In this talk, I will address some of our core studies. First, I will introduce our ongoing work on olfaction, choices and human-animal interactions in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and how it can contribute to captive welfare and management. Next, I’ll pivot from elephants to our studies in Hong Kong. We have approached  wild boar (Sus scrofa) interactions with humans from a social science perspective and I’ll present results on the framing of “human-wild boar conflict”, including the identity and role of quoted speakers in news reports. I’ll also present findings from our questionnaires about feeding of wild boar. Finally I’ll reflect on how studying human-wildlife interactions has stemmed from both fundamental and applied questions, and that the research from both study sites has had substantive impact. 

Tickets for the Ark (Conservation Ethics)

Rebecca Nesbit and Chris Thomas

Which species should we save? Rebecca Nesbit and Chris Thomas will explore the challenges of setting conservation priorities. Is an introduced species less valuable than a native species? Are a species’ evolutionary origins relevant? Do we need to be less focused on charismatic species that appeal to us? Are rare species a better conservation target than common ones? Participants will be asked to vote for species they consider to be most worthy of conservation attention, and there will be the opportunity for discussion.

A picture paints a thousand words: scientific illustration and visual artistry in research 

Matthew Dempsey

Matt Dempsey is a 4th year ACCE student at the University of Liverpool and Natural History Museum, London, working on the anatomy and biomechanics of dinosaurs and other animals. In addition to his research, Matt also has an experience as a scientific illustrator. Matt’s plenary talk will act as a crash course into the history of scientific illustration, will explore the long-standing relationship that the arts and visual media in general have had with the dissemination and understanding of science, and will discuss how we as researchers can help continue that relationship into the future. There may also be dinosaurs.