Policy & Outreach

I am always excited about opportunities to engage with the general public about science and the process of doing science. If you are looking for someone to speak about or write about microbial evolution, pathogen evolution, science policy, or science education, or would like to collaborate on a project on any of these topics, please do reach out!

Science Policy

During my PhD, I was involved in the Science Policy Group at UC Berkeley, where I organized speakers in science policy and workshops for graduate students to develop communication skills in science policy. I also had the opportunity to attend the AAAS CASE workshop to learn about the federal policymaking process and advocate for science funding to policymakers. You can read more about our experience in this blog post.

I also had the opportunity to attend the National Science Policy Network Bootcamp and intern with the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy (now the One Health Trust), where I researched, wrote, and edited for policy briefs on national action plans on antibiotic resistance in Mali, Kenya, and Malawi.

• World Health Organization (2023). Malawi national action plan on antimicrobial resistance: review of progress in the human health sector. policy brief
• World Health Organization (2022). Malawi national action plan on antimicrobial resistance: review of progress in the human health sector. policy brief
• World Health Organization (2022). Kenya national action plan on antimicrobial resistance: review of progress in the human health sector. policy brief

Science Education

Between finishing undergrad and starting my PhD, I spent a year developing Kepler Tech Lab, an affordable science education lab in Kigali, Rwanda. I developed curricula in research methods, electronics recycling, and solar energy and developed a module for students to research and develop solutions to address challenges in their community. I trained teachers, built local partnerships, and did outreach to the local community. You can read more about our project and experience in this blog and in this paper.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM

During my PhD, I was very involved in the Society of Womxn in the Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley, an organization that promotes a welcoming and successful community of womxn in the physical sciences.

Writing

• M. Brush, J. Liu, Q. Yu, Commentary: revamping graduate biophysics education, Physics Today, 2021, article.
• E. Lee, E. Sullivan, V. Velan, Q. Yu, Bridging the culture gap between science and policy, Berkeley Science Review blog, 2019, article.
• Q. Yu, Falling in love with bacteriophage: an interview with Diana Fusco, Berkeley Science Review blog, 2019, article.
• E. Sullivan, K. Huynh, and Q. Yu, UC Berkeley must demand funding for basic research, Op-Ed for the Daily Cal Newspaper, 2019.
• Q. Yu, The Cal Future Forum: An Exploration of Research to Save a Changing World, Berkeley Science Review blog, 2018, article.
• Q. Yu, Diversity’s Positive Feedback Loop, Berkeley Science Review blog, 2017, article.

Talks and Outreach

• 12th Annual Workshop to Increase Diversity in Mathematical Modeling and Public Health hosted by CCDD and MIDAS, Introduction to wastewater-based epidemiology, March 4-5, 2024.
• UC Berkeley Physics Commencement speaker, June 2022.
• The Compass Lectures at UC Berkeley, Change and Probability in Microbial Evolution, April 2022. 1-hour presentation to UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students.
• Bay Area Physics Circle, Chance in microbial evolution, July 2021. 1-hour presentation to 15 middle and high schoolers.
• Popping the Science Bubble Series at the Berkeley Public Library, Chance in microbial evolution, July 2021. recording
• Berkeley High School STEMinist Club Meeting Presentation, June 2020 and September 2021. 30 minute presentation to ~10 high school girls about research and my path in science.
• Wonderfest Ask a Science Envoy, Using bacteria to understand evolution in space and time. May 2019, San Francisco, CA. 20-minute presentation to the general public.
• Radio talk show interview on KPOO San Francisco, 2019. 1-hour interview to a general public audience about my personal and professional journey in science.
• UC Berkeley Grad Slam, Predicting unpredictability in evolution, April 2019, Berkeley, CA. 3-minute thesis presentation to the general public. People’s choice award winner. reocrding
• CalAcademy NightLife Darwin Night Exhibition. February 2019. Created an interactive museum exhibit on my lab’s research.
• Popping the Science Bubble, The Great American Solar Eclipse, June 2017, Berkeley, CA. Half-hour seminar to the general public.