From the Nominator

"With COVID-19 impacts still lingering at the Florida Institute of Technology in 2021, the university sought a creative and low-cost avenue to showcase faculty expertise and better connect it to the public—including the international student and family audience served by the university. As an institution devoted to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), there was no shortage of innovative faculty doing fascinating work—studying everything from farming on Mars to rainforest health on Earth. The idea arose to create a regular podcast appearing on 19 podcast platforms that would also air on the university's NPR-affiliated radio station, WFIT-FM. "Today in STEM" would feature one-on-one interviews with faculty scientists and engineers doing impactful work for the betterment of our world. They would explain the importance of their efforts in everyday language and discuss why it matters.  

The concept was encapsulated as follows: "Got 10 minutes? Today in STEM discusses what’s new in the realms of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—as all combine to make our world a better place. Launching every week from the historic home of human space flight—Florida’s Space Coast—this program gives listeners an inside look at all things STEM, hearing from experts and relating their knowledge to everyday life."  

A first season of 14 episodes—appearing weekly—was written, produced, and aired between Jan. 27, 2022, and April 28, 2022. The impact was immediate and far beyond expectations: in 2022, 895 podcast downloads across 38 countries were logged. After the United States, India, Chile, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia were the top download locations."

From the Judges

The judges appreciated the audience-first mindset and the strategy of selecting societal topics that are most relevant to the average listener rather than simply topics on faculty research.