Student reaches FameLab final

A University student has reached the Scottish final of a national science communication competition.

Kyle Marian Viterbo, an MSc Science communication and public engagement student, has made it through to the FameLab 2015 Scotland final.

The competition takes place tomorrow (Saturday 17 January) in Edinburgh.

Engaging science

FameLab is the UK’s biggest competition to discover new talent in science communication.

Contestants are challenged to explain a scientific concept in just three minutes to a panel of judges who rate acts based on content, clarity and charisma.

The eight finalists each secured a place in the competition after battling their way through preliminary heats in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen.

The winner will take part in a weekend science communication masterclass before taking to the stage for the UK final in April where they have the chance to take home £1,750 to further their careers in science communication.

Past winners of FameLab have gone on to perform at festivals and feature on national TV and radio, and many combine public-facing activities with their on-going academic research.

Regional final

The FameLab 2015 Scotland final takes place on Saturday 17 January from 2.30pm to 4.30pm at the National Museum of Scotland.

Public engagement

The Beltane Public Engagement Network (Beltane) is partnering with the National Museum of Scotland and the universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow to host the regional final of FameLab.

The Beltane is a network of people interested in making academic research accessible to a wide variety of audiences.

It is based in the University’s Institute for Academic Development.

The network is supported by the University, together with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.