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More than 200 academics, researchers, policy makers, business leaders, and community members came together for the Institute of Science & Policy’s 2026 symposium, Science at a Crossroads: The Intersection of Politics & Policy, on February 5, 2026. 

George Sparks, President & CEO of Denver Museum of Nature & Science, set the tone for the day in his opening remarks as he reminded the audience, “Data doesn’t convince people to do anything.” Instead, he shared, we need to shape data into stories and relationships.

In a time of intense political discord, the symposium encouraged participants to build trust by leading with curiosity, focus on building relationships, and emphasize storytelling in science communication. Speakers discussed the role of science in democracy and current challenges in the political landscape related to federal funding and polarization in public conversations. 

While the attendees turned their ears to the speakers during the sessions, I turned my microphone towards audience members to capture their reflections during breaks.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science President and CEO, George Sparks (left), in conversation with former NSF Director Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan following his opening plenary, Science the Endless Frontier.

Building Trust through Stories and Relationships

“One of the things I have found quite compelling so far is leaning into the importance of storytelling and articulating the narrative of our data, our reasoning, our purpose, our impact, and connecting with people through those narratives,” said Toni Lefton, an assistant provost at Colorado School of Mines.

Lefton particularly appreciated the plenary “Science the Endless Frontier,” from former National Science Foundation director, Sethuraman Panchanathan. 

“I loved [that] every time he said something, he's like, ‘I have a story for it.’ I do that often in my own classroom. It made me feel like there's more of us out there that'll step away from the equations and the algorithms and say, ‘let me tell you a story about this.’”

Not only does storytelling hold attention, it can crucially help build trust between scientists and the public. For Becca Edwards, the symposium helped her connect the dots within her work at the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at University of Colorado, Boulder. 

“When scientists just want to give information to somebody, it's a one-way communication. That doesn't necessarily build trust,” said Edwards. “Part of my job is to help our scientists prepare to talk with the public—I was thinking about how trust is relational. We've been trying to do icebreakers to get the audience warmed up and get a better sense of what their interest is so they can connect to the talk. Sometimes scientists are a little uncomfortable with that, but I feel like now I have a framework to talk about why building trust is part of what will make a big difference in [building the public’s] trust in science.”

To put it simply, “if you’re not communicating well, the solution is probably not more communication, it’s more trust,” reflected Brian Neff from BPN Hydro Consulting.

Some attendees shared they wanted to hear more about engaging across the rural and urban divide.

“There’s people being left out of this conversation,” said Cheryl Manning from OrbWeaver Consulting. “They are in rural areas, and many of them represent…communities that are not here, whether we’re talking about indigenous groups or farming and ranching.”

Heidi Steltzer shared what engagement across the divide looks like in her work at the Center for Earth Theology. “My expertise is in climate science, and I live in rural Colorado. I give talks and engage with people all the time,” Steltzer said. 

“I’ve been asked a lot not to use the phrase ‘climate change’ in certain spaces because it’s been politicized. And what could my reaction be? It could be frustration and disappointment, or it could be like ‘okay, I gotcha.’ And then I change the language because what’s more important is to be in relationship,” Steltzer continued. “One of my favorite parts of this morning was our keynote speaker [Scott Shigeoka] and how much that focused on relationship.”

The Rethinking Investment & Impact in Research panelists (L-R): Jesus Salazar, Co-Founder and CEO of Pico AI, and Chairman of Prosono, Cristin Dorgelo, Former Official at the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dan Powers, Executive Director at CO-LABS, and Justin Milner, Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation at Arnold Ventures. 

The Future of Partnerships and Education in Science

When a panelist on the “Rethinking Investment & Impact in Research” panel asked the audience whose work had been impacted by unpredictable federal funding, a significant number of hands went up. Attendees I spoke with did not gloss over the challenges in the current political landscape, but they also highlighted what encourages them.

Matt Sikora, faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz, was excited about the “opportunities for reimagining partnerships and how different sectors collaborate between academia, industry, and other research institutions…it’s maybe more tangible and a net positive we can take away from the current situation.”  

Amy Nash, a student employee with the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program, considered how her organization could, “[find] ways to invite ourselves into the room where we haven’t been and start to make those relational conversations. We do all things that are green on the campus, and so being able to connect with people who might not reach to us naturally and getting involved in their world is something that stuck out to me today.”

“Even in this moment of very tumultuous times around the role of science in our democracy…science has a bright future,” said Cass Mosely, Vice President for Research at Colorado State University. “[I’ve been thinking today about] how we build the next generation of scientists, the next generation of scholarship.”

In "Colorado's Innovative Ecosystem" panel discussion, local leaders explored how Colorado's innovation and R&D landscape is responding to current funding and priorities, while sharing the state's strengths and opportunities for leadership. 

Teresa Coons, a retired medical researcher, was also thinking about future scientists. After the panel on “Colorado’s Innovation Ecosystem” she asked, “How do we create that idea of our scientific workforce and [keep] people in Colorado? I agree entirely with a couple of speakers who talked about that K-12 pipeline and getting kids involved [in science]. My question would be, how do we support our K-12 teachers?”

Overall, the folks I spoke with shared a sense of camaraderie and encouragement from joining in-person with others who are interested in the intersection of science and policy in Colorado. The energizing and thought-provoking symposium reminded many that they are not alone in their work.

Chloe Osborne, Industry Navigator at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said she wanted more opportunities to engage in person “not just across a state or across the city, but across countries—to really understand what everyone's doing to build up trust and [make smaller] these divides that have really impacted our countries quite significantly over the last several decades.”

“How can we continue to create opportunities like this, in person, where we can dispel some preconceived notions or stereotypes?” Osborne asked. “It's so important to actually get these face-to-face interactions and have these opportunities to rebuild trust where maybe it was disintegrated.”

For more information on the 2026 Symposium, including session videos and additional resources, visit the Symposium page. 

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 Victoria Bruick is a science communicator and podcaster based in Colorado. She’s produced shows including Roadmap for Change: Trauma Recovery & Juvenile Justice and The Pandemic Parenting Podcast. She leads the collective, To Story Consulting, working with nonprofit and small business clients to turn complex topics into accessible digital content.