Learning by creating
#CelebratingEngagement
with Liva Donina
“I’ve always enjoyed hands-on learning. Instead of just telling people about science, I want them to experience it – to discover it for themselves.”
For Dr. Liva Donina, public engagement is an intrinsic part of scientific research that weaves together creativity, craft and collaboration. Through the integration of arts and science, Liva has been helping people – particularly children and underserved groups in research – to connect with science in unexpected ways.
Her long-term commitment to societal engagement and innovation led to her winning the Achievement Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement at the 2024 President’s Awards. Speaking with her, it is clear she has shown no signs of slowing down since, continuing to push the boundaries of how science can be communicated and experienced. We discussed the threads between chemistry, arts, and everyday experiences, and the importance and pleasure of engaging the public with your research.
Liva was preparing a paper marbling workshop – one of her many creative outlets – when she realised the same principles she was exploring as a Research Associate were right there in the craft. This began a foray into societal engagement which has included explaining soft matter science through live cooking demonstrations at the Great Exhibition Road Festival, designing an edible gel-making activity for Imperial Lates, delivering countless workshops across schools, libraries and community centres, and presenting outreach work at conferences across the UK.
Growing up, Liva had limited access to informal science education programmes and found YouTube videos to be her first exposure to that world. Her education back home in Latvia allowed her to explore both arts and science throughout high school. “In the UK, you have to decide early on if you’re ‘science’ or ‘arts’,” she told me. “It’s tough to make these decisions as a teenager.” She wanted to prove that you don’t have to choose one, you can do both. This belief is central to Liva’s work, especially amongst underserved communities, ensuring that science can be explored, understood and most importantly, enjoyed by everybody.
As engagement activities often take place outside of universities or in science festivals, it can make these communities difficult to reach.
“I would carry my marbling supplies from one library to another."
“It would make my life difficult!” But, despite the extra yards, one of the clear motivators for going beyond traditional academic spaces is seeing the reactions and enjoyment in real time. “One of my favourite moments was when a little girl insisted on filling out a feedback form just to write: ‘This was the best activity in the world! I love marbling!’ It’s really warming when you get sincere excitement from the public.”
And what did it mean to receive the award? “It was like a stamp of approval. Initially I wasn’t certain about whether this was the right way to do public engagement. But it has given me a good boost of confidence that this is an interesting and valuable way of doing it.”
I ask what advice she has for people who want to engage the public with their research. “Even if you don’t have a clear idea, I would recommend connecting to the wonderful people who work in public engagement at Imperial”, she responded. Liva highlighted the Engagement Masterclasses as particularly helpful for her, alongside making use of opportunities such as the Great Exhibition Road Festival and keeping your eyes on grants and funding. “One thing I took away was thinking about audiences. Work out who you are trying to engage, and that will decide what the engagement will look like.” She pointed out the power of the age-old adage of science communication - “think about how you would explain it to a five-year-old!”
I ask Liva what new projects she’s been working on since winning the award in 2024 and, unsurprisingly, she has an ever-growing collection of irons in the engagement fire. She is developing a programme that invites young people to explore the chemistry behind pottery, funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry in partnership with the National Saturday and Ceramic pottery studio. She has also applied for another research grant to investigate the use of marbling techniques in cryptography applications. One thing is clear when it comes to Liva – her boundless creativity and passion for engagement will continue to spark wonder and curiosity in STEM for years to come.
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