Brooke Smith is the Director of Public Engagement with Science at The Kavli Foundation, where she works to strengthen science’s relationship with society. Brooke is passionate about scientists engaging with various publics, and supporting those who enable scientists to communicate and engage effectively. At The Kavli Foundation, Brooke leads programs to build the field of public engagement with science (including, specifically with basic science), to engage the public in ethical issues born from scientific discovery, to support engagement efforts of Kavli’s partners, and advance science policies that enable a thriving scientific enterprise.
Her expertise and experiences are rooted in science, science communication, public engagement of science, public policy, science journalism and organizational leadership and development. Her career has continually focused on supporting science and scientists. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2018, Brooke served as the inaugural Executive Director of COMPASS, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to empowering scientists to be effective communicators and to engage in the public discourse about the environment. She has worked as a University-based communication professional for multi-campus scientific initiatives, as a consultant to foundations and non-profits, and with and for the federal government (for Booz Allen and Hamilton, as a consultant to the Department of Defense, as well as staff for EPA’s Office of Research and Development).