Samantha Vilkins

Samantha Vilkins is a PhD candidate in science communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) at the Australian National University (ANU). She holds a BSc in Computational Science and Mathematics from Queensland and an MSciComm from ANU. As a Sessional Academic, she has tutored the 'Science Communication and the Web' course since 2017. Her research focuses on quantified evidence's role in politics, the societal implications of statistical metrics, and new media's impact on public discourse.

Education:

• BSc (Computational Science and Mathematics), Queensland
• MSciComm, Australian National University

Research interests include the sociology of quantification, rhetoric of public statistics, and civic epistemologies. Her work explores how metrics shape policy decisions and what societal insights are marginalized by numerical frameworks. She also investigates digital media dynamics, including polarization in online spaces and the evolving role of influencers in local politics.

Her visual design work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Australia, National Library of Australia, and Science Gallery Melbourne's 2018 PERFECTION exhibit. Publications span peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Scientometrics, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease) and popular platforms like The Conversation and Lateral Magazine.

Key themes in her recent articles include analyzing political polarization in digital contexts, trust in public data post-pandemic, and the interplay between technology hype and societal adoption (e.g., quantum computing).

Awards: None explicitly listed. Teaching: Extensive tutoring experience in science communication courses. Visual practice: Integrates design into research communication through exhibitions and digital media projects.