Disseminating Scholarship Beyond the Ivory Tower: From Photo Exhibits to Podcasts

• In Event: Alternative Modes of Dissemination in Criminal Justice: Podcasts & Photo Exhibits

Abstract

This paper discusses two projects grounded in an ethnographic project about methamphetamine specifically designed to increase public awareness and education. From July until September in 2017, a public photograph exhibition titled Oklahoma Meth Labs: Decades of Chaos was on display at the University of Central Oklahoma. The photo exhibit highlighted the evolution of clandestine laboratories and associated dangers, ending with updated statistics about the methamphetamine problem. In June 2021, a monthly podcast titled The 33: Methamphetamine A Love Story was initiated. The podcast highlights the drug use trajectories of individuals formerly immersed in the lifestyle and includes conversations with specialists and others impacted by the methamphetamine problem. Both projects were designed in collaboration with faculty members with expertise in the specific mode of dissemination. Each aimed to share scholarship about the methamphetamine problem specifically with the intention of reaching public audiences beyond academia. This paper discusses the backgrounds and goals of each of these projects, logistical issues and challenges encountered, and insights related to disseminating research in nontraditional modes of dissemination.

Authors

• Rashi K. Shukla, University of Central Oklahoma

• David Nelson, University of Central Oklahoma

• Jesse Miller, University of Central Oklahoma

• Angela Mackey, University of Central Oklahoma