'Spark Science' show aims to make science accessible

Western Washington University's Regina Barber DeGraaff never really thought about hosting her own radio show, but her curiosity in science and her desire to make the subject more accessible to all helped influence her decision to start the show “Spark Science.”

DeGraaff majored in physics and minored in astronomy as an undergraduate at Western. Now a WWU lecturer in both subjects, she attends many outreach events related to her field and to her passion in helping foster more diversity in science.

As the faculty adviser for the Women in Physics club, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and the physics club, and an assistant adviser for the Out in Science club, diversity and inclusion in science are important issues for DeGraaff.

In February of this year, DeGraaff was a member of a woman in science panel at the Pickford Theater where she talked about how she got into science.

“At this panel somebody from the Spark Museum heard me talk," DeGraaff said. "The Spark Museum has had a radio station broadcasting out of it for the last 10 years and she asked me if I wanted to do [a radio show], and I was like, yes.”

DeGraaff was inspired by the format of a famous science radio talk show “Star Talk” when coming up with the formatting for her own show. Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of “Star Talk,” always brings a comedian on to his to show as his co-host.

This format really appealed to DeGraaff, so she asked her middle school friend Jordan Baker to co-host with her.

“I need him to ground the show to the non scientific community,” DeGraaff said. “I don’t want it to be a spiral of a scientist talking to another scientist to another scientist. I wanted to have somebody who wasn’t a scientist in the show to ask the questions I wouldn't think of asking.”

While DeGraaff’s passion for science lies in the fields of physics and astronomy, scientists from all different backgrounds have been guests on her show. Some of the guests on “Spark Science” include Kevin Covey, an assistant professor at Western who studies star formation in the Milky Way, astronaut Wendy Lawrence, Western assistant professor Melissa Rice, who works with rovers on Mars and Perry Fizzano, an associate professor of Computer Science at Western.

DeGraaff has also brought on guests who aren’t in the field of science, including Western assistant professor Lysa Rivera, who teaches a class at Western on science fiction literature written by African American authors. DeGraaff found out about Rivera’s class at the Women of Color Empowerment Dinner. She thought the topic seemed so thought provoking that she knew she had to bring Rivera on the show to talk about it.

“She's talking about turn of the century literature written by African American authors,” said DeGraaff. “They’re all utopian and happy because life for people of color then was not good.”

DeGraaff said the most difficult part about hosting her show is having two people co-hosting. She said it can sometimes be difficult making sure the show flows well and sounds natural, and making sure one person isn’t the dominant speaker every show.

If you would like to listen to “Spark Science”, the show airs on 102.3 FM in Bellingham on Sunday at 5 p.m., Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at noon. Episodes are also posted online at sparkscience.podbean.com.