My career is comprised of three distinct paths, consisting of politics, academics, and the media.
As a politician, I am an elected HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality) Councillor for District 12. I am also a Green Party of Canada member and part of the Federal Green Part shadow cabinet, acting as Climate Change Critic.
Academically, I am in the final stages of my PhD in Education, specializing in discourse analysis as it relates to the discourses between the sciences and the media. I also have a B.Sc in physics and an M.A.(Research) in education. Until this past year, I was also a professor at two Universities, Saint Mary’s University (faculty of Engineering) and Mount Saint Vincent University (faculties of Education and Communications & PR). I have taught a variety subjects including writing, the sciences, mathematics, meteorology, physics, communications and PR, and education.
My career in the media is extensive and detailed. Currently, I have a weekly science question and answer show on Q104 (radio) in Halifax, called the Q-Files and I do a weekly science interview on Sirius 167, with Andrew Krystal. I have had an almost four decade long career as a meteorologist and science reporter for the CBC, CTV, GlobalTV, and Rogers Media.
As a documentary film maker I have produced, written and hosted numerous science and history documentaries, broadcast domestically and abroad. I have syndicated three children’s television series, Wonder Why?, The Adventures of the AfterMath Crew and WiseWeatherWhys. My latest production was a three hour mini series for Discovery HD about ancient weapons called M5 – Weapons of War which I produced, wrote and hosted.
My efforts to understand the media and its role in how people learn also extends to a series of books I have published. Two of my books relate to the weather and climate change, my third is about the role of the media in science and my fourth and latest book, The Science Files – Questions and Answers From A to Z is about the public face of science and was based on the questions and answers listeners called in to my one hour, call-in radio talk show, the “Science Files”.
My “public outreach” efforts to popularize science and science education through the media extends to public and keynote speaking engagements. The topics I address include science, anthropogenic global warming (AGW) issues and the relationship between media and science. My work to promote science and learning on all levels was rewarded in November of 2013 with the Discovery Centre’s Science Champion Award. More detailed information and content about me can be found on my web site www.richardzurawski.ca