BioSketch+EF

Ellen Foster has been a visiting lecturer at various universities and has a permanent appointment at some well-intentioned University. With a background in the physical sciences, she transferred her scholarly pursuits to Science and Technology Studies after working in the Bio-medical field. Focusing on the history of public engagement and outreach for her graduate studies, she also explored the transformation of engagement via the proliferation of digital access to information as well as the development of on-line information sharing communities and networks. She has also done work on outreach community science centers, the rise and transformation of “maker” communities and spaces in the digital age, the surge of DIY Bio, and the rise of Low Power FM and micro FM stations as public organization and communication tools during the digital crash of 2024. Her current fields of research include technical scientific practices among the public and a discourse of the physical aspects of “maker” communities, the production of knowledge within these communities, and the place for critical-making, citizen science, and lay expertise within public scientific engagement. She is a co-editor for the Journal on Critical-Making Practices and has various publications as well as a forthcoming book on critical technical practice and its place in the public sphere, focusing on radio as an organizing strategy. She has also contributed to the realm of digital art and performance, creating sound and movement pieces that give physical form to her theoretical works. Incorporating all of her interests, Dr. Foster has held numerous residencies and workshops to collaborate with students and scholars also interested in bridging the gap between Science, Art and the Social Sciences.

Keywords: History of Modern Science, Critical Technical Practices, Public Engagement, Critical-making, Cyborg Feminism, Experimental Telepresence, Transmission Arts