SCIENTIFIC STAFF

Dr. Golumbic is Senior Researcher and the head of citizen science research, at the Israel Center for Citizen Science, Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Golumbic received her PhD in science communication at the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, supervised by Prof. Ayelet Baram-Tsabari and Prof. Barak Fishbain. She then completed her postdoctoral studies at Sydney University, Australia, where she focused on ways to engage diverse audiences with science, empowering them to be active researchers in improving human health and wellbeing.

Dr. Golumbic's research lies in the intersection of science communication, science education and citizen science, with an aim to make science more accessible and relevant to peoples’ day-to-day lives.

Golumbic has developed, designed and managed several citizen science projects, harnessing the power of the crowd for advancing science, leading co-creation processes, and examining its benefits and challenges for science and society. Most recently, she has been focusing on the roles volunteers take on within citizen science projects and how these impact project design, participant engagement, data collection and data quality.

Research projects | Courses | Public roles and outreach | The Israel Center for Citizen Science

• Volunteer Participation Patterns in Biodiversity Monitoring – This study examines the motivations, preferences, and frequency of participation of the most active participants on the iNaturalist citizen science platform for monitoring biodiversity.
• Citizen Science as a Tool for Connecting People to Nature – A study funded by the KKL that examines ways to develop citizen science projects which promote nature connectiveness among diverse audiences and increases public awareness of the environment and its protection.
• A Community of Practice Approach in Citizen Science Initiatives – This study examines the creation and sustainability of a Community of Practice (CoP) approach for engaging volunteers and fostering co-creation processes within citizen science initiatives.
• Species Identification Guides – Help or Hurdle for Data Quality? – Species identification guides are designed to facilitate wider public participation in citizen science projects. This study investigates what implications these guides have on data collection and how they can best be designed to reduce data bias.
• Citizen Science Ambassadors – A study exploring how ambassador programs can expand participation in citizen science by leveraging peer-to-peer engagement, community networks and personal sharing experiences.

For full details on research projects, see – citizen science research | Science Communication – The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University. Practical, hands-on introduction course to science communication, for students from all universities and all degrees. Also open to educators and professionals from governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Citizen Science – The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University. This course explores the role of citizen science in research and its impact on participants through both theoretical and practical lens. It’s open to students from all disciplines and universities, educators and professionals. |

• Chair of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) working group on citizen science & universities – https://www.ecsa.ngo/working-groups/citizen-science-and-universities
• Project mentor for the Horizon Europe IMPETUS consortium for advancing citizen science
• Network Member of ECS academy – an initiative of the EU funded consortium European Citizen Science (ECS), for supporting training and trainers of in citizen science.
• Guest editor of the Frontiers Research Topic “Bridging Citizen Science and Science Communication”

| The Israel Center for Citizen Science at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History aims to promote public participation in environmental research to promote biodiversity science and conservation in Israel. The center provides technical, scientific, and methodological support to existing and new citizen science initiatives, nationally.

The new center website (beta version) is now available on this link.