Nathan Kostiuk

I support the Let’s Talk Science volunteers and coordinators across western Canada. This means assisting with hazard assessments, coaching new coordinators, and travelling to visit each site. Most of my job is linking the people who deliver science education and the people who support their activities. I use general science communication skills to support our various programs and activities. I use math daily to crunch the data we collect. I use technology skills to troubleshoot the web-tools I use to work. My work is mostly done remotely at a home office. Since my job involves travel and is integrated with internet cloud tools, though, I can work from anywhere with a good internet connection.

The problems I solve are usually human-centered. They call on my interpersonal skills as much as my problem solving skills. When I make decisions, I try to understand the problem as best I can. I then gather the help I need to solve it and help everyone understand the “Why” of our decision after the fact. My background in science helps me solve these complex problems.

People are kind of like chemicals. They have unseen interactions, special properties, and unpredictable reactions. Finding the right questions to ask a team is like finding the right test in a chemistry experiment. That is, it's the first step in understanding the problem and building a solution. My job involves a lot of teamwork, and wouldn’t be possible without them. Understanding the whole team's responsibilities allows me to deliver the best support from my colleagues to the sites. It also makes my life so much easier. Let’s Talk Science operates in French and English, so while my day-to-day work is in English, sometimes I get to speak and read in French. This helps me keep my vocabulary fresh.