The H.U.B. (Helping Understand Breakthroughs) for Public Engagement with New Technologies and Scientific Advancements is an I-SPARK-supported interdisciplinary initiative at Temple University dedicated to fostering shared knowledge production and meaningful public engagement with science and technology. Its mission is to help understand breakthroughs by inviting community members to participate in the innovation and discovery process, enhance public understanding and scientific literacy, cultivate trust, spark interest, build self-efficacy, and facilitate community-based discussions on the ethical complexities around new technologies, scientific advancements, and biomedical breakthroughs. The H.U.B. is committed to shared knowledge co-production and fostering meaningful dialogue between Temple University faculty, students, and community members to support informed, value-driven decisions for responsible and ethical innovation and discovery. The H.U.B. is in alignment with Temple University’s strategic plan and Temple’s commitment to community and public engagement.
Founded in the fall of 2025, the H.U.B. is led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from Klein College of Media and Communication, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology, and Temple Libraries. Functioning as an independent research initiative and as a service to Temple University faculty, the H.U.B. focuses on community-based, participatory approaches to public engagement. The H.U.B. is currently in the “collide” stage of the I-SPARK program and members are working on initial research endeavors, such as an interdisciplinary project on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy. The ultimate goal of the H.U.B. is to serve as a nexus for interdisciplinary collaboration that fosters public engagement with scientific advancements and new technologies being developed at Temple University. As the H.U.B. progresses through the I-SPARK program and expands, we envision the H.U.B. as a collabatory of interdisciplinary expertise on science and risk communication, public engagement and community outreach, the co-creation of knowledge, public opinion and perception research, cognitive and decision-making science, ethical and legal analysis, program evaluation, science education, strategic messaging, and communicating complex ideas to diverse audiences across biomedical, environmental, technological, and scientific domains. Our goal is for the H.U.B. to be supported by multiple funding streams, including H.U.B.-specific federal and/or foundation grants, collaborations on faculty-led federal and/or foundation grants, and philanthropic contributions.