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Karim Hassinin, a doctoral candidate in physics at the University of Houston, has been chosen to participate in the 2025 Science Policy and Advocacy for Research Competition (SPARC). This program is organized by the Universities Research Association and aims to help early career scientists develop communication skills so they can explain complex research to broader audiences.
"Theory, at its core, is a kind of storytelling, and every model is just one way of seeing the world. Through this program, I hope to learn how to translate those complex layers of scientific reasoning into stories that anyone can understand — so people can see not just the data, but the wonder behind discovery," Hassinin said.
"I’ve always been fascinated by how we extract information from reality — even when we can’t fully define what reality is."
The SPARC initiative includes seminars, workshops, and individual sessions with science policy experts. It concludes with a competition where selected participants attend the Science Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.
Hassinin also spent time as a URA Visiting Scholar at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. There he worked on research for the Short Baseline Neutrino ICARUS program and contributed to large-scale projects such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.
This year’s SPARC program focuses on neutrinos—tiny particles that are difficult to detect but are among the most common massive particles in the universe. These particles are produced both naturally and through human activity but remain mysterious because their mass and interactions with matter are not fully understood. Researchers believe studying neutrinos could help answer fundamental questions about why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe.
Hassinin’s work involves using computer simulations to study how neutrinos interact with various materials based on theoretical models. "We tell the generator how many neutrinos we want to use, what type of neutrino and what material we want the neutrino to interact with," said Hassinin. "This work is just one piece out of many that are trying to understand neutrino interactions. Without neutrino interactions, we don’t know anything about neutrinos. We must understand something deeply before we can understand how to apply it."
Reflecting on his teaching experience during graduate school, Hassinin noted that engaging students required rethinking his approach: "The technical details will always be there, but it’s essential to show people the purpose of science and how it shapes our world," he said. "Our daily lives depend on technology and technology depends on science. Through SPARC, I’ve gained a new perspective on how vital it is to bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding — because science communication truly matters everywhere."