Break It Down: Making Academic Research Accessible on Social Media

Break It Down is a content series I created to bridge the gap between scholarly research and everyday audiences. Produced for Rutgers University’s School of Arts and Sciences — a liberal arts college within a top 15 public university in the U.S. — this series features faculty breaking down their research into short, engaging, and visually rich videos designed for social media.

The goal is simple: educate without boring. These aren’t lectures — they’re dynamic, digestible breakdowns of timely and complex ideas, made accessible without academic jargon. Whether it’s definitions, graphs, or relevant cultural examples, we use visual storytelling to make each topic resonate.

Originally launched on Instagram, the series focused on 60–90 second videos to align with short-form trends. But we quickly realized that research often needs more room to breathe. That’s why we’re expanding the series to include longer YouTube videos, with strategic short-form content as entry points. These bite-sized clips act as a funnel to full-length episodes — a proven approach seen in media formats like Club Shay Shay by Shannon Sharpe.

Break It Down is a digital storytelling strategy that reimagines how a public research university can show its impact — one idea at a time. As the series evolves, we’ll gather feedback, build community insight, and continue finding new ways to make scholarship stick.

Feature 1

Donec ac fringilla turpis. Nulla lectus ante, consequat et ex eget, feugiat tincidunt metus.

Feature 2

Mauris id fermentum nulla. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos.

Feature 3

Donec eget risus diam. Nullam sit amet nisi condimentum erat iaculis auctor.