Ivón Hassel: The Research Gap
Science communication and building trust
Sometimes, environmental knowledge doesn't leave a university campus. It stays bound in dissertations, lab reports, and peer-reviewed journals that most people will never read. Researchers hold valuable knowledge, and so do community members. Somewhere in between, because they don’t connect with each other, a lot goes unspoken.
Ivón Hassel has spent her career in the in-between space.
She is a timber scientist and building engineer from Argentina who has worked on projects in Japan and Israel. She is now based in Sweden. Her graduate research produced earthquake-resistant wall systems built from modified compressed wood. She also redesigned ancient earth-and-bamboo wall construction so it could be prefabricated, measured, and built without the six-month drying time associated with traditional methods. During this time, her tools were engineering and materials science. Her instinct, though, was always to return something useful to the people outside the lab.
That instinct eventually outgrew the lab entirely. When Ivón became a mother, she watched her children engage with nature and the forest around them. She thought about how she grew up in Argentina. She thought about the changes in climate people have experienced over the years, how fire frequency has increased, and how what is taught in schools hasn't kept up with our rapidly changing world. She asked herself what she could do with the knowledge she already had.
The answer was a children's book. But the book was never really the point. The point was the gap she saw.
During our conversation, we discussed how Ivón is bridging this gap. We first talked about her book and the curriculum she created for teachers.
Ivón's book, The Magic Within a Tree, features Dr. Arbo — an arborist who introduces children to tree biology using botanical terms, microscopic images, and engaging illustrations.
Ivón also developed a curriculum for teachers, now being pilot-tested at a school in Mexico, where children and indigenous community members engage in multigenerational activities. Both children and adults benefit.
This is what it looks like when research leaves the building.
Listen to our full conversation
About Ivón Hassel
Ivón Hassel is a researcher, building engineer, and the founder of Storybranch, where she translates complex scientific concepts into engaging narratives for societal change. With a Ph.D. from Kyoto University’s Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Ivón’s career has bridged continents—from Argentina to Japan and Sweden—focusing on the intersection of sustainability, cultural heritage, and material development.
A science communicator at heart, she has spent her career developing sustainable systems rooted in ancestral wisdom and modern digital analysis. Whether designing mechanical testing tools for historic timber—contributing to the conservation of the Vasa ship—or utilizing Finite Element Analysis for material characterization, Ivón’s approach is centered on creating accessible, low-cost solutions for global challenges.
Today, she applies these multidisciplinary skills to Storybranch, combining pedagogy and storytelling to inspire new ways of connecting with nature and fostering a deeper sense of environmental responsibility for a sustainable future.
View Ivón's professional portfolio
A peek inside The Magic Within a Tree. (Images courtesy of Ivón Hassel)