I'M CURRENTLY IN A NETFLIX SCI-FI SHOW CALLED ALIEN WORLDS!
See me on Netlfix as a guest scientist on Alien Worlds! I talk about mayflies and the mass emergence event that occurs in some species. You can watch here.
Outreach and #scicomm
Science outreach and science communication have always been important to me. Here's why:
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Representation. As a woman in STEM, I want to be a role model for the next generation of girls, especially in a field that is still primarily male-dominated.
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Broadening of knowledge. "Science" in the minds of many gets simplified into a few cliché arenas (e.g. physician, astronaut, chemist with bubbling beakers), and I want to show that scientists can work on just about anything.
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Nature awareness. There are so many plants animals out there that are essentially invisible to the general public because they simply don't know that they exist. Deepening our collective knowledge of nature with its complexities, ecosystems, and interactions creates a richer sense of the world around us.
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Breaking down perceived barriers. How many people have met a real, living scientist? I think it's too common to think of scientists as unapproachable. That's why I want to show up as a real person to show that scientists can be friendly, helpful, and essentially average folks.
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Training: I took a science outreach workshop during my time at NC State that taught me myriad of useful skills and techniques.
Triangle Science and Technology Expo at the Natural Sciences Museum (2016-2018)
I have participated in this awesome event multiple times. In this exhibit we invited kids to look at live daphnids under a microscope, feed them, or try their hand at catching them to transfer them to another petri dish.
Playing a daphnid super hero game!
In 2018, I participated in the Triangle Sci Tech Expo with the Science Communication Graduate Student Organization at NC State.
State of the Sciences at NC State (2016-2018)
I've also participated in science outreach at the State of Sciences. One year I created an aquatic ecosystem interactive game.
Close-up of the magnetic pieces created for the aquatic ecosystem game.
One of my many outreach materials for my daphnid exhibits! This is a "photo opp" that I created to 'become a daphnid'!
Classroom outreach
I've participated in NCSE's classroom outreach program. For this, I was paired up with a local high school to teach 2 class periods about evolution.
I've done local elementary school outreach in partnership with toxicologists at the National Toxicology Program. We set up interactive stations to teach about adaptation, basics of pH chemistry, and principles of toxicology.