As a member of the faculty at UF and with a research lab at the Kennedy Space Center, I have a unique opportunity to participate in a wide range of educational outreach activities through NASA and the University of Florida. It is my opinion that as scientists we have an obligation to help facilitate the public’s understanding of the on-going advances in science and technology.
Milton Academy Spring Break – March 2011
As part of the Squid in Space Project, the Milton Academy from Milton, MA provided sponsorship for an additional replicate to be flown on the space shuttle Endeavour. As part of that sponsorship, students from Milton Academy, under the guidance of their teacher Ned Bean, came to the Space Life Science lab at the Kennedy Space Center to work out some of the protocols needed for the flight experiment.
2010 Summer Science and Stromatolite Camp- August 9-14
The overall goal of this summer science camp was to work with local Bahamian educators to promote scientific literacy and awareness in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas. We wanted to expose students to the fundamentals of the scientific method and have them start to design and complete their own experiments.
NASA Family Day- April 18, 2009
Provided hands-on demonstrations and tours of the UF research projects in the field of astrobiology and environmental microbiology to NASA employees and their families in a NASA-wide open house.
Life In the Universe: A Public Forum – April 2, 2010
Sponsored by the UF Undergraduate Astrophysics Society. Six-member panel that discussed questions associated with the origin of life and whether life is possible beyond our current biosphere. Panel also responded to questions from the general public on these dynamic issues.