Connecting Society with Earth’s Systems, Past and Present
I engage diverse audiences with hands-on, accessible science outreach that connects people to Earth’s history and empowers them to see themselves as part of its story.
As a parent, I especially enjoy engaging with children and seeing them get excited about science and nature. In this moment, these kids are playing a game that I built to show how magnets can be used to separate ions by mass (as in mass spectrometry). That led us into a conversation about all the different ways, including chemistry, we can learn about ancient Earth.
I want to bring others with me into the exciting and awe-inspiring world of science and nature. Experiencing that sense of wonder alongside others is one of the most rewarding parts of being a scientist, and it motivates much of my outreach. I focus on hands-on, accessible formats that invite participation, from fossil show-and-tell for elementary students to science festival exhibits and museum programs.
I recently completed the UMMP Science Communication Fellowship, where I trained in the NSF’s Portal to the Public framework and applied it through community-facing Scientist Spotlight events. Since then, I have presented interactive demonstrations at the Perry Elementary Mad Science Festival, coached middle school students in Science Olympiad (meteorology), and will soon lead activities at Museum ID Day at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.
My commitment to outreach extends beyond my current institution. While at Kansas, I organized and presented at the KU Geology Open House, coordinating a department-wide event for families and school groups. In San Antonio, I designed STEM exhibits for the Girls Inc. RockIT Into the Future Festival, visited elementary classrooms to introduce students to fossils and Earth history, coordinated and participated in South Texas Geological Society lecture events, and led educational field trips for industry professionals.
I also see citizen science as a powerful way to involve communities in research. I am developing approaches to engage local participants in water-isotope studies that connect directly to their landscapes. Beyond science, I served as Texas state director for Fishing’s Future, coordinated outdoor learning programs through Texas Parks and Wildlife, and held leadership roles with the Native Plant Society of Texas and Ducks Unlimited.
Whether in a museum, a school, or beside a river, I see outreach as an opportunity to meet people where they are, answer questions, and make science and nature more accessible.