My Outreach Programs
I love to spread joy about science to folks of all ages. Please contact me if you are interested in having me present to your school or group about the topics listed below or any other topic you find here on my website ([email protected])
I love to spread joy about science to folks of all ages. Please contact me if you are interested in having me present to your school or group about the topics listed below or any other topic you find here on my website ([email protected])
Mars 2020 mission and the search for ancient life on Mars (all levels)
As a science team member of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, which includes the Perseverance rover, I am hoping to find conclusive evidence that life once existed on Mars. Because if so, it probably exists now too! This presentation will cover how the mission will work, where on Mars we are looking, what we are hoping to find, and what it will all mean.
As a science team member of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, which includes the Perseverance rover, I am hoping to find conclusive evidence that life once existed on Mars. Because if so, it probably exists now too! This presentation will cover how the mission will work, where on Mars we are looking, what we are hoping to find, and what it will all mean.
Life in the Universe (Middle school and High School)
The search for alien life, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a worldwide endeavor led by space agencies across the globe. The study of Astrobiology focuses on the origin, evolution, distribution, and potential for life in the universe. This presentation explores the following questions: How can we use Earth to study other planets? Where might there be life elsewhere in the Universe? What might it look like? What active astrobiological research is underway today, and what is planned for the future?
The search for alien life, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a worldwide endeavor led by space agencies across the globe. The study of Astrobiology focuses on the origin, evolution, distribution, and potential for life in the universe. This presentation explores the following questions: How can we use Earth to study other planets? Where might there be life elsewhere in the Universe? What might it look like? What active astrobiological research is underway today, and what is planned for the future?
Invisible Worlds (Elementary School and Middle School)
There is a lot more to the world than what we can see with the unaided eye. Many life forms and minerals are too small to see and microscopes help us explore this otherwise invisible world. In this presentation, we will examine the microscopic world around us, including minerals in rocks, tiny plants and animals, and even your own cells! Students will learn how to build their own microscope with a few simple parts (and a cell phone or tablet with a camera).
There is a lot more to the world than what we can see with the unaided eye. Many life forms and minerals are too small to see and microscopes help us explore this otherwise invisible world. In this presentation, we will examine the microscopic world around us, including minerals in rocks, tiny plants and animals, and even your own cells! Students will learn how to build their own microscope with a few simple parts (and a cell phone or tablet with a camera).
Time and Space (Middle school and High School)
Compared to us the Earth is very large and very old. The universe is even larger and even older. If you are 50 years old, you have only been alive for one millionth of one percent of the age of the Earth, an extremely small fraction. For most, it is difficult to comprehend lengths and durations other than those we deal with every day, e.g., inches to miles and seconds to decades. In this presentation, we will attempt to understand minuscule and massive measurements through hands-on demonstrations illustrating the vastness of Earth and space, and of geologic time.
Compared to us the Earth is very large and very old. The universe is even larger and even older. If you are 50 years old, you have only been alive for one millionth of one percent of the age of the Earth, an extremely small fraction. For most, it is difficult to comprehend lengths and durations other than those we deal with every day, e.g., inches to miles and seconds to decades. In this presentation, we will attempt to understand minuscule and massive measurements through hands-on demonstrations illustrating the vastness of Earth and space, and of geologic time.
Click here for other Earth Science-related outreach programs by folks in the Department of Geology at the University of Cincinnati
