“Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
- Robert Frost -
OUTREACH
Being involved in the Auburn community was a very important part of my time at the university. I devoted a great deal of time each semester volunteering for various outreach activities hosted by the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Engineering. I am passionate about the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and think it is important to introduce them to the youth of the community. The younger generations are the future and if they are excited about STEM careers when they are young, they are more likely to pursue them as adults. Outreach inspires me to do my best in everything I do because it allows me to teach to inspire others, especially younger individuals. My time spent volunteering for outreach events introduced me to my current employer who offered me both a Graduate Research Assistantship and then my current Postdoctoral Fellowship. I am now motivated to incorporate STEM Outreach at the K-12 level in my future career to encourage enthusiasm for the sciences in future generations.
AU Explore
Each year my colleagues in the Chadwick lab and I come together and participate in the Auburn University College of Science and Mathematics AU Explore. This is an amazing one-day event that brings approximately 1000 middle school age students to the University. These students have the opportunity to walk through science labs and get exposed to animals, lab equipment, and small snippets of research that is happening at Auburn. In addition to the tours, there are mini workshops and EXPOs that the students can participate in.
Our lab participates in the walk through portion of the day where we set up various marine tanks filled with animals from out lab including marine fishes and invertebrates from the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean. We also set up scuba and field gear to show the children. The students always enjoy walking through our section and it is very rewarding to explain what the creatures are and get them excited about coral reef ecology.
Science Olympiad
Every Spring I am always excited to participate in the Science Olympiad competition that is held at Auburn University. This event is like an academic track and field competition for middle school students. It is made up of many small events that the students prepare for this through coaching, commitment, and practice.
Each year, a few members of the Chadwick Lab volunteer to run an individual small team event. In the past we have completed the Water quality and Green Generation events. I am always amazed by the students that come through the competition because they have so much knowledge about the topics presented to them. It is rewarding to be a presence in these students lives and show them that a career in the field they are passionate about is possible.
Engineering Competitions
During my time at Auburn University, I have had the privilege to serve as a judge for a variety of engineering based competitions. As a judge, I developed communication skills that allow me to talk to broader audiences about the STEM field, as well as an ability to analyze the work of others and provide constructive criticism through the decision making process.
BEST Robotics Tournaments
BEST (Boosting Engineering and Science Technology) is a non-profit, volunteer based organization that provides middle and high schools the ability to build robots (using the Engineering Design Process) that complete certain tasks in competition. During competition, students not only compete with their robots, but complete marketing presentations, an engineering notebook, and build a team exhibit. This program is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities because Auburn University hosts the War Eagle BEST (local competition) South's BEST (regional competition) annually.
Each year I volunteer as a judge for the Spirit and Sportsmanship component of competition. This competition is amazing to watch because the students are enthusiastic about the STEM fields. Through judging I notice that this opportunity instills many skills in the participants from leadership and project management to problem solving and teamwork. It positively impacts the surrounding community of young men and women and I am proud to be a reoccurring volunteer.
Amphiprion ocellaris juveniles in lab.
Chadwick Lab in the Community and Abroad
In addition to events held through AU's outreach office, I also volunteer for smaller scale opportunities that are based out of my research laboratory. I give tours of our marine ecology lab to college and high school students who are both in classes at the University or visiting. These tours are great opportunities to talk about my research to a different community of individuals.
I have also participated in visits to local elementary, middle and high schools to talk about the research of the Chadwick Lab. I bring live animals to the classrooms and am successful in boosting their engagement with science and research!
More recently I traveled abroad to Saba, Dutch Caribbean as a visiting expert scientist. While on the island, I gave a scientific talk to the local community, went diving with the locals to teach about cleaner shrimps and engaged the children of the community in activities about cleaning systems on our reefs.
I enjoy these outreach opportunities because I see the direct benefit to the community through the smiles on the faces of the adults and children I interact with.