Outreach

Since I was a kid, I’ve had a passion for teaching. Throughout my scientific career, I have participated in various education and outreach programs.

Drone Mapping Workshops

I am currently running drone mapping workshops for K-12 students. Combining my research experience and my training from She Maps (see below), I run a 2 1/2 hour workshop teaching students the basics of remote sensing and drones, how to manually fly a drone, and code an autonomous mission. Students gain confidence handling technology and understanding the basics of programming (coding). Feel free to contact me if you are interested in running a drone mapping workshop at your school or organization!

I have run drone mapping activities and workshops at the Horn Point Lab Open House, Talbot County Library, ShoreRivers field trips at Horn Point Lab, Fair Hill Nature Center (Elkton, MD), and the Waterfowl Festival (Easton, MD).

Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) Outreach

The Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) is an international organization that brings together marine scientists of all career levels. The SWMS chapter at Horn Point Lab organized an outreach event in September 2019 for middle and high school girls. Participants rotated through STEM activities led by local researchers.

  • Introductions
  • Girls get ready for an oyster dissection
  • Learning the anatomy of an oyster
  • Learning how currents work
  • Learning how to identify different species
  • Working together to identify an insect

She Maps

She Maps is a program founded by Australian researcher, Dr. Karen Joyce. She Maps conducts drone programs in schools and provides resources for drone and geospatial training for teachers. In 2018, the She Maps team travelled to the Duke Marine Lab to train a group of faculty, graduate students, and local teachers how to incorporate drone technology into K-12 education. We ran drone mapping workshops at a local Boys & Girls club in Carteret County, NC.

  • Parrot Mambo microdrone
  • Students learn how to manually fly a drone
  • Students plan a flight mission for a drone
  • Students draw out their flight plan on tablets
  • Students rotate roles (Pilot, Co-pilot, Chief Reporter) in groups
  • Students walk out their drone flight on fabric maps of the Duke Marine Lab

Girls Exploring Science and Technology (GEST)

In 2017-2018, I helped organize the annual Girls Exploring Science and Technology (GEST) event at the Duke Marine Lab. This collaborative event hosted 165 middle school students and exposed them to STEM resources, role models, and activities in Eastern North Carolina.

  • A group of middle school girls participating in GEST
  • Girls learn to make remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)
  • Girls check in to GEST

Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN)

I participated in the 2018 SciREN Coast Lesson Plan workshop at the Duke Marine Lab. I learned how to write a lesson plan and connect research to state and national educational standards with the guidance of experienced science educators. I helped write a lesson plan for middle school students on stormwater runoff.

Duke University Marine Lab Community Science Initiative

During my master’s program at the Duke Marine Lab, I worked for the Duke University Marine Lab Community Science Initiative. I collaborated with researchers, educators, and community members to connect K-12 students to research being done at the Duke Marine Lab. I participated in in-classroom instruction and labs, helped lead field trips at the Duke Marine Lab, trained teachers at environmental education trainings, create lesson plans, and helped train 8th-12th grade students for the Student Scientist program.

  • Teaching an after school group how to use microscopes to observe marine life
  • Making linkages at a summer camp at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, Harkers Island, NC
  • Teaching a stormwater runoff activity with kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Carteret County, NC.
  • Water quality workshop for local teachers at the Duke Marine Lab
  • Student scientists and visitors help make a Rube Goldberg machine at the 2018 DUML Open House
  • Elementary school kids learn different marine species
  • High school students get trained to be DUML Student Scientists