IAN at the HPL Open House
Saturday October 14th, IAN participated in the Horn Point Lab (HPL) Open House, the annual event where HPL invites the public to learn about the exciting research taking place on campus. The IAN booth consisted of two sections. In the first section, attendees got to play with symbols and diagrams from the IAN symbol library through sticker, coloring, and magnet activities. At the second section, IAN staff engaged attendees about the state of the Choptank River, using the latest edition of the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card to highlight the river's degradation and as a means to collect public opinions as to what is contributing to the Choptank's poor condition. Despite the rainy day, over 550 people came to the Open House to learn and explore what IAN and Horn Point at large have to offer.
Advancing plastics research in the Chesapeake Bay
From October 21-31, the first leg of the Chesapeake Bay Plastic Survey went underway. This project is led by the Ocean Research Project, an Annapolis-based nonprofit specializing in research expeditions aboard their sailboat, Marie Tharp, to improve understanding of marine ecosystems. The survey crew included seven sailors and academics, with IAN science communicator, Lili Badri, on board to help with sample collection and promotion of the project across social media platforms. This survey was the first comprehensive assessment of plastics in the Chesapeake Bay and will serve to provide a baseline condition of plastic pollution in the Bay. Additionally, the project aims to create a method for plastic sampling that can be adopted by monitoring agencies so that there is long-term data available for its analysis as a Bay health indicator.
Engaging the Baltimore community at the Lakeland Fall Festival
Veronica Malabanan Lucchese, a 2nd-year PhD student in the IAN program, and Isabella Molatore, a 1st-year master's student in the MEES program, recently participated in the Lakeland Fall Festival. This community event provided a unique platform for them to connect with the local community and share their scientific knowledge. Engaging with festival-goers, they enjoyed a day filled with cultural exploration and educational activities for children. The duo witnessed a vibrant Mexican dance performance, learned about the diverse cultures within Lakeland, and spent time coloring with the enthusiastic kids in attendance. Beyond the festivities, this experience offered an invaluable opportunity to understand the priorities of the Baltimore community. Overall, the Lakeland Fall Festival proved to be a delightful and enlightening occasion for Veronica and Isabella to bridge the gap between academia and the broader community.
IAN presents at the Baltimore Ecosystem Study’s Annual Meeting
Katie May Laumann, Ann Foo, and Conor Keitzer attended the annual meeting of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) from October 12-13. Since 1997, the BES has been at the forefront of understanding socio-ecological systems in urban environments. A key theme of this year’s meeting was understanding the causes and consequences of systematic racism on people and the environment. Katie May and Conor shared work that IAN is doing to assess climate adaptation preparedness to help coastal communities prepare for climate change. The BES is a truly remarkable group of researchers and educators working to advance our understanding of urban socio-ecological systems.
Regional Stormwater Summit, Southeast Michigan
On October 20th, Conor Keitzer provided an update on the Southeast Michigan Report Card Project at the Regional Stormwater Summit in Detroit, MI. The Regional Stormwater Summit is organized by the Oakland County Water Resource Commission, Lawrence Technological University, and Pure Oakland Water. The summit was attended by over 200 people from government, industry, and community organizations interested in solving stormwater issues across the region. Southeast Michigan faces substantial challenges around stormwater, but it was exciting to learn about efforts from groups working to tackle this important issue.
Highlights from the Inclusive Science Communication Symposium
From October 19-21, science communicators Sidney Anderson and Roshni Nair attended the Inclusive Science Communication Symposium hosted by the Metcalf Institution at the University of Rhode Island. While there, they attended sessions on data accessibility, inclusionary storytelling, community building through trust, and new dissemination techniques. They also hosted a session on stakeholder engagement, where they discussed IAN’s engagement strategies, the term “stakeholder” and its alternatives, participant methods for engagement, and led participants through the Get the Grade game, which IAN uses frequently in their engagement workshops. This symposium was a wealth of new and highly applicable information that IAN is excited to work into our own science communication and relationship-building strategies.