The variety of activities ASTC members conducted in the summer of COVID-19 have provided valuable lessons for all members of the ASTC community. With a bit of time to reflect on successes and not-so successful activities related to summer camps, a few U.S. ASTC members were willing to share their perspectives on what worked, what […]
Lessons learned from a COVID summer Read More »
ASTC speaks with Dr. Spencer Crew, interim director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Q&A with Spencer Crew Read More »
As the pandemic and social unrest have continued to ravage what remains of the status quo, science and technology centers and museums are stepping up their efforts to serve their local communities. One particular kind of activity that has proved vital, especially in recent months, has been addressing food insecurity through farmers markets and related
Combating food insecurity, ASTC members share fresh food with communities Read More »
A Q&A with Kate Semmens, Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science Fellow Kate Semmens is the Science Director at ASTC member Nurture Nature Center in Easton, Pennsylvania, where she helps advance the organization’s scientific and environmental outreach efforts, especially related to floods, climate change, art and science, community science, and social science research. She holds a PhD in environmental and
So you think you want to become a Community Science Fellow Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight July 20, 2020 Maya Ajmera is the president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News. The Society is best known for its world-class science competitions, award-winning journalism, and outreach and equity programs. Maya was also the founder of The Global Fund for Children, an organization dedicated
Q&A with Maya Ajmera Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight Vinton Cerf, along with his colleague Robert E. Kahn, won the U.S. National Medal of Technology for “creating and sustaining development of Internet Protocols” and for his continued leadership in this field. They were awarded the Alan M. Turing award (the “Nobel Prize of Computer Science”) for their work on the
Q&A with Vinton Cerf Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight Dorothy Tovar, a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University, studies bat cells to determine how bats can host and spread viral diseases that are deadly to humans without succumbing themselves. She hopes to understand bats’ immune responses and heighten awareness of the evolutionary drivers that lead
Q&A with Dorothy Tovar Read More »
Make your own exhibit of stunning, high resolution, professional-quality microscopy images using downloads from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) image gallery. The beautiful images are not only rich with educational value, but also free for noncommercial use. A select collection of these images—all taken by researchers—hung in an exhibit, Life Magnified, at Washington Dulles International Airport’s
Spectacular NIH Microscopy Images Available Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE January/February 2020 In this issue, we explore the benefits of breaking down silos. When teams, isolated units, or organizations operate out of step or even at cross-purposes with one another, action may be required. Breaking down silos can increase effectiveness, efficiency, communication, and camaraderie. It can allow for programs and events not
Dimensions, January/February 2020—Breaking Down Silos Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the January/February 2020 issue of Dimensions magazine. Nalini Nadkarni is an ecologist and professor at the University of Utah, a pioneer of treetop canopy research, a National Geographic Explorer, and an adviser for Mattel’s new line of Explorer Barbies. She has won numerous major awards, such as
Q&A with Nalini Nadkarni Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE November/December 2019 Our theme for this issue is “engaging in education.” Read inspiring examples of science and technology centers and classroom educators working together to share resources and build on each other’s successes. Get inspired to take on a new partnership with your local school system, or use ideas in these articles
Dimensions, November/December 2019—Engaging in Education Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Dimensions magazine. Talia Milgrom-Elcott, founded 100Kin10, the network devoted to tackling systemic challenges and getting 100,000 excellent STEM teachers into classrooms nationwide. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, Milgrom-Elcott decided not to practice law and instead focused on educational
Q&A with Talia Milgrom-Elcott Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the June/July 2019 issue of Dimensions magazine. Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft Corporation’s first chief technology officer, is an inventor, an entrepreneur, a mathematician, a scientist, and a chef. According to the New Yorker, Bill Gates once said, “I don’t know anyone I would say is smarter than Nathan.” Myhrvold holds
Q&A With Nathan Myhrvold Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Dimensions magazine. Nicole Small, the former chief executive officer of Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science, is now president of the Lyda Hill Philanthropies, a Dallas-based foundation devoted to advancements in nature and science. Small’s most recent achievement with Lyda Hill
Q&A with Nicole Small Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE May/June 2019 We all know the invaluable worth of a science center or museum. But how do we convey that value to donors, elected officials, and others? Glowing adjectives often aren’t enough. Because of our wide-ranging activities—providing informal STEM education, partnering with the formal education process, supporting healthy community development, and making
Dimensions, May/June 2019—Making the Case Read More »
The Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is breathing new life into some of Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest ideas in honor of the 500th anniversary of his death (it is believed that da Vinci died of a stroke on May 2, 1519). The Science Center is offering special, themed activities the weekend of May 3-5, in addition
Honoring Leonardo da Vinci Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Dimensions magazine. The Washington Post has called Mary Roach “America’s funniest science writer.” She is the best-selling author of six books: Grunt, Packing for Mars, Bonk, Spook, Gulp, and Stiff. She has received numerous awards, appeared on national media such as the
Q&A with Mary Roach Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE March/April 2019 It’s generally easy to notice big things, but it’s the small things that often have a profound effect on our lives. As best-selling author Mary Roach points out in the Q&A interview, the things she couldn’t see while traveling recently in India—bacteria and viruses—were much more likely to take her down than the massive
Dimensions, March/April 2019—The Power of Small Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE January/February 2019 At the forefront of informal science learning, we are, in some ways, naturally good at gazing fearlessly into the future. But while we may be better equipped than those in many other fields to strategize for upcoming changes, it’s difficult to see very far ahead, or to know the best
Dimensions, January/February 2019—The Future of Science Centers Read More »
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of Dimensions magazine. Ed Yong is an award-winning science writer for The Atlantic magazine. His work has appeared in National Geographic, the New Yorker, Wired, Nature, New Scientist, and Scientific American. He is originally from the United Kingdom but currently lives in Washington,