Outreach
What is a scientist, and what do scientists do? Most people think a scientist is someone in a white lab coat who spends hours pouring over beakers and test tubes, and then spends even more time analyzing and distilling the contents of those beakers and test tubes into the final result: a scientific paper. Admittedly, I do spend a fair amount of time hunched over test tubes (see photographic evidence), but being a scientist cannot be reduced to the moments I spend pipetting samples and running assays. To me, being a scientist means being a researcher, a teacher, a mentor, a communicator, and – at least from my perspective as a field primatologist – sometimes doing things that might seem a little crazy (like collecting lots of primate poop!).
When it comes to outreach, I aim to show young students what it means to be a scientist, and to get them excited and engaged in the power of the scientific method.
When it comes to outreach, I aim to show young students what it means to be a scientist, and to get them excited and engaged in the power of the scientific method.
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Public School VisitsI have co-organized a series of talks on primate cognition and behavior at local elementary schools in Ann Arbor. In these talks, I discuss my research and encourage young students to get excited about science and to think creatively about primate research.
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Tourist Lectures in EthiopiaOur research groups always enjoys engaging with tourists who come visit the Simien Mountains. We schedule educational lectures at the local lodges for guests, providing general information about the geladas and specifics about our research projects.
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Science Communication
I am currently participating in the Science Communication Fellows Program at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. Through this program I received training in how to effectively communicate my research and I've participated in several events, such as the “Scientist Spotlight,” where researchers from across the University present their research to the public. My presentation, “How do scientists study animal behavior?” lets kids practice their own behavioral observation skills using robotic HexBugs (inspiration for this idea came from the Amboseli Baboon Research Project!).