Caught on camera during a slime class at Imagination Station
Even as a child I was a bit of an activist. I would often stand my ground — even when I was wrong — about how something should be done. I had this naive believe that equality and justice is pervasive throughout everything. A noble cause, yes, but it’s far from reality. Then, while I was at Purdue University, I was drawn to the student Pugwash community which allowed me to indulge this noble childhood notion and work on making it more of a reality.
Instead of reaching for a shining set of armour, I reached for my roots. I reaffirmed my love of teaching and writing. I collected community outreach projects like some women collect shoes. I picked up teaching at a hands on science museum called Imagination Station, middle schools, high schools, and even bigger venues like state fairs. Then I seemed to have found an even more powerful outlet for my need to communicate science when I began writing for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) as a volunteer blogger.
I’ve come a long way since those days. I’ve participated in going on a hundred conferences and outreach conventions. I’ve become a regular at AAAS, developed a rapport with scientists and educators in a multitude of expertise and experiences. And now, I get to do something new and even more challenging for me. I am joining SAGE publications as a regular contributor to Social Science Space (SSSpace) and SAGE Connections.
SSSpace is a lot like Pugwash, but for the social sciences. Ziyad Marar, the global publishing director of SAGE, notes:
Across the world in the media, in policy and government discussions, and in our daily lives, there is evidence of social science at work. Whether it’s analysis of a cultural phenomenon like crime, or a major international concern such as how climate change leads to changing lifestyles or inequality, social scientists help us understand cultures and behaviour
And this is why SSSpace exists. It’s because the social sciences have long been studied and have a place in sciences as valuable. SSSpace is dedicated to showing that and sharing it with the world. As you can guess, I’ll probably have lots to say in these blogs once I get comfortable with the set-up.
SAGE Connection is a professional extension of SAGE Publishing where they post their news, professional development tips, and other bits and bobs of interest to the professional science world. Here I’ll be contributing to professional development tips for working in industry and developments in higher education, but that doesn’t mean you should only look at what I do! There are lots of good things they have posted.
