“Ask a Scientist” Public Program: Bringing Science to the Public at Phipps

By Lorren Kezmoh, Outreach Coordinator, Phipps Science Education and Research

This past Saturday Phipps was very excited to debut its "Ask a Scientist" Public Program where visitors to the conservatory were able to meet local scientists and learn all about the most current research taking place here in Pittsburgh, as well as in Baltimore, MD, and how it connects to Phipps' mission. From environmental microbiology to understanding pain perception, our scientists represented a variety of disciplines and were eager to share their research with our guests.

These scientists also represented our first round of Science Communication Fellows to participate in our Portal to the Public science communication programming. This program, which was newly introduced this past year, aims to provide training in science communication to graduate students and other professionals from across scientific disciplines so that they can easily convey their research and occupations to the public in a fun and understandable way, as well as, provide an opportunity for these individuals to apply their training firsthand through public interactions.

If you didn't have a chance to make last weekend's public program, don't fret! This Saturday, May 9th, we will be hosting another "Ask a Scientist" program from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM in the Tropical Forest Palm Circle. This weekend's program will feature Dr. Audrey Kittredge of Carnegie Mellon University's Program for Interdisciplinary Education Research. Dr. Kittredge is a postdoctoral research fellow whose research seeks to understand the mechanisms of learning in early childhood, and has been actively involved with both Phipps and the National Living Laboratory initiative since 2014. So, if you plan on being in the area this Saturday for May Market, stop on over to the conservatory and meet this weekend's featured scientist, Dr. Audrey Kittredge!