STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH WORKSHOPS

This past June I co-led and developed a stakeholder engagement workshop “Dynamic Dunes: Scientific Advances for Improved Management” held in Duck, North Carolina. We gathered state, local, and federal government officials, non-profits, and industry professionals together to discuss our recent findings and their implications. Management partners also presented the “state of dune management” within their respective jurisdiction. We focused on addressing contemporary issues in coastal management in the context of our scientific outcomes and beyond. We delivered actionable, evidence-based suggestions for coastal dune management to increase dune resiliency to storm impacts. The workshop was capped off by a field trip to the coastal beach and dunes at the US Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility. The partnerships fostered during this and previous stakeholder engagement workshops help to align future scientific inquiries with societal needs.

SKYPE-A-SCIENTIST & LETTERS TO A PRE-SCIENTIST

In my free time (cue laughter), I enjoy chatting with classes about being a scientist! Skype-a-Scientist connects scientists with teachers and classrooms to give students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist and get the answers to their questions straight from the source. I normally discuss my educational and professional background, research interests & current projects, and what it’s like being a scientist, and sometimes more specifically a female scientist in a male-dominated field.

This is also my first year (2022-2023) participating in the Letters to a Pre-Scientist pen pal program. This program pairs students from disadvantaged communities with STEM professionals through snail mail! I’m excited to be matched with an 8th grade student from northern California.

I love revealing connections to science from our everyday lives and answering questions from inquisitive young minds. I hope to impart my enthusiasm for coastal science and the environment. I also seek to demonstrate that anyone can be a scientist, and in fact all of us are!

If you are interested in having me chat with your classroom or group, please feel free to request me through the Skype-a-Scientist platform or contact me directly.

VIRGINIA SCIENTIST & EDUCATOR ALLIANCE

Organized by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the VA SEA is a network of graduate students, teachers, and informal educators aimed at translating scientific research into usable lesson plans. Working with this program I developed a 5th grade lesson plan, “Shifting Sands: Coastal Dunes in Motion“, with supplemental activities and resources (e.g., PowerPoint). My lesson plan teaches students about 1) physical dune processes such as dune growth and erosion, 2) ecosystem services provided by dunes, and 3) how humans modify dune systems. My lesson plan is teacher and student-tested and has been downloaded over 160 times! I’m happy to share my enthusiasm for coastal systems with young students.

VIRGINIA SCIENTIST-COMMUNITY INTERFACE

The Virginia Scientist-Community Interface (V-SCI) is a coalition of scientists and engineers who are dedicated to getting science into the hands of community members. We are 100% independent and volunteer-based. V-SCI’s mission is to provide scientific expertise for community-driven activism and advocacy in Virginia and the region. We comment on the scientific merit of proposed activities that may affect local communities and the environment.

I worked with a team focused on holding Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) accountable. MVP is planning to build a 303-mile natural gas pipeline system that spans from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia and crosses close to 200 streams and wetlands. We’re partnered with non-profit organizations like Wild Virginia to assess and document any deficiencies in MVP’s permit applications based on empirical data (or lack thereof).

Based on our review, we’ve identified four critical issues with MVP’s application to switch boring methods. These critical issues are in regard to MVP’s dewatering analysis, geotechnical analysis, consideration of impacts to riparian and wetland zones, and consideration of impacts to endangered species. These deficiencies were outlined in our public comment to FERC.

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