September 1, 2020
(names and links below)
Since our start in June 2012, we’ve hosted 72 scientific thinkers from a variety of scientific fields, backgrounds, organizational affiliations, and career stages. For some, presenting at Science Pub RVA was their first experience communicating directly with a public audience. We loved working with them to strengthen their ability to communicate what they know, what they do, and why it matters. Cheers & Thanks to all our #SciPubRVA Alumni!
And . . . Cheers & Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Joel Dugan whose generous contributions to VPM sustained a fun and rewarding partnership with VPM Science Matters for five seasons, concluding August 2020.
We’re thinking about what’s next — how we can serve the community, serve scientists, and how we can fund future offerings. We welcome your input. Be in touch if you’d like to kick around an idea for funding, a short project, a longer collaboration, a full partnership, or a transformation.
Email cj.gibbs@absorbsomething.com
August 31, 2020 – Birds, Birding, and Bias
Dan Albrecht-Mallinger, Instructor, Researcher, and Sustainability Certificate Advisor, Virginia Commonwealth University
John L. Ditto, Jr, M.D., Otolaryngology surgeon, citizen scientist, and past Field Trip Coordinator for the Richmond Audubon Society
June 9, 2020 – Trust
Cary Funk, Ph.D., Associate Professors, University of RichmondDirector of Science and Society Research, Pew Research Center
Nina Farmer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College
February 18, 2020 – Why We Vote and Why Polls Perplex
Ernest McGowen, III, Ph.D., Associate Professors, University of Richmond
December 9, 2019 – Virtual Reality: A Path to Empathy with three presenters
Jill B. Ware, Assistant Professor, Virginia Union University
John Henry Blatter, Assistant Professor, Virginia Union University
John E. Nestler, MD, MACP, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicin
June 17, 2019 – CBD: What to Know and Forensic Science in an Opioid Landscape
Michelle Peace, Ph.D., Associate Professors, Virginia Commonwealth University
May 7, 2019 – The Biology of Sexual Conflict
Robert M. Cox, Associate Professors, University of Virginia
April 8, 2019 – How Technology Changed Sports
Rayvon Fouche, Ph.D., Professor, Purdue University
March 5, 2019 – Toxic Air in my Urban Veggie Garden with two presenters
Ahkinyala Cobb-Abdulla, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Virginia Union University
Duron Chavis, Manager of Community Engagement, lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
January 30. 2019 – Hidden History of Medicine, Slavery, and Resistance
Carolyn Roberts, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Yale University
October 30, 2019 – Visualize This with five presenters
Sarah Faris, M.A., Assistant Professor, VCU Department of Communication Arts & Principal and Owner, SciMed Studios
Sarah Morgan, Ph.D. student, Virginia Commonwealth University
Jeremy Hoffman, Ph.D., Climate and earth scientist with the Science Museum of Virginia
Andy Lacatell, Virginia Chesapeake Bay Director with The Nature Conservancy
Joseph Reiner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Experimental biophysics, Experimental nanoscience at VCU
May 15, 2018 – Angie Hilliker, Ph.D. – Genetically Modified – Food For Thought
April 9, 2018 – Sainath Suryanarayanan, Ph.D. – Working Bees To Death
March 14, 2018 – Lee Vinsel, Ph.D. – Taming The American Car
February 7, 2018 – Susan Federer Ph.D. – Philanthropy Of The Body
January 2018 – – One Night, Two Researches – Three Minute Thesis Winners with two presenters — Diana Dinescu, Ph.D. and Rachel Davies, Ph.D. Candidate
October 24, 2017 – Stuart Firestein, Ph.D. – Why to Love Doubt and Uncertainty
September 19, 2017 – Evelynn M. Hammonds, Ph.D. – The Diversity Problem in Science
August 21, 2017 – David Cifu, Ph.D. – Beyond the Battlefield: PTSD Research for Recovery
June 21, 2017 – Cedar Reiner, Ph.D. – The Science of Illusions
May 8, 2017 – Luis Campos, Ph.D. – Life By Design: A Century of Synthetic Biology
April 12, 2017 – Puru Jena, Ph.D. – Nano Power: Small Science Big Future
March 27, 2017 – Narbe Kalantarians, Ph.D. – Nailing The Neutron
February 27, 2017 – Casey Mallinckrodt – Science of Art Object Conservation
November 30, 2016 –George S. Bloom, Ph.D. – The Quest to End Alzheimer’s
October 17, 2016 –Carrie Arnold, M.P.H. & M.A. – From Science to Stories
September 21, 2016 –Edward Millner, Ph.D. – Is Economic Science an Oxymoron?
August 21, 2016 – – Citizen Science from the Cosmos to the Faucets of Flint Michigan – with three presenters – Anurag Mantha and James Bartel and Justin Bartel
June 29, 2016 – – Personalized Medicine – with two presenters – Rita Shiang, PhD, and John M Quillin, Ph.D.
May 17, 2016 – Carlietta Paige-Anderson, Ph.D. – Rift Valley Fever Virus
April 6, 2016 – Oliver Gaycken, Ph.D. – Early Popular Science Films
February 25, 2016 – Adelheid Voskuhl, Ph.D. – Androids in History
February 2, 2016 – W Patrick McCray, Ph.D. – ReWiring Art: Collaborations of Artists and Engineers
January 12, 2016 – Samantha Sheesley – Degradation Derailment: How Science Saves Art
December 1, 2015 – Amy Rector Verrelli, Ph.D. – Homo naledi and Burying Our Dead
October 20, 2015 – Jack Singal, Ph.D. – An Astronomical Revolution
September 8, 2015 – Migration Marvels and Citizen Science – with three presenters
Lewis Barnett, Ph.D. and Jenna Dodson and Nicholas Moy
June 23, 2015 – Matt Balazik, Ph.D. – Fishing for Evidence: Studying sturgeon in the James River
May 5, 2015 – Drew Luellen, Ph.D. – Microplastics in the Environment
April 16, 2015 – Oh The Humanity – with two presenters
Amy Rector Verrilli, Ph.D. & Brian Verrelli, Ph.D
April 1, 2015 – Briana Pobiner, Ph.D. – Ancient Appetites
March 26, 2015 – Karen Rader, Ph.D. – Evolution in Museums
November 5, 2014 – Mark A. Reimers, Ph.D. – Brain Myths, Mysteries & Facts
October 7, 2014 – Jennifer M. Fettweis, Ph.D. – Big Data & Your Microbiome
Inspired by our NOVA partnership in 2013, Science Pub RVA coordinated a state-wide conversation on the theme of big data during the inaugural Virginia Science Festival.
May 30, 2014 – Ripples from the Big Bang, Henry Nebel, Ph.D. and Jack Singal, Ph.D
Our two-year anniversary gathering was comprised of a condensed Science Pub RVA experience plus, by invitation, the only public live stream in Virginia of The World Science Festival’s signature event with Brian Greene.
April 8, 2014 – Gail E. Christie, Ph.D. – Going Viral
January 28, 2014 – Anne Wright – Forgotten Pools
December 4, 2013 – Chris Savage – Manufacturing Movement
November 12, 2013 – Karla Mossi, Ph.D. – Science Fiction or Science Fact
Science Pub RVA was one of just 30 science cafes selected by WGBH’s NOVA Science Education team to offer a NOVA Innovation Café on the theme of material science. This special Science Pub RVA event was hosted by Science Matters and held in Studio A of The Community Idea Stations. In addition to Dr. Mossi, two VCU Engineering Graduate Students discussed interesting materials in hands-on demonstrations and locally-produced smart materials were on hand courtesy of Curpon and Dupont.
October 14, 2013 – Jason Bulluck – Bigger Thinking on Biodiversity
October 1, 2013 – Mark A. Reimers, Ph.D. – Brains, Biology & Morality
September 17, 2013 – Adam Dreyfus – Unlocking Autism
June 4, 2013 – Matthew Francis, Ph.D. – Mining for Dark Matter
May 7, 2013 – Cedar Riener, Ph.D. – The Science of Illusions
April 2, 2013 – Danielle Dick. Ph.D. – To Drink or Not to Drink: Is Alcoholism “in our genes“?
March 5, 2013 – J. Emmett Duff, Ph.D. – Marine Biodiversity: Why bugs & slugs are important
February 12, 2013 – Rebecca R. H. Michelsen, Ph.D. – Aerosols in our Atmosphere
January 8, 2013 – Everett, Carpenter, Ph.D. – Magnets Matter: The history and role of magnets in consumer alternative energy applications
December 4, 2012 – Shirley M. Taylor, Ph.D. – Epigenetics: How environmental influences are inherited across generations
October 2, 2012 – Earnest B. McGowen, III, Ph.D. – What Research Reveals About Why We Vote
September 4, 2012 – Matthew R. Francis, Ph.D. – Black Holes Don’t Suck
August 7, 2012 – Jose Ulises Reveles Ramirez, Ph.D. – Energy: The problems we face and the prospect of solar cells
June 5, 2012 – Mark A. Reimers, Ph.D. – Human Genesis: Evolution and the human condition