Science Pub RVA #36
We heard three distinct perspectives about the growing world of citizen science in our community and beyond.
How to contribute to science without really trying — Justin Bartel
How a pebble of effort turns into a tidal wave of valuable data — James Beckley
Flint Water Study from the frontlines with citizen scientists — Anurag Mantha
Anurag Mantha 
Anurag is from Hyderabad, India , loves to travel and dreams of owning a restaurant. Though his Netflix data reveals more of his interest in military history than his foodie inclinations. Anurag is a PhD student at Virginia Tech University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is part of the Flint Water Study, an independent research team led by Dr. Marc Edwards. His masters research was on drinking water treatment for a type of chromium that results from industrial processes in the U.S. and around the world.
James Beckley 
James has been involved with various aspects of water and conservation efforts since earning a B.S. in biology from Longwood College. Currently working as a Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, he digs deep into data evaluation and provides technical assistance for citizen volunteer water quality monitoring programs. His quirky YouTube training videos on the subject of water quality and citizen monitoring provide a glimpse into his sense of humor.
Justin Bartel
Justin has lived in Kansas (home base), Arizona (for his B.S. in Astronomy), Colorado and Florida and landed in Richmond in 2013. Despite all the moving, he remains a devotee of the Detroit Red Wings and loves to talk about hockey. Justin is an Immersive Experience Specialist at the Science Museum of Virginia where he works to bring up-to-the-minute news and brilliant views of the universe down to Earth.
