Outreach

• Work with local high school and middle school teachers to bring molecular, cellular, and developmental biology as well as bioengineering and synthetic biology into their classrooms through equipment loans and by providing supplies andencouraging visits to William and Mary.

• Introduce and involve local middle and high school students to authentic research experiences through mentorships and science fair projects.

• Work with local teachers to introduce research experiences into the classroom--in accordance with Virginia SOLs.

Selected Outreach Activities

Annual visits from Jamestown High School Biology classes for hands-on activities

Work with BLAST program  (physics program) for middle school students  for summer outrach (2023)

Workwith CampLauch (middle school student summer camp). with iGEM

Hold outreach events on molecular genetics for local community on regular basise.g. Building with Biology

Hosted (with iGEM team) Building With Biology Public Forum and Science Activities for local community (July 2019)

Hosted 80+ Girl Scouts for Science Event  (Summer 2017 - 2019)

Camp Launch Activities for Middle School Students (2017 – 2019) 

Helped iGEM sponsor a BioEngineering Speaker series (Summer 2017)

Hosted “SisterMentors” for an afternoon of science (middle school girls from underrepresented backgrounds)

Hosted visit from State of Virginia Senators (July 2017); Met with members of Senate Finance Higher Ed Subcommittee (May 2017)

Organized and hosted Phage Phest (an event when students from Virginia universities come to William and Mary to discuss their phage research; hosted ~75 students and faculty); every year from 2009. (except pandemic years)

Hosted “Building With Biology” Forum – for ~30 participants from the College and community to discuss “editing the Genome”  (September, 2016) 

Hosted “Building With Biology” outreach for ~80-100 students and their parents (July, 2016) 

Offered three hour-long science sessions for middle school students for Higher Achievement Richmond (July, 2016);  Made liquid nitrogen ice cream for ~250 middle school students as well. 

Mentored TNCC faculty member and TNCC students in eight weeks of summer phage lab work … to provide research experiences for community college faculty and students (throughout 2010 HHMI grant).                        

Offered “science” evening for ~20 Cub Scouts (Spring 2014)

Work with local teachers in setting up molecular biology experiments in their classrooms as part of the initiative initially sponsored by the HHMI Biological Education Program Grant to the College of William and Mary (1999-present).

This has entailed providing the reagents, equipment, and necessary guidance for numerous teachers since 1999 so that they may perform molecular biology and biotechnology experiments in their classrooms.

Work with Dr. Matkins (School of Education) on Virginia Teachers Conference (HHMI funding)

Routinely present science talks in local public schools (1993-present)

Judge local science fairs at Queen's Lake School (1996-present)

Mentored high school students for entire academic year in laboratory projects for internship program: 2004 -2006

Judge York County Science Fair

Mentor local high school students for internships and/or science fairs (2000-present)

Present talk and/or moderated panel discussion for Johns Hopkins "Center for Talented Youth" Academic, College and Career Symposia hosted by the College (one to two each year, 1997 - 2002)

Mentor STAR students during summer in lab projects (1999 - present)

Presented career talk to STAR program participants (July, 2004, 2005, 2006)

Presented talk to teachers in Biology Advanced Placement workshop (July, 2003)

Provided an "afternoon" DNA Sequencing Activity for Chancellor Academy students (July, 2003); presented embryology unit (July, 2005)

Presented "Biotechnology Research and its Implications" talk to local Kiwanis Club (May,2002)

Served as mentor for UVA Spring Break Internship Program (March, 2002)

Presented talk to Gifted Students (Center for Gifted Education Focusing on the Future colloquium (Jan. '99)

Presented Keynote speech for regional Governor's School for Science and Technology Final Awards Ceremony (May, 1996)

Introduced speaker on human genome project for "Air and Space Museum" science series talks (October, 1995)

Taught two weeks of the Biology Governor's School and organized three lab sessions (1994); gave Career talk (1995)

Served as a mentor for a high school teacher as part of the Howard Hughes summer internship program (Summer, 1994)

Assisted with setting up a science center at campus daycare (1994)