Shining Lights: Women Writing Science
Please join The Sitting Room for programs which explore science in ways that enlighten, engage and elucidate. The speakers are some of our local women scientists, science writers, policy makers and poets who will talk about their current work and how they seek to engage the public in what are often complex and specialized areas in various science disciplines.
While we hope people will attend all the meetings, each program is independent and can be enjoyed even if you are not able to attend the whole series. All programs are free and all are welcome—see The Sitting Room location and parking directions.
While we hope people will attend all the meetings, each program is independent and can be enjoyed even if you are not able to attend the whole series. All programs are free and all are welcome—see The Sitting Room location and parking directions.
“Some of the most fun people I know are scientists.”
-Mae Jemison, engineer, physician; first African American woman NASA astronaut
-Mae Jemison, engineer, physician; first African American woman NASA astronaut
Saturday, September 30, 2-4 p.m.
NASA and SETI, Aeronautics and Astrophysics—Local scientists discuss their work.
Dawn Keiser’s interests and studies include unmanned flight technology for Mars exploration, human factors in space travel, simulation systems, orbital debris and the international Space Treaty. She is a member of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and has recently taught a class about NASA-developed materials at the SRJC. She currently directs Communities for Science, a local program cultivating social and community spaces for scientific discussion and is currently interning at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.
Mary Barsony is a research astronomer affiliated with the SETI Institute, and has also taught astronomy and physics at UC Riverside, Harvey Mudd College, USC, and San Francisco State University. She currently teaches at the SRJC. Her interests and research include star formation and planetary mass objects. She is a co-discoverer of protostars. Currently her research makes use of the Hubble and the soon-to-be-launched JWST (James Webb Space Telescope).
Mary Barsony is a research astronomer affiliated with the SETI Institute, and has also taught astronomy and physics at UC Riverside, Harvey Mudd College, USC, and San Francisco State University. She currently teaches at the SRJC. Her interests and research include star formation and planetary mass objects. She is a co-discoverer of protostars. Currently her research makes use of the Hubble and the soon-to-be-launched JWST (James Webb Space Telescope).
“The environment, after all, is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.”
-Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, primatologist
-Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, primatologist
Saturday, October 7, 2-4 p.m.
Reading Water; Respecting the Earth
Rebecca Lawton, writer/fluvial geologist/former Colorado River guide and NPS ranger. Rebecca is the author of Steelies and Other Endangered Species; Sacrament: Homage to a River; Reading Water: Lessons from the River; and other books. She worked in environmental consulting for 30 years, including directing stream monitoring and other research for a community nonprofit in Sonoma. She has been an external advisor for Sonoma State University’s STEM program, Board member for Friends of the River, and technical advisor for several watershed-focused programs. A current Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers, she has also been a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair; Pushcart Prize nominee; Hedgebrook, Playa, and Island Institute resident; and winner of the Ellen Meloy Award for Desert Writers, Waterston Desert Writing Prize, and WILLA.
Photo by David Bolling
Valley of the Moon Magazine
Lisa Micheli, President & CEO, Pepperwood Foundation, Sonoma County. Dr. Micheli applies her extensive technical, policy, and fundraising expertise to the design and implementation of ecological restoration, research and education programs. She currently directs Pepperwood, a “living laboratory” dedicated to ecological research and education in Sonoma County, and co-chairs the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3.org), a Northern Californian climate adaptation research initiative. She is a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences and has been honored by the White House Office of Science and Technology as a “national leader in climate adaptation” as a member of Sonoma County’s Climate Resilience Team.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."
–Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
–Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
Saturday, October14, 2-4 p.m.
Poetry and filmmaking incorporating science and environmental themes; how creative works can advance science and effect change.
Elizabeth Carothers Herron, Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities at Sonoma State University, writes poetry and articles on art and ecology, the role of art in society, and the importance of natural systems and biodiversity in the physical and spiritual well-being of individuals, communities, and the planet. Herron's published work includes four collections of poems - Desire Being Full of Distances, Language for the Wild, The Stones the Dark Earth, Report (a chapbook), Dark Season, and a book of short stories, While the Distance Widens. See Center for Humans & Nature for her recent articles.
Maya Khosla
Writer/filmmaker/biologist Maya Khosla’s field work has been supported by Patagonia and the Sacramento Audubon Society. She has written Web of Water: Life in Redwood Creek; Tapping the Fire, Turning the Steam: Securing the Future with Geothermal Energy; and Keel Bone. Her recent projects have focused on the resurrection of forests after fires; bird life in post-burn ecosystems and the crucial importance of wildfires in the Sierra Nevada. She will be discussing and showing clips from her recent documentaries Searching for Gold Spot and Northern Goshawks and Fire.
Maya Khosla
Writer/filmmaker/biologist Maya Khosla’s field work has been supported by Patagonia and the Sacramento Audubon Society. She has written Web of Water: Life in Redwood Creek; Tapping the Fire, Turning the Steam: Securing the Future with Geothermal Energy; and Keel Bone. Her recent projects have focused on the resurrection of forests after fires; bird life in post-burn ecosystems and the crucial importance of wildfires in the Sierra Nevada. She will be discussing and showing clips from her recent documentaries Searching for Gold Spot and Northern Goshawks and Fire.
“Basically, I have been compelled by curiosity.”
-Mary Leakey
-Mary Leakey
Saturday, November 4, 2-4 p.m
Aim High - Physics and Astronomy; Outreach and Education
Lynn Cominsky is the Chair of the Physics and Astronomy department at Sonoma State University. She also directs SSU's Education and Public Outreach group, which develops innovative educational materials to inspire students in grades 5-14 to pursue STEM careers, to train teachers nationwide to use these materials in the classroom, and to enhance science literacy for the general public. She is also a scientific co-investigator on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission and developer of university curricula which includes LIGO (gravity wave detection) science and technology.
"We look at science as something very elite, which only a few people can learn. That's just not true. You just have to start early and give kids a foundation. Kids live up, or down, to expectations."
-Mae Jemison, engineer, physician; first African American woman NASA astronaut
-Mae Jemison, engineer, physician; first African American woman NASA astronaut
