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Minorities in Science and Technology Career Fair 27 April 1999 - 29 April 1999 Upholding "perfect attendance," the NMNH hosted an interactive booth at the eighth annual Minorities in Science and Technology (MIST) career fair held at George Washington University, Marvin Center. More than 28 Smithsonian professional staff, and their repertoire of curious specimens, from Departments of Mineral Sciences, Entomology, Paleobiology, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Zoology plus representatives from the Discovery Room and SERC fielded questions and shared insights into natural history science with approximately 900 students including 400 junior high and 500 high school students from the DC metropolitan area. Smithsonian's representation was organized and directed by Mary Sangrey as part of outreach initiatives of the Research Training Program. Information
Packet |
Participants |
Calendar Information Packet
The three day event begins Tuesday, 27 April 1999 and concludes Thursday 29 April 1999. Our booth will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday for Junior High School students and Thursday for High School students. MIST is a small collection of associations and organizations around the Capitol area who have come together in order to exchange information and ideas concerning programs that encourage junior high and high school students to consider a career in science or mathematics. As members of the National Museum of Natural History, we are interested in sharing information about careers in natural history. To do this we have traditionally used specimens from our collections to get their attention, stimulate their questions and spark their interest in the study of natural history. In previous years, approximately 1,000 junior high and 500 high school students from more than 30 local schools participated. The NMNH will be one of about 30 exhibitors. We have requested four tables this year, including one reserved for SERC (Layout of Marvin Center Ballroom attached - Appendix B). We hope to have our display represented by all NMNH research departments, but it's unlikely that each department will be represented each day. The list of staff participating this year is attached (Appendix C). There is room for more to join us so if you know of others, please contact me. It is up to you to determine who will "work" which day but I suggest paring with comlpementary departments. Prior to the event you will need to select items to represent your department. A list of items used in previous years is attached (Appendix D). We have also compiled a list of comments and suggestions from previous years (Appendix E). Please look over this list and pay close attention to the suggestions - we have learned many valuable lessons in the past and don't want to repeating unnecessary mistakes. I also have a notebook of photos from previous years and YOUR notes about what worked and what you would do differently next time. Let me know if you'd like to review the notebook. Organization of NMNH involvement will followed a tight schedule this year (Appendix F). Only one organizational meeting will be conducted (by popular request). This meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. 8 April 1999 in the Waldo Schmitt Room. The purpose of this meeting is to talk with each other about potential display items (and possible complementary specimens), to arrange the order of our display, to review packing procedure for the items to be transported to the exhibit area and to meet each other. Before 26 April 1999 you will need to select, inventory, pack, and deliver to the Botany fumigation room all your display items/materials. Alternatively, you may transport your items to the site youeself. Because we will only be getting together once this year, communication through e-mail will be our main method of exchanging information. Please check your e-mail regularly for updates and share information with the other representatives from your department. Each year I look forward to MIST. Not only is it a time to share information about the NMNH with eager young students from the DC area, but I enjoy working with the group of staff who regularly contribute their time toward making the NMNH representation at this event so successful. Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to "Thank-you" for you interest in participating in the MIST Career Day. Traditionally, most have enjoyed participating in the event, and I anticipate this year will also be a lot of fun. For some this will be the seventh year you've taken time out from your busy schedule to do this. Both Wendy and I want everyone to know that your efforts are appreciated by the Museum. If you have any questions or problems, please contact either of us. Reminder, after the Career Day, all representatives are encouraged to provide written comments to evaluate the successes and suggest improvements for next year. I recommend you start keeping notes now of changes for next year - over the years these have proved to be very valuable! Mary
Sangrey List
of Participants
Department
of Anthropology
Department
of Botany
Department
of Entomology
Department
of Invertebrate Zoology
Department
of Mineral Sciences
Department
of Paleobiology
Department
of Vertebrate Zoology
SERC
THE DISCOVERY ROOM
Organizers
Calendar
of Events
10
December 1999 29
January 1999 February
1999 March
1999 March
1999 22
March 1999 5
April 1999 8
April 1999 8
April 1999 8
April 1999 8
April 1999 - 2:00 pm 12
April 1999 9
- 23 April 1999 8
- 23 April 1999 23
April 1999 - 12:00pm 26
April 1999 26
April 1999 26
April 1999 - 12:00pm 26
April 1999 - 12:00pm 26
April 1999 - 12:00pm 27
- 29 April 1999 27
April 1999 - 8:30am 27
April 1999 - 8:45am 27
April 1999 - 9:30am 27
April 1999 27
April 1999 -1:00pm 27
April 1999 - 1:15pm 27
April 1999 - 8:30am 28
April 1999 - 8:45am 28
April 1999 - 9:30am 28
April 1999 28
April 1999 - 1:00pm 28
April 1999 - 1:15pm 29
April 1999 - 8:30am 29
April 1999 - 8:45am 29
April 1999 - 9:30am 29
April 1999 29
April 1999 - 1:00pm 29
April 1999 - 1:15pm 30
April 1999 30
April 1999 30
April 1999 3
May 1999 3
May 1999 4
May 1999 10
May 1999
Comments
and Suggestions
Compiled from notes received previous years. Selecting items. Knowing the age group, and therefore making the assumption that specific career questions will not dominate conversation, we've decided to suggest that you select collection items from your Department to stimulate interest in natural history careers and to get the students talking to the Departmental representatives. Specifically, we suggest that you select unique or interesting items for the display. The overall theme of using collections items from each of the Departments has worked very well. However, without question, the success of the exhibit items depends on the comfort and knowledge of the NMNH staff person representing the items. When selecting display items, it is very important to choose items you like to talk about. An interesting specimen, without someone who understands why it's interesting or is uncomfortable talking about it to junior high or high school age students, is a waste of space. If you are looking for ideas we suggest items from the "Links to Life" list which highlights NMNH research efforts linked to real life situations. Items which were very popular and/or worked especially well included:
Questions. Typical questions students ask (in addition to what is that specimen) include:
Try to have answers ready for these and other related questions - but the most frequently ask questions will be about the specimens you bring so make sure you are prepared to talk about whatever is in front of you. Fragile items. Fragile items should not be selected for use in the display. Students should be allowed, although carefully, to touch and hold the specimens. Items which can easily be easily broken and/or scientifically valuable items should be avoided - accidents can always happen, even when extreme care is taken. Identification tags. Students are interested in asking "what is this", but identification tags naming the item are often useful. When the table is crowded, the tags are lost in the confusion. But when there are few students, the tags help stimulate conversation. Overall, it was agreed that the tags were effective, and it's recommended to keep this part of the display. If you need help with tags, let me know. Don't Touch Tags. We will also have a supply of "Please Do Not Touch" tags available just in case you determine at any point during the event that these are needed. Literature available. If you have literature suggestions, pass your ideas on to Wendy or Mary. Please allow enough time for adequate copies to be acquired. Supplies. Past experience has proven the need to have our own office-type supplies on hand. Included on the supply list: rubber bands, tape, pens, pencils, markers, post-it note pads, stapler, scissors, herbarium string, Windex, paper towels, "complements of the Smithsonian Institution" pads, and plastic bags. If you need anything special, please tell Mary. As in the past, several NMNH note pads will be available at the tables for students to write down specific questions or information request which require follow-up action. Specifically, students and teachers interested in further information about internships, volunteer positions, and teacher packets should be encouraged to record their name, address and information requested on the note paper. These will be accumulated and the specific request forwarded to the appropriate office. Field Guides. In previous years we found ourselves wishing we had several local field guides on hand to help answer questions and to illustrate explanations. Consider including a few local field guides complete with simple diagrams in your list of items. These can be kept on hand (under the table or on the chair behind you) for your reference. Display arrangement. Placement of collection items and the order of the Department displays at the table is very important. All collection items should be laid out together by you at least once before traveling to the exhibit area to determine the best arrangement and to confirm that everything fits into the space provided (that's no more than 20" across and 30" deep!). The live cockroaches work best at the table with the literature where there is more space. This also attracts more attention to the information available. Paleo and IZ work best when next to each other because they have fossil and recent collections of the same thing. If you have other suggestions of complementary groupings, please let Mary know so space can be reserved accordingly. Information card. It is recommended that staff working at the display tables have on hand some type of business/information card complete with their name, address and telephone number to hand to students and teachers for follow-up information. Name Tag. You will be provided a name tag to wear during the event. All new tags will be prepared for this year. Please provide the following information to Mary before 26 April 1999: your name and your office/department as you'd like it to appear on the tag. Fumigation room. Botany has generously allowed us to use their fumigation room (located near the West loading dock) as a holding area for all items traveling to the exhibit. Be sure all material (boxes, bags, etc.) stored in this room is clearly tagged "MIST 1999". Please deliver boxes/items to be stored and transported before noon, Monday 26 April 1999. Transportation of items. A van will take our display items and other props to GW. The vehicle will be packed and depart NMNH all three days (27th, 28th & 29th) at 8:45 a.m. (to beat the worst of the rush hour traffic). The driver will then return to GW at 1:00 p.m. to return items (and any staff that fit) to NMNH. Set-up and Take-down. You are responsible for set-up (9:30 a.m.) / take-down (1:00 p.m.) of your own items. Staff unfamiliar with proper packing of individual items can make mistakes - it's better to have your expertise available to guarantee that "extra bit of individual attention." However, set up generally only takes a few minutes. Security. The Marvin Center Ballroom (where our display will be) is not a secure area. Watch your items. Valuable items should be returned to the Museum overnight between the event days. We will be investigating options to locate "secure" overnight housing at GW for items to limit handling and transporting but don't count on this. Note: In 1996 someone stole our supply bag, pens, and "hold-it" adhesive from under the table sometime in-between event days. Display space. Four tables will be available for our display, one table for SERC, three tables for NMNH display items. Each department will have an area of approximately 20" across by 30" deep. This isn't a lot of space so select items accordingly and try not to over-crowd the area. Information Brochures. Each Department should consider preparing their own hand-outs/ brochures as take home information about individual disciplines and collection items. Banner. Once again we'll be using the "green" banner. Although this banner is nice once assembled, it's bulky and difficult to manage! Stan Yankowski will be in charge of moving and assembling this part of the display - remember a screw driver is required to assemble and take-down. A large plastic bag should be constructed to preserve the banner board during transport. Noise. The noise, at times, is overwhelming. Talking to students can be very difficult - just be prepared. We will have water on hand to quench your thirst after "all the shouting." A supply of hard candies, mints and throat drops will also be kept at the table for you. Job information. Be careful about trying to explain internships, jobs and careers. Students at this age do not seem to comprehend the term "internship." When "stipend" is mentioned as "money" this translated directly to "job", which is a term that is understood, and which can be used to help explain an internship but not under these conditions. The Smithsonian High School internship program has been discontinued so there are limited opportunities available. Although we want these students to be aware of our opportunities, we must be careful about misleading them into thinking we have jobs waiting for them. Rain. Be prepared for a rainy day. All your display items, literature, etc. must be packed in sturdy containers and water proofed (plastic bags work fine). All boxes must be properly labeled "MIST 1999." For easy set-up you should also include your department on the container. List of display items. A list must be prepared of all collection items traveling to the event (this also includes any equipment you are bringing such as hand cart, etc.). This list needs to be to Mary by noon 26 April 1999. It is not acceptable to identify items as "two boxes of collection items on loan from Anthropology." The guard station requires an itemized list of all items leaving the building (loan papers filed in the Departments is not adequate). This is contrary to the "rules governing" the transportation of collection items which strongly discourage specific identification of items being transported for security reasons but we're not going to get out of the building unless we comply.
Loan papers for items. All collection items traveling to the exhibit must be approved by your collection manager and, where necessary, proper NMNH loan procedures followed. Copies of any "paper work" generated should be provided to Mary by noon 26 April 1999.
Property
pass. A property pass is required to get items out of the building.
Each department must have a separate ITEMIZED and SIGNED property pass
for ALL THREE days. Even if it's not the property of NMNH, if we have
to get it out of the building it needs to be included on the property
pass. The guard station at the loading dock requires a "proper signature"
- someone with authority for all the items listed on the property pass.
You should know who this person is. If not, please find out before 26
April 1999.
Specimen
List and Participants
from previous years Department of Anthropology 1999: No Anthropology representative. 1998: Ann Kaupp and Abelardo Sandoval 1997: No MIST 1996: Jennifer Clark, Deb Hull-Walski, Jim Krakker, Dave Rosenthal, & Barbara Watanabe
1995: Dave Rosenthal & Dave Hunt
1994: Natalie Firnhaber & Dave Hunt
1993: Molly Coxson, Natalie Firnhaber, and Dave Hunt
1992: Molly Coxson and Natalie Firnhaber
Department of Botany 1999: No Botany (Stan Yankowski helped with transportation of banner). 1998: Victoria Batista, Nora Gallagher and Syliva Orli (Stan Yankowski helped with the banner). 1997: No MIST
1996: Bob Faden, Greg McKee, Sylvia Stone, and Stan Yankowski
1995: Lisa Funderburke, Carol Kelloff and Stan Yankowski
1994: Barrett Brooks, Carol Kelloff and Stan Yankowski
1993: Christine Begle, Lisa Funderburke and Stan Yankowski
1992: Pedro Acevedo and Margie Knowles
Department of Entomology 1999: Kathy Anderson, Faith Deering, Gary Hevel, Mary Jo Molineaux, and Yolanda Villacampa. 1998: Kathy Anderson, Tami Carlow, Patricia Gentilli-Poole, Gary Hevel, Buck Lewsi, and Mary Jo Molineaux. 1997: No MIST 1996: Gary Hevel, Buck Lewis, Mary Jo Molineaux, Virginia Power, and Warren Steiner Same as last year. 1995: Gloria House, Buck Lewis, Mary Jo Molineaux, Beth Norden and Warren Steiner
1994: Gloria House, Buck Lewis, Mary Jo Molineaux, Beth Norden and Warren Steiner
Department of Invertebrate Zoology 1999: Cindy Ahearn. 1998: Cindy Ahearn, Tyjuana Nickens, Lana Ong, and Yolanda Villacampa 1997: No MIST 1996: Cynthia Ahearn, Victoria Batista, Paul Greenhall, Tyjuana Nickens, and Yolanda Villacampa
1995: Tim Coffer, Victoria Batista, Tyjuana Nickens, Paul Greenhall, & Jennifer Nicol
1994: Tim Coffer, Victoria Batista & Tyjuana Nickens
1992: Karen Reed, Marilyn Schotte and Mike Sweeney
Department of Mineral Sciences 1999: Leslie Hale, Tim O'Hearn, and Linda Welzenbach. 1998: Leslie Hale, Tim O'Hearn, and Tim McCoy. 1997: No MIST 1996:
Leslie Hale & Tim O'Hearn
1993:
Leslie Hale and Linda Schramm
1992: Mike Wise
Department of Paleobiology 1999: My Le Ducharm, Bob Purdy, Jann Thompson, and Liz Valuilis. 1998: Dave Bohaska, My Le Ducharm, Mark Florence, Bob Purdy, Jann Thompson, adn Liz Valuilis 1997: No MIST 1996:
My Le Ducharme, Derrick Kysar, and Bob Purdy
1995: Derrick Kysar, Conrad Labandeira, Bob Purdy and Jann Thompson
1994:
Derrick Kysar, Conrad Labandeira, Bob Purdy and Jann Thompson
Department of Vertebrate Zoology 1999: Suzie Collins and Carla Dove. 1998: Suzie Collins and Lisa Palmer. 1997: No MIST 1996:
Carole Baldwin, Elyse Beldon, and Kevin deQuiroz
1995: Elyse Beldon
1994: Elyse Beldon
1993: Elyse Beldon
1992: Elyse Beldon and Kevin deQueiroz
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 1999: Safra Altman, Anita Chapa, Kelly Clark, Catie Drew, and Kate Murphy. 1998: Ania Banaszak, Anita Chapa, Catie Drew, SaharahMoon Chapotin, Gary Presta, and George Rasberry. Laboratory of Molecular Systematics 1992: Liz Zimmer
Evaluation
Form
While the MIST Career Day(s) event is fresh in your mind, take a few moments to record your thoughts about what "worked" this year and suggestions for next year. Return this form to Mary Sangrey (Mail Stop NHB 166) and attach a listing of the specimens and literature that you used (as reference for next year). Your comments will be added to our information packet distributed to the Year 2000 NMNH representatives. 1. List items that you thought were popular and/or worked especially well (include in this list items from your Department and observations you made concerning items selected for use to represent other Departments). 2. List items that were not very popular and/or were not effective ( again, include comments about "your" items and items from other departments). 3. What literature were students most interested in? What should we include/exclude next year? 4. Are there any items which should be added to the "supplies" to have on hand? 5. Anything else? General comments, notes to yourself, etc. (e.g. number of departmental reps, information provided prior to event, e-mail as communication prior to event instead of meetings/memos.). PART II The Office of the Associate Director for Research and Collections is currently in the process of surveying professional education and training activities at the NMNH, including evaluating current initiatives such as MIST. In this light, please consider the following questions and provide your responces which will be forwarded to Ross Simons, ADRC, for review.
2. Are you willing to travel to these events, if necessary? 3. What did/do you get out of the interaction with the MIST students? 4. What did/do you get out of the interaction with the others who particpated in MIST? 5. What do you think (hope) the students got out of your interaction with them? 6. Why do you enjoy participating in MIST? A
Note from the Director On behalf of the National Museum of Natural History I thank you for participating in the 1999 Minorities in Science and Technology (MIST) Career Day held April 27, 28, and 29 at the George Washington University. I understand that our career table, featuring specimens from our collections and literature about natural history science, was one of the most engaging exhibits at the event. Your experience at the NMNH, and your knowledge about the subject, offered the students and teachers a personal insight into our museum and careers in natural history disciplines. This insight will undoubtedly prove useful as these students shape their future career goals. I am especially pleased to see you, and the other NMNH MIST volunteers, willingly take time out from your busy schedule to contribute to activities that support the NMNH community and our outreach efforts. We all have a full work load. However, our obligation to the Museum community is a balance between daily responsibilities and contributions to extra activities that may fall outside of our routine but support our mission as a Museum. One of the goals for the Museum is a diverse workforce in all disciplines. To reach this goal, we need to continue to make a special effort to participate in events, such as MIST, that give us an opportunity to expose teachers and young people to careers available in natural history disciplines. Again, thank you for your assistance in planning and participating in the MIST Career Day. I appreciate your efforts toward making this a successful event and for serving as a representative of the Museum. Sincerely,
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