I regularly participate in public outreach events in the local community. These activities contribute to the visibility of the university and to the science education goals of funding agencies (e.g., NSF).
Photo-1: presentation at the 2023 York River and Small Coastal Basin Symposium in Gloucester Point VA (May 2023). This annual symposium “provides an opportunity to learn of watershed research, education, stewardship and management efforts” from different local stakeholders.
The annual Big Blue Summer Camp at Old Dominion University features activities exploring the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Participants engage in hands-on activities and learn how they can contribute to preserving the local marine environment.
Photo-2: Camp participants learning to use an interactive simulator of Chesapeake Bay with Pierre (June 2018).
Photo-3: Camp participants measuring the salinity of different water samples with Pierre (right; June 2017)).
STREAM Day is an annual expo dedicated to oceanography at St.John the Apostle School in Virginia Beach (VA). It showcases student projects and provides hands-on learning activities related to the ocean.
Photo-4: St.John's students learning about sediment sorting and transport with Pierre (right, May 2018).
Photo-5: St.John's students learning how to measure salinity using a refractometer (Pierre is on the left in the picture; May 2017). See also this news article about the event.
Every once in a while I act as a jury in local science fairs. These include the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair and St. Pius X School's Annual Science Fair (Norfolk, VA).
Photo-6: As part of scientific project on the Amundsen Sea, we developed an educational booklet in collaboration with local artists and STEM educators (Carl Twarog being the illustrator). The booklet is being implemented in local schools and its efficiency evaluated by STEM specialist D.Dickerson.
Photo-7: The magazine Research Features interviewed my collaborator Patricia Yager about our work on the Amundsen Sea. This led to an article communicating the project's goals and results to a general audience.