From A Silent Spring, The Limits to Growth and Population Bomb of the 1960s and 70s to today’s planetary boundary science, overshoot, and creating a safe and just space for humanity, some would say that “the science is in” and that it is pretty gloomy. Additionally, now in the frenetic information age, humans are overwhelmingly aware of the multitude of crises we face as a species. Our collective mental health is tanking. Knowing our predicament is one thing, but knowing what to do about it is another. Education may be one of our most powerful tools. However, delivery, content, and reach are impaired by multiple factors including politics, economics, religion, and the numerous influences affecting everyone’s social construction of knowledge. This presentation will share examples from the fields of environmental, conservation, and humane education and then focus on the potential promise of comprehensive education for ecological justice.

About the Speaker
Sarah M. Bexell is clinical associate professor with the Graduate School of Social Work and Director of Humane Education with the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, both at the University of Denver, Colorado. Sarah is also a faculty member teaching Animal Protection for the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University New England and senior advisor to the Education Department of the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Pandas, China. She teaches and does research in the areas of ecological justice, humane education, and animal protection.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Bexell (University of Denver: Denver, CO)

The Call to Action for Science Education—issued this summer by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics and funded by the Carnegie Corporation—provides an argument for the importance of science education; identifies major challenges for implementing coherent science education K–16; discusses how science relates to the other STEM disciplines; highlights science education programs and instructional practices that have shown to be most effective; and provides clear recommendations on how teachers, communities, and local, state, and federal stakeholders can work together to improve science education and broaden opportunity in the discipline.

At this featured session science education leaders will discuss the report and outline ways you can join this nationwide effort to change the trajectory of science and STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Short (Carnegie Corporation of New York: New York, NY), Heidi Schweingruber (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Washington, DC), Erika Shugart (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Research scientist Africa Flores-Anderson uses data from satellites to map algae blooms in lakes and forest degradation in her home country of Guatemala. Join Flores-Anderson as she shares her personal journey from small-town girl to National Geographic Explorer, using satellite imagery to better understand our planet.

About the Speaker
Originally from Guatemala, Africa Flores-Anderson is a research scientist at the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). She is passionate about using data and satellite images for environmental conservation. As a National Geographic Explorer, she is working to forecast harmful algae blooms in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala using artificial intelligence. She also works to strengthen the capacity of countries in environmentally sensitive areas to use Earth observation data and geospatial technologies for managing natural resources and environmental risks. Flores’s research focuses on forest monitoring, water quality and ecological forecasting.

SPEAKERS:
Africa Flores-Anderson (National Geographic Learning | Cengage: Boston, MA)

Join Chief engineer of NASA’s JWST to explore the design and development of the largest space telescope every imagined by humanity. Discover how The Hunt for Planet B will shape our future and what we can learn about the skills and relationships that drove our greatest technological journey as a species.

About the Speaker
Jonathan Arenberg is currently chief mission architect for Science and Robotic Exploration at Northrop Grumman. His work experience includes all phases of program and mission development, including early technology development, mission concepts, detailed design, test and verification, and integration and test. His last major program assignment was as chief engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope. In the last few years, Dr. Arenberg has led major mission studies for NASA and other government customers. He has been a principal in major paradigm breaking concepts; the Starshade, MODE lenses, and the OASIS mission based on an inflatable reflector. He is a creative and broad thinker, capable of addressing the most challenging problems with practical and effective solutions. In addition to optical systems experience from X-rays to THz systems, he is also familiar with laser systems and components.

Dr. Arenberg has a BS in physics, a MS and PhD in engineering, all from UCLA. As a committed member of the scientific community, Dr. Arenberg is a long serving California State Science Fair Judge, frequent public speaker, a referee for several journals, and a guest editor for several special journal issues. He is a Fellow of the international optics and photonics society, SPIE, for his contribution to astronomy and lasers. He is the author of over 200 conference presentations, papers, and book chapters and holds 15 European and U.S. patents in a wide variety of areas of technology. Dr. Arenberg is also the co-author of a recent book on systems engineering for astronomy from SPIE press. In 2020 Jon was given the Professional Achievement Award from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Arenberg (Northrop Grumman Corp.: El Segundo, CA)