As we celebrate women who have made history and break down barriers, we want to showcase women who are changing the face of STEM during Women’s History Month.
We spoke with three women featured in the Stories of Women in STEM at the Smithsonian ebook about their career path, and how they would encourage the next generation of scientists.
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Welcome to the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals Project, which provides youth around the world, ages 11-18 with the knowledge and skills to understand the world’s most pressing issues and to become agents for change in their own communities. Through a series of freely available community research guides, young people use their communities as their laboratory to investigate the science that underlies the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center in collaboration with the InterAcademy Partnership, Young people define and implement their own sustainable actions to help solve the greatest challenges of our time.
March 12, 2021
Expert Connect is a diverse network of national STEM leaders engaged in supporting a vibrant and diverse generation of young STEM professionals. The National Medal Science & Technology Foundation (NMSTF) recognizes the value of inspirational stories within the STEM community. For many years, their primary goal was to share the stories of the top minds in science and technology with the public. Today, they have expanded their mission to not only highlight great scientists and technologists but also actively engage these individuals to help build inclusive STEM communities across the United States. On March 12, 2021 Dr. O'Donnell was interviewed by NMSTF; her interview will be posted on the Expert Connect portal to foster the relationship between individuals who have received national recognition for excellence in STEM and future members of the STEM community.
In 2019, with support from a Gates Foundation Youth Access Grant, the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) launched Exploring the Nature of Science Through Smithsonian Sidedoor Podcasts, in partnership with the Smithsonian Office of Communications and External Affairs (OCEA), the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA), and the National Zoological Park/Smithsonian Biology Institute (NZP/SCBI). Centered on a curriculum designed to teach about the nature of science and knowledge creation, in the summer of 2019, SSEC conducted a teacher workshop in which participants were introduced to podcasts as a teaching tool, and provided training, support, and tools to implement the Exploring the Nature of Science curriculum.
When you consider a busy city like Washington, DC, you might not think about exotic wildlife encounters. But the DC-area is home to a fascinating animal: the Southern Flying Squirrel. Many people don’t realize that they may be living with flying squirrels right in their backyards. In fact, flying squirrels are the most common squirrel in North America [1].
American and Asian Cousins
North America is home to two major species of flying squirrel. The two primary flying squirrel species found in the United States are the Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans, and the Northern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus. As you can see from the maps below, the two species of North American squirrel have vast ranges in which they live.
Left: Range Map of Glaucomys volans, the Southern Flying Squirrel [2]. Right: Range Map of Glaucomys sabrinus, the Northern Flying Squirrel [3]. Cassola, F.