Enjoy a night of scientific exploration. Local researchers will set up booths with interactive activities and live demonstrations.
Celebrate the International Day of Failure (13 October) with local scientists sharing what didn’t go right during their research, and how that failure made an impact on their lives.
Join us as we closeout or week-long festival for a morning at Gandy beach dedicated to community service and science!
9:30a: Keep Pinellas Beautiful starts the morning with a beach clean-up along the south side of the beach (about 1/4 mi east of The Getaway).
10:30a: taste of science Tampa Bay picnic style talks start where the clean-up began.
Remember to bring: chairs or blanket to sit, your own food and drink to enjoy the picnic! KPB will provide gloves and materials for the clean up.
Shifting Sands: Understanding the hazards that come with living where the ocean meets the land - Many of the things we love about Florida - the beautiful beaches and clear waters – also make it a hazardous place to live. During hurricanes, waves and surge dramatically reshape our coastlines. Sea level rise threatens low-lying towns with nuisance flooding. However, there is strong science that explains how coasts respond to these external forces. With this understanding of the natural system, we can predict areas of future vulnerability and provide useful guidance to decision-makers.
About Hilary: Dr. Hilary Stockdon is the Science Advisor for Coastal Change Hazards at the U.S. Geological Survey. She grew up exploring the woods of Virginia.
Oil Spills in the Gulf of Mexico and potential implications for the Tampa Bay Area - We have learned a great deal about oil exposure and response of Gulf of Mexico ecosystems following the Deepwater Horizon (2010) & Ixtoc (1979-80) oil spills. We have also gained invaluable information about natural Gulf ecosystem operation and connectivity. Patrick’s talk will provide an overview of several scientific efforts underway to aid responders and managers in the case of future oil spills, the current setting for deepwater drilling in the Gulf and implications for the Tampa Bay area.
About Patrick: As a research associate at the USF, College of Marine Science, Patrick studies human impacts on marine seafloor systems.
Pyrodinium bahamense: coming this summer to a water body near you…Tampa Bay? - Phytoplankton are important and critical to life, but a small percentage of species can be harmful. Most Floridians know the harmful red tide alga well, but this talk will focus on a toxic, bioluminescent species called Pyrodinium bahamense, and why blooms of this species are a recurring summer feature in Tampa Bay.
About Cary Lopez: Cary is a phytoplankton ecologist by training, and her research focuses on a toxic alga that blooms in Tampa Bay most summers.
About Sugandha Shankar: Sugandha is a phytoplankton ecologist and her current projects focus on harmful algal bloom ecology and physiology. She is interested in understanding environmental factors that favor bloom maintenance and toxin production.
Start your weekend with a cup of Joe with a triple shot of SCIENCE! This special morning edition of taste of science brings speakers from Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, USF Oncology, and University of Florida
CD82, a protein that prevents cancer spread - Suganthi’s research focuses on a protein called CD82 that prevents cancer from spreading in prostate cancer. I will discuss our lab findings on what we have discovered so far about the protein and how we think it may be regulating cancer spread to other areas.
About Suganthi: Suganthi is an associate professor (Biology) at USFSP. She holds a B.S & M. S (Biochemistry) & Ph.D. in physiology and was a professor (at GVSU) prior to USFSP
Act Like a Right-Hander - 90% of human beings are right-handed, and the human world is designed for encounter with the right hand. This right hand bias is well-known, and special devices such as scissors, coffee mugs, and wooden spoons are designed for left-handers. From the perspective of one-off accommodations, however, the extent of right hand bias is unclear. Are there norms or rules governing handed activity?
About Peter: Peter is a Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at the University of Florida.
The Psychology of Breaking Bad Habits - The presentation will address the psychology of how habits start, how they are reinforced, how they are maintained and why they are so hard to break. Using a cognitive/behavioral model, the presenter will discuss addictive/habitual behaviors including food addictions, drug addictions and sex addictions--For those who have kicked the habit, there will be a discussion of thoughts and behaviors that lead to relapse and ways to avoid returning to old habits.
About Katurah: Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Dr. Jenkins-Hall is the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology
Not to go elementary on you, but our speakers will breakdown the fundamentals of their research in three unique topics: baseball science, robotics, and communicating climate change.
Join us for our second night at Cage Brewing in St. Petersburg to meet some local scientists and the work they’re doing to make St. Pete a better city.
Science and Technology in Baseball - Over the past decade, technology has allowed for the measurement of detailed information on what happens in a baseball game, ranging from the spin of pitched baseballs, exact trajectories of home runs, and the motion of players on the field. We'll talk about this new information and how it impacts the game.
About Will: Will is the Director of Research and Development for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bots… Robotics that is! - Robotics in the classrooms for All students: Access and Equity. The discussion is Bots/robotics education in the classroom, the necessary evil for teacher…and Why Bots
About Sandra: Dr. Jackson is a STEM Educator and the Director of the STEM INQ Innovation Lab at the USFSP College of Education. Her research interest focus on equity, gender, cultural identity in STEM education and STEM-related fields.
Public Controversy Over Science: Lessons for Communication - Why is there a disconnect between scientists and the public when it comes to scientific issues like climate change, vaccine safety, and GMOs? How can we better communicate about science that has become publicly and politically "controversial?"
About Joanna: Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Eckerd College. I study public understanding of science, particularly for issues like climate change.
Join us and celebrate the diversity in science around the Sunshine City. Mr. and Mrs. B welcome us to the courtyard for an evening of science talks and delicious, creole food!
Tampa Bay is a diverse area to live. We are celebrating that diversity with a night dedicated to under-represented minorities and their incredible research.
Virus Hunting - Viruses are everywhere! However, these obligate parasites are difficult to track. This talk will describe some virus hunting adventures from our lab. We have looked for viruses in a wide range of environments, from wastewater to air, and organisms, from insects to sick marine mammals. We have captured an incredible diversity of viruses and, yet, we are only scratching the surface of the unseen viral world, which holds many surprises.
About Karyna: She is a Research Associate at the USF College of Marine Science with Dr. Mya Breitbart’s lab, where she uses molecular tools to detect viruses in organisms and environmental samples.
Social Justice Engineering: Engineering for the Culture - Science can often be disconnected from daily life experiences, inhibiting the diversity of culture and thought in STEM fields. Students from diverse backgrounds have a passion for using their STEM degrees as a way to solve socially relevant challenges in their respective communities. “Social Justice Engineering” asks the questions “what matters for my community” and “how can STEM solve this challenge?” It challenges traditional science towards inclusivity, allows for diverse ideas and solutions.
About Maya: A PhD candidate at USF in Environmental Engineering. I’m a social justice engineer- passionate about science and people! Also, a consultant and blogger
Remote Sensing: How it works and what we can learn from it - Remote sensing is one of the newest frontiers in science. It allows scientists to monitor many things at once all over the globe. This talk will discuss how remote sensing in satellites provides useful data and describes a few products and services satellites can provide for public health, ocean health, and research.
About Cara: I am a marine oceanographer with a love of coral reef ecosystems. I love science and want other people to enjoy it too.
We're bringing the taste of science festival to Cueni Brewing for a night of local scientists sharing beer and science. Three speakers will take the stage for the latest science-focused talks coming out of Dunedin.
The Sciences of Brewing - A discussion of how biology, chemistry, and thermodynamics come together in every pint of beer we consume. There will be a quick dive into each of these branches of science, and a couple ways they are used or incorporated into the brewing process. We will pair the branches of science with a flight of beer, in order to give examples of the results. There will also be a brief rundown of the general brewing process, and how ingredients effect flavors.
About Caden: Caden is the head brewer at House of Beer in Dunedin, FL.
Bottlenose Dolphin Dorsal Identification Research - Dorsal identification involves taking high quality photography of wild resident bottlenose dolphin dorsal fins and using unique fin markings to tell one apart from the other. Studying dolphins not only allows us to better understand their community, but ecosystem health as a whole. This presentation will be an overview of our study, the unique stories of some of our study animals, and what we hope to learn from our data.
About Savannah: Savannah acts as the current Education Coordinator at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Growing up in Florida, she has always had a passion for marine life which lead her to pursuing a degree in Marine Science from the University of South Florida. During her senior year, Savannah began her journey at the aquarium as a volunteer eventually leading into an internship with the Rescue Team post-graduation. After this internship, she was hired on as staff with the Education and Research team where she has found profound interest in the team’s various research projects and education outreach. Currently, Savannah is working towards her Master’s degree from the University of Florida in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and serves as a co-investigator on the team’s Dorsal ID permit.
Pinellas Ready for 100 - St. Pete, Largo, and Dunedin have set 100% renewable energy goals. Come learn why and how they moving ahead. Also learn what other cities are doing and what the rest of Pinellas can do.
About Bryan: I am a retired volunteer for Suncoast Sierra. I lead our Pinellas Ready for 100 campaign, which engages cities and county to set 100% renewable goals
Dunedin Water Plant Refurbishment - The City has had a close, working relationship with its chosen design builder throughout pilot testing, planning, design, and now construction of improvements to its reverse osmosis water treatment plant. All stages of the project will be covered in this presentation.
About Russell: B.S. in Chemistry - Loyola, M.S. & Ph.D. - USF. 5 yrs as Research Chemist - Merck, 5 yrs Process Manager - Doosan, 3yrs at Dunedin
Whether you’re celebrating Earth Day or want to kick off the 2019 taste of science festival, join us at Cage Brewing for three local speakers sharing their research over a glass of Galaxy Cat APA or Mango Bob’s IPA (or any number of their craft beer selection).
Ryan Venturelli studies Antarctica to better understand what changes in ice over thousands of years means for the future of the planet. Jennifer Sedillo is the program director of the USFSP Brewing Arts Program, but for tonight she's talking about the Science of Taste!
Subglacial lake science: from space lasers to sediments - Antarctic subglacial lakes remain one of the most unexplored regions of Earth's surface. Throughout the last decade, almost 400 of these lakes have been identified with the use of multi-mission satellite altimetry (SPACE LASERS), but only two have been directly sampled. As part of the Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) project, Mercer Subglacial Lake was recently sampled (January, 2019). Here I will discuss preliminary findings and what this means for the way we view Antarctica.
About Ryan: PhD Candidate at USF-CMS using novel geochemical techniques to answer questions about, "What happened?" and, "When?" in the geologic past!
Science of Taste (of Beer) - Beer tasting and judging uses all of the senses to evaluate beer and its quality. The flavor of a beer depends on the taster's perception. The use of gustatory, olfactory, and trigeminal senses help us to perceive flavor. There is a lot of research in this field but individuals are unique in how they perceive flavor. There are many chemical compounds and combinations of compounds found in beer that will alter the flavor and the quality of beer based on the style and local palate.
About Jennifer: I am the director of the USFSP Brewing Arts Program. I am a microbiologist by training and a certified beer judge.
Come kick off the annual St. Petersburg Science Festival by hearing some awesome, new, and local science!
Join of us for an explosive night of volcano science at the St. Pete Brewing Company! Who knew we had so many volcanologists in Florida, let alone right in our own Tampa backyards? Tonight is your opportunity to learn everything volcano related from our expert lineup of speakers, including Elisabeth Gallant, Dr. Steve McNutt, and Dr. Glenn Thompson. You won't want to miss this event!
Come join us for an evening of Investigations and Communications at Black Crow Coffee! We have 3 stimulating talks planned for the evening, featuring Dr. Jackie Hinkley who will speak about aphasia-the loss or ability to understand or express speech, Richard Meier who will tell us about the science used to investigate fires, and Michelle Guitard who will share her stories as an Antarctic paleoceanographer.
