CHASS Integral to North Carolina’s Year of Communicating Science 2012

Mark your calendars for some exciting opportunities to participate in North Carolina’s Year of Communicating Science: 2012. The entire state of North Carolina – and the Research Triangle, in particular – will be center stage for science throughout 2012. NC State University will be very much a part of the conversations, and we invite you to join us.

Science Online

January 19-21 – McKimmon Center, NC State

ScienceOnline is a gathering of researchers, bloggers, reporters, authors and students who are passionate about science. And they’re not just passionate about science research, but also about communicating to the world about science. And we need more of that. Research shows that only 28% of adults in the U.S. are scientifically literate enough to understand the Tuesday Science section of the New York Times. Scientific advances are becoming increasingly complex, and those advances present opportunities and risks that we as a society will have to address.

North Carolina Science Festival 

April 13-29 – Statewide

The NC Science Festival is a multi-day celebration showcasing science and technology. The festival highlights the educational, cultural and financial impact of science in our state. Through hands-on activities, science talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits and performances, the festival engages a wide range of public audiences while inspiring future generations. The NC Science Festival and others like it offer an opportunity to celebrate science in fun and welcoming settings. This festival provides the opportunity to cultivate a positive environment that encourages children to pursue science-related careers and encourages businesses to invest in North Carolina. Most importantly, scientists want everyone to know what they know – that science is fun!

Public Lecture: Canopy Meg on Communicating Science

April 14, 11:00 am – SAS Hall, NC State

Margaret D. Lowman (a.k.a. “Canopy Meg”), the director of the new Nature Research Center at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and a research professor of natural sciences in NC State’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS), will deliver the keynote address on “Communicating Science” during the PAMS annual Scope Academy. Contact pams_info@ncsu.edu for details.

Nature Research Center Grand Opening

April 20-21 – NC Museum of Natural Sciences

The Nature Research Center (NRC) is a new 80,000 square-foot wing of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. The NRC will bring research scientists and their work into the public eye, help demystify what can be an intimidating field of study, better prepare science educators and students, and inspire a new generation of young scientists. The NRC’s centerpiece will be the SECU Daily Planet, an immersive, three-story multi-media space that will link virtual to real nature and be the site of live programming on breaking science news.

ScienceWriters 2012

October 26-30 – Research Triangle, NC

ScienceWriters is the joint annual meeting of the two largest and most influential professional organizations for science journalists: the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW). ScienceWriters is held in a different city each year and typically attracts 350 international participants over a three-day span, with added days before and after for intensive tours of local science-oriented venues. Hosting this meeting is an opportunity to showcase a region’s best science, its most impressive venues, and its most appealing researchers in a way that will make these journalists and authors take note and want to explore further. Planning for this event is being spearheaded by science and research communications leaders from NC State, Duke, and the UNC campuses in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, with a growing list of educational and corporate partners.