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We believe it’s critically important for girls+ to see themselves represented in STEM careers, so we developed this Guest Speaker Series to offer our participants more (virtual) face time with womxn in these fields. These events are open to girls+ (girls & under-represented genders) who live in the Canadian Maritimes or Florida and meet the event’s suggested age range. These free events take place throughout the year, are held on Zoom, and are 1.5 hours long.
If you’re not able to tune in live, these events are recorded and shared on our YouTube page.
Upcoming Speaker
Guest Speaker Hunter Hogan is a Masters student in Biology at Acadia University in Nova Scotia and has been working as a summer staff member with us at Terranaut Club for 4 years. She’ll be joining us to talk about her Masters research studying the impacts of contaminants on coastal shark species in Nova Scotia, and Miami, Florida. She’ll be discussing her unconventional journey through academics, and how her shared passion for hands-on learning with Terranaut Club has provided her the opportunity to encourage, educate, and inspire girls+ to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Her FREE talk is titled “Studying sharks: how mercury and other contaminants may impact our oceans’ top predators” and is an online event for girls and underrepresented genders ages 12 – 18.
Past Speakers
APRIL
Our April Guest Speaker was Dr. Ellen Boyd, an emergency veterinarian and veterinary epidemiologist from New Brunswick, Canada, who spoke to us about diagnosing and solving different animal illnesses (using real cases!), her career path, and how to become a veterinarian! Her talk was titled “Afternoon at the Vet: Cracking Cases with Dr. Ellen Boyd”, and is suited for anyone aged 9-18.
FEBRUARY
Our February Guest Speaker was Amani Webber-Schultz, a PhD Candidate at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, NJ. Amani spoke with us about her research on sharks, their body shape and function, and their use in bio-inspired robots. Her talk was titled “Studying Sharks: How body form affects function”.
NOVEMBER
Our November Guest Speaker was Dr. Melanie Coombs, an Associate Professor in Biology at Acadia University, Nova Scotia who researches the immune system, cancer, and its link to frogs! Her talk was titled “Immune System and Cancer Research”.
OCTOBER
Our October Guest Speaker was Taylor Brown, a PhD student from Trent University who studies puffins and other seabirds in Newfoundland, Canada. Her talk was titled “A girl’s journey in studying birds”.
MAY
Our May Guest Speaker was Dr. Alexandra Lolavar, a Research Coordinator and PhD in Integrative Biology at Florida Atlantic University. Her talk was titled “How climate change affects Florida’s sea turtles and the lessons we learn from them”.
APRIL
Our April Guest Speaker was Giselle Deane, a Science Officer at Bahamas National Trust, the organization that manages all 32 of the Bahamas National Parks! Her talk was titled “Nature Conservation in the Bahamas: Challenges and Solutions.” Giselle joined us to talk about her job in nature conservation and education with Bahamas National Trust, the organization that manages all 32 of the Bahamas National Parks! We learned about the many challenges that the Bahamas, an archipelagic state of over 700 islands, faces with respect to the conservation of nature.
MARCH (Math Month!)
Our March Guest Speaker was Rebecca Alcock, a PhD student in Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. Her talk was titled “Math in Medicine: Calculating and Coding a Healthier World”.
FEBRUARY
Our February Guest Speaker was Erica Porter, a Fisherwoman and Ocean Technician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Her talk was titled “Life on the Ocean: Fishing, Science & Conservation”.
JANUARY
Our January Guest Speaker was Andy Fragola, a Marine Biologist and Shark Safety Diver with One Ocean Diving in Hawaii. Her talk was titled “Sharks in Hawaii: Apex Predator, Not Monster”. Photos below by Chiara Salomoni and Cameron Grant.
