Pictured Back row: Dr. Jennifer Hines (Chemistry & Biochemistry), Ava Heller (Environmental & Plant Biology), Amanda McKeon (Forensic Chemistry), Daniel Ivory (Astrophysics), Dr. Mark Lucas (Physics & Astronomy). Front row: Kelly McCallan (Communication: Game Design & Animation), Erica Cox (Integrated Science Education, AYA), Jenna Berger (Forensic Chemistry), Addy Kruse (Chemistry), Jen Parsons (OVMoD). Additional team members not pictured include Ana Bucki (Astrophysics), Ashley Chong (Forensic Chemistry), Georgia Hilliard (Biochemistry).
The Ohio University STEAM Team wraps up a year of peer-led science community engagement activities with Science: Then & Now, a virtual exhibit inspired by the Morgan Collection in the History of Chemistry.
The group collaborated with Alden Library Special Collections and the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery (OVMoD) to develop the exhibit with the goal of illustrating today’s connections to and advancements from the sciences reflected in the Morgan Collection.
“Globally, many museums and libraries are creating web-based exhibits of their collections,” says STEAM Team mentor Dr. Jennifer Hines, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Ohio University. “The expanded access and inspiration virtual exhibits can provide make them an exciting new dimension for science public engagement.”
The Science: Then & Now virtual exhibit is delivered via social media with each post comparing an illustration from the 1500s-1700s with a current day image to highlight similarities and/or differences in the sciences across the centuries. In addition, STEAM Team members developed questions to accompany their pictures and further engage viewers.
The Alden Library Special Collections is open to the public for anyone interested in exploring the Morgan Collection or other special collections further.
Special thanks to AEP Ohio for support of the STEAM Team this academic year and Alden Library Special Collections Librarian Miriam Intrator.
The STEAM Team is co-mentored by Ohio University Hines, Dr. Mark Lucas, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy, and OVMoD Executive Director Jen Parsons. Together they combined science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines with the arts and humanities (A) to make STEAM hands-on learning activities presented each month at events throughout the region.
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