Outreach and Information for the Public

It is a truism that familiarity breeds contempt. Those of us who live and breath the world of physics (and science in general) do so because it is interesting to us but we often forget how strange and exciting what we do can look to those who don’t share in our day-to-day activities. Physics, indeed science in general, can also appear to be quite intimidating. The main goal of my outreach effort is to create crosspollination between the world of the practicing scientist and that of the everyday young person.

For the young person I’m looking at fostering a culture of innovation and of hands on discovery in schools as well as boosting science literacy. I’m trying to communicate that science is something that can be done at all levels. That physics, and the other scientific disciplines, plays a role in all our lives. I want young people to understand that they can make a contribution in a scientific field of their choices and that discovering something can be exciting even if what you’re discovering is “only” new to you. I want young people to understand that all scientists had to start somewhere.

For the practicing scientist I want to serve as a facilitator for them to meet young people who are encountering science for the first time. For the scientist this allows us to share the fruits of our experience and our enthusiasms for our field. It also allows us to view our day-to-day lives in science with new eyes, eyes for which science is not a run of the mill activity but rather is new and wonderfully strange.

Major Ongoing Outreach Projects

• The Regina Regional Science Fair: I am the Chief Judge of the RRSF and sit on the organizing committee for this event. I am responsible for all judging related matters.

• Canada Wide Science Fair 2017: I am part of the local organizing committee for this even and am responsible for judge recruitment. I also sit on the National Judge Advisory Panel with scientists from across Canada where I advise on judging related issues for the yearly National Science Fairs.