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SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

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VISUAL

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WRITTEN

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VERBAL

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Click on the images to the right to see the full infographic or flyer

Visual

A TUMULTUOUS TALE

This poster was made for the Scientist Walks Into A Bar event in 2018. It describes the history of oysters and their diseases in the Chesapeake Bay, as well as why these interactions are important. Made for a public audience to view at a local brewery.

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JOHNSON AND HEARD 2017

Commissioned by Dr. David Johnson, this piece was created to accompany a paper published in Ecosphere in October of 2017

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THE COST OF SICK OYSTERS

This infographic was produced as part of my outreach for Virginia Sea Grant. The goal was to introduce my topic of research to the public and lay the groundwork for why they should care about oyster disease.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS

This handout was made to market the Science & Technology Campus of GMU as well as promote its plans for expansion. The idea of a "communiversity," or a wholesome community with a university at its heart, has been driving development in the area that I was asked to showcase.

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ANIMAL ALLIES

Inspired dually by the amazing natural abilities of animals and the amazing scientists who study them, this info sheet delves into some examples of the ways that Mason researchers work with animals to improve human health.

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WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Written

Marketing Materials

I created seven fact sheets containing information on research centers supported by the Institute for Biohealth Innovation. They will be used as marketing materials at conferences and other events to recruit students, researchers, and collaborators.

News Article

I wrote a short news article about the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program after attending the final poster session at the conclusion of the internship.

Aquaculture Environment Interactions 

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 2015

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal
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A SCIENTIST WALKS INTO A BAR...

... and has everyone laughing while they learn something about oyster parasites! I prepared and delivered a 5-minute talk chock-full of cartoons, a relatable analogy, and a funny meme focusing on the history of oyster parasites in the Chesapeake Bay for a public and casual event at Alewerks Brewing Company. The event was part of a series organized by the Graduate Student Association of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. There was also an accompanying poster that you can view here.

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VIRGINIA SEA GRANT SYMPOSIUM

I prepared an engaging, 8-minute talk following the TED guidelines and presented it at the Virginia Sea Grant Symposium in Richmond, VA. Out of 10 graduate student participants, I won the People's Choice Award by popular vote. Click here to watch the video of my presentation on YouTube.

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OYSTER DISSECTION

I crafted a lesson about my research for middle school students and taught it to 3 classes of 12-20 students at Broadview Middle School in Danbury, CT. The lesson included an introduction to oyster biology and pathology, an oyster dissection, and an exercise in scientific illustration. In the image above, I am walking students through the oyster's anatomy via a document camera.

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RARE EVENT

This event, hosted by Maymont in Richmond, showcased "rare, endangered, and protected" species in Virginia in conjunction with the PBS series RARE: Creatures of the Photo Ark. I participated as the representative of VA Sea Grant and VIMS, presenting oysters as a protected species in Virginia. I created two flyers for the event as well as a physical activity. I had two bins of balls (oysters on a reef), two rakes (hand tongs), and a net (dredge). Two participants raced to see who could collect more oysters in ten seconds. The dredge always won. Afterwards, we discussed which method collected more oysters and pointed out that there were less oysters left on the reef of the winner. We then talked about the services that oysters provide, such as cleaning the water and creating homes for other animals, and asked if it was good to take all of the oysters out of the Bay. Depending on age of the participants, we could also talk about harvest rules and regulations that keep harvesters from taking all of the oysters out of the Bay.

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MARINE SCIENCE DAY

A public, campus-wide event that allowed me to discuss my research with people who live in the area and might be observing the oyster recovery that I studied. The Shellfish Pathology Lab's exhibit included live oysters in tanks, shucked oysters for touching, a microscope with oyster slides, various bivalve shells, coloring stations, and an activity that involves children coloring animals to populate an enlarged poster board reef, as shown in the pictures above.

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VARIOUS SCIENTIFIC TALKS

I have given six oral presentations at scientific conferences and seminars:

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NATIONAL SHELLFISHERIES ASSOCIATION MEETING, MARCH 2018

Oral Presentation, 15 minutes

"Are oysters in the Chesapeake Bay prioritizing their offspring over their health?"

VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR SERIES, FEB 2018

Oral Presentation, 30 minutes

"Is egg-ceptional reproduction the key to Crassostrea's comeback?"

COASTAL AND ESTUARINE RESEARCH FEDERATION MEETING, NOV 2017

Oral Presentation, 15 minutes

"Exploring the oyster response to dynamic parasite interactions in the Chesapeake Bay" 

NATIONAL SHELLFISHERIES ASSOCIATION MEETING, MARCH 2017

Oral Presentation, 15 minutes

"Does tolerance evolution underlie an oyster revival in the Chesapeake Bay?"

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SHELLFISH RESTORATION, NOV 2016

Poster Presentation

"Histological Investigation of a Potential Tolerance Response to Perkinsus marinus in the Eastern Oyster"

VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR SERIES, NOV 2016

Oral Presentation, 60 minutes

"Crassostrea’s Comeback: Understanding adaptation to intensified disease"

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