The Second Anniversary Edition of our “MOST EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADES IN SCIENCE” & “THIS TIME ALSO DARWINIAN High School Student Conference will be held on Tuesday March 10th, 2009. Attending this event is FREE, but registration is required. Online registration is now closed but we do have a waiting list. Conference registration opens at 8:30am, with the program starting at 9:00am. See below for full schedule details.
This event showcases various scientific pursuits, including the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, 
as well as interact with some of the most prominent scientists in the world. This year’s program is looking awesome! I heard a rumor that it’s so good that even Darwin is thinking of coming.
You can download our 2009 Escapades Poster, if you want!
Speaker Biographies:
Dr. David Ng is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory, the educational arm of the Michael Smith Labs. Dave is a geneticist, science advocate, and occasional writer. Dave claims that his Dad beat up Bruce Lee once.
Dr. Joanne Fox is an Instructor with AMBL. She’s looking forward to a fun day of science and has some really cool prizes to give out to students at the end of the day. Joanne recently started a website called ScienceGirl.org that is all about connecting high school students with Science. She also has a dog named Penney who is quickly becoming famous on You-Tube for her singing.
Dr. Greg Bole received his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Stony Brook University. For the past six years he has been a lab faculty and lecturer in the Biology Program at UBC and was awarded the 2007/08 Faculty of Science Killam Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Greg started acting when he was 12 years old and continues it as a hobby. He has been portraying Charles Darwin for the past three years to classes and conferences in a wide variety of locations.
Dr. Keith Benson is a historian. “I became interested in biology as a result of a high school internship in a marine biology laboratory. While there, I also learned about the importance of the humanistic part of science, since the director of the laboratory was the editor of a book about seashore life, written by John Steinbeck’s closest friend, Ed Ricketts. These early interests are still part of my research career, thus emphasizing how important it is to become exposed to the sciences and the humanities.”
ESCAPADES IN SCIENCE – The HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES for the 2009 Conference.
I. BUILD YOUR OWN MICROSCOPE – LEEUWENHOEK STYLE
(Gillian Gile, Dr Patrick Keeling)
This activity guides students through the creation of this historic microscope, using only cardstock, thumb tack, and melted Pasteur pipettes. In this lab, you’ll build your own microscope capable of up to 100x magnifications which you can take home with you.
II. EVOLUTION PRIMER
(Dr. Joanne Fox, Dr. David Ng)
This activity will combine hands-on activities with show and tell to cover the basic science behind evolutionary theory. We’ll also play a game to test your knowledge about evolution.
III. TOURS OF THE MICHAEL SMITH RESEARCH LABORATORIES
(Dr. Arshad Chaudry, et al)
In this activity, students will get a chance to tour the research labs in the Michael Smith building. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows will share their stories about research and what it’s like to be a scientist.
Details:
Tuesday March 10th, 2009
9:00am – 3:30pm
Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC
2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC
maps, bus, parking, facebook
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Joanne Fox
joanne@msl.ubc.ca
604-827-3911
Schedule:
| 8:30 am | STUDENT Registration |
| 9:00AM START | WELCOME FROM Dr. Joanne Fox & Dr. David Ng |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | VISIT FROM DARWIN (as played by Dr. Greg Bole) |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Dr. Keith Benson – The Reception to Darwin and the Myth of Creation |
| 10:30 – 11:30 | EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE Rotation #1 – DIY Microscope Activity |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE Rotation #2 – Evolution Primer |
| 12:30 – 1:30 | LUNCH (on your own) |
| 1:30 – 2:30 | EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE Rotation #3 – MSL Research Lab Tours |
| 2:30 – 3:30 | NETWORKING GAME – Draw prizes at 3:15pm |
| 3:30PM END |
If you’re interested, you can check out last year’s program here.