Mission statement: The DUPA Outreach committee aims to bridge the gap between the Duke higher education community and residents of Durham and the greater Research Triangle area. We run outreach events that target age groups from elementary school to retirees on a wide variety of topics, including STEM education, resume and career workshops, and community presentations. Reach out to the committee chair if interested in participating!
Current members:
Maria Jantz | maria.jantz@duke.edu
Brean Prefontaine | brean.prefontaine@duke.edu
Rebeca Stiepel | rebeca.stiepel@duke.edu
Jennifer Hammel | jennifer.hammel@duke.edu
Delaney Knorr | delaney.knorr@duke.edu
Danielle Wagner | danielle.wagner@duke.edu
Meagan Arguien | meagan.arguien@duke.edu
Alix Maclin | alix.maclin@duke.edu
ONGOING INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES
Duke SciTalks at the Durham Center for Senior Life (DCSL): The DCSL aims to “enrich the lives of Durham seniors 55+ by promoting healthy, active, and independent lifestyles.” DUPA Outreach contributes to this goal by a hosting a series of TED-style / interactive presentations that connect your research to everyday life or mainstream media topics. 2-3 postdocs team up for each event for a 1-hr. time slot with presentations, activities, and Q&A.
Durham County Officials Presentations: Presentation series to Durham county officials, particularly in public health-related fields.
Duke Research Cafe: Learn about (or present on!) scientific topics at Bseisu Cafe on campus at Duke. This is a great way to meet people outside your field, get practice presenting to a general audience, and to get free drinks.
Durham Community College Career Panels: This event is hosted once per semester and is an informational Q&A panel for Durham Community College students interested in 4-year degree programs or graduate programs. Students have the opportunity to ask postdocs about their career paths, how they spend their days, and advice about getting involved in research.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
STEAM Day at Durham County Public Library: Drop-in event at the Main branch of the Durham Public Library with a wide variety of science-themed activities, aimed at 3rd-12th grade students. The workshop covered invisible inks, art and the visible light spectrum, neuroscience games, programming motors that could be used to make a robot move, and more.
Science Day at the North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM): NCSSM is a public boarding school for North Carolina’s best and brightest Junior and Senior high school students. During Science Day, selected postdocs are able to share their research and engage these bright students by giving a 10 min presentation followed by 5 min of Q&A.
STEM Night at the Durham Museum of Life & Science: A science fair type of event where DUPA hosts a table, twice per year. We provide science demonstrations and examples. There are no curriculum requirements and all topics/fields are welcome.
