OUTREACH & SERVICE

  • Illinois Mycological Association/Culinary Historians of Chicago (joint meeting), virtual lecture, “Stone flower in the Chicagoland Region”, 7 May 2022. (60 attendees)
  • Earth Force Summit, lecture and Q&A, 6th-8th graders, “My life as a biologist”, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA, 6 May 2022. (90 attendees)
  • WeDigBio, virtual lecture and Q&A, all-ages, “Fast & Furious or Slow & Steady? Climatic niche evolution in lichen algae”, 9 April 2022. (23 attendees)
  • Learn from the Experts (Forest Preserve District of Kane County), Lecture and Q&A, with adults, “An introduction to lichen biology and diversity”, Creek Bend Nature Center, St. Charles, IL, USA, 7 April 2022. (59 attendees)
  • Field Associates Young Professionals Group, discussed plant biology, diversity and evolution while walking through greenhouses and highlighting plants. Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL, USA, 26 March 2022. (10 attendees)
  • A Scientist Walks into a Bar, discussed Fungi with host on talk show for adults (21+) at the Hideout, Chicago, IL, USA, 8 March 2022. (110 attendees)
  • Illinois Mycological Association, virtual lecture, “Fungi: friendly or deadly? A view into the hidden lives of Fungi”, 7 March 2022. (100 attendees) view
  • Field Museum Member and Discovery Circle Event, virtual lecture and Q&A, with adults (16+ years old) “Fungi: Friendly or Deadly?”, 12 January 2022. (240 attendees)
  • Field Explorers Summer Camp Field Stories, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA.Display and Q&A, with 5-7 year olds, “Fungi!”, 30 July 2021. (14 attendees)
  • Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Full STEAM Ahead Summer Experience, virtual lecture and Q&A with high school students, “My life as a biologist”, 20 July 2021. (14 attendees)
  • Career Day with Urban Initiatives at Barnard Middle School (Chicago, IL), virtual Q&A with middle school students, 25 May 2021. (~85 attendees)
  • Career Day at Mason Elementary School (Chicago, IL), virtual lecture and Q&A with 5th-6th grade students, “My life as a biologist”, 12 May 2021 (~16 attendees, 6th grade), 25 May 2021 (~16 attendees, 6th grade), 5 May 2022 (~18 attendees, 6th grade; ~16 attendees, 5th grade).
  • Field Associates Speed Science (Field Museum), virtual lecture and Q&A, “Using big data to unveil the evolution of an iconic symbiosis”, 8 March 2021. (~14 attendees)
  • Textiles Society of America (Textiles X Science Committee), virtual lecture and Q&A, “Working together to understand nature’s collaborators: lichens”, 3 March 2021. (~35 attendees)
  • Expert Consultant, served as an expert consultant for two sections (“Plants & Fungi” (pp. 156-157), “The Taiga & Temperate Forests” (pp. 166-167) in: Brittanica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia-What We Known & What We Don’t, Brittanica Books & What on Earth Publishing.
  • Meet a Scientist Online, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA “Fungal Interactions and Their Diversity”, Broadcast on Facebook Live, 2 September 2020.  (>5800 views) View Here
  • JP Morgan Chase Volunteer Event, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Virtual lecture and Q&A, “Life in one of the driest places on earth“. 23 April 2020. (~35 attendees)
  • Field Museum Collections Club Volunteer Event, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Virtual lecture and Q&A, “Lichens in the Atacama Desert: a whirlwind trip“. 22 April 2020. (~40 attendees)
  • Meet a Scientist, Pulaski International School, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Lichens!“.  4 March 2020. (~80 attendees)
  • Night of Ideas: Alive! (Field Museum and the Consulate General of France in Chicago), Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungi: Friend or Enemy?“.  30 January 2020. (~5500 total event attendees)
  • Moon Rock Holiday Special, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungi! Friendly or Deadly?“.  20-21 December 2019. (~300 total event attendees)
  • WeDigBio Volunteer Event, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Lecture and Q&A, “Using Ant Specimen Data to Unravel the Evolution of Ants”. 18 October 2019. (35 attendees); “Life in the Driest Place on Earth”. 8 March 2021. (18 attendees).
  • Illinois Mycological Association Lichen Foray at Illinois Beach State Park, Leader, 22 September 2019 (6 attendees).
  • Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum), Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”, 6 September 2019 (78 visitors), 6 June 2019 (151 visitors), 7 December 2018 (208 visitors), 28 September 2018 (105 visitors), 30 March 2018 (414 visitors), 3 November 2017 (139 visitors).
  • 12th Annual Field Museum Donor Celebration, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”.  9 July 2019. (~7000 event attendees).
  • Field Museum Members’ Night, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”.  9-10 May 2019 (584 event attendees); 21 Nov 2020 (300 virtual attendees), 21 May 2021 (~250 virtual attendees).
  • Dozin’ With the Dinos, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”, 25 March 2022 (350 event attendees), 7 February 2020 (487 event attendees), 17 January 2020 (1059 event attendees), 29 March 2019 (578 event attendees), 8 March 2019 (998 event attendees), 25 January 2019 (667 event attendees).
  • 125th Anniversary Celebration for Members and Field Adventurers, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”. 16 October 2018 (478 event attendees).
  • EVOLVE: Prehistoric – Field Associates Young Professionals Fundraiser, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”. 22 September 2018 (325 event attendees).
  • Diorama at the Whistler: Biology of Beer, Field Museum/Revolution Brewing/The Whistler, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Discussed the biology and evolutionary history of yeasts and other fungi, 9 September 2018 (30 attendees)
  • Environmental Career Panel (Keller Action Center, Field Museum), Chicago, Illinois, USA. Spoke with interns from SCA, Field Museum, Friends of the Forest Preserve, Cook County Forest Preserve District. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”. 13 July 2018.
  • Annual Field Museum Donor Celebration, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Fungal Interactions”. 11 July 2018.
  • Loyola BioBlitz at Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC), Woodstock, Illinois, USA. Team Leader (Lichens), 12 May 2018.
  • Field Museum Members’ Night (Grainger Science Hub), Chicago, Illinois, USA. Scientist – Ant-Plant Interactions, 10 May 2018 (354 visitors); Fungal Interactions, 11 May 2018 (554 visitors).
  • Mycological Association of Washington, DC, Kensington Public Library, Kensington, Maryland, USA. Lecture,“An overview of the lichen symbiosis”, 1 May 2018.
  • Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum), Display and Q&A, “Ant-Plant Interactions”, 6 April 2018 (458 visitors).
  • Chicago, Collected: The Biology of Brews, Field Museum/Open Outcry Brewing Co./Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Discussed the biology and evolutionary history of yeasts and other fungi, 24 March 2018 (52 visitors).
  • Evolving Feast, Field Museum/Chinese-American History Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Discussed the biology and evolutionary history of different foods, 17 February 2018 (60 visitors).
  • Dozin’ With the Dinos, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Display and Q&A, “Ant-Plant Interactions”, 6 April 2018 (883 event attendees), 9 March 2018 (516 event attendees), 23 February 2018 (774 event attendees), 16 February 2018 (408 event attendees).
  • North American Mycological Association Foray, Cable, Wisconsin, USA. Identification Expert, and Lecture, “Lichens 101: introductory lichen biology”, 2017.
  • Illinois Mycological Association, Niles Historical Museum, Niles, Illinois, USA. Lecture,“An overview of the lichen symbiosis”, 3 April 2017.
  • Field Museum Members’ Night, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Scientist (Ants), 2017.
  • Stanford Splash, Stanford, California, USA. Learning event for high school and middle school students – taught course “Who likes lichens?”. 7 November 2015, 12 April 2015.
  • Stanford Splash, Stanford, California, USA. Learning event for high school and middle school students – taught course “Fungal interactions: friendly or deadly?”. 7 November 2015, 13 April 2015.
  • Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, Illinois, USA. Lecture, “Understanding the origin and diversity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae”, 2012.
  • Kemp Natural Resources Station, Woodruff, Wisconsin, USA. Lecture and leader of lichen walk, 2012 & 2009.
  • Field Museum Undergraduate Research Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Moderator, 11 August 2012.
  • Field Museum Members’ Night, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Scientist (Lichens), 2012.
  • Chicago Public Schools Student Science Fair, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Judge for special awards given by the Association for Women in Science/Baxter Women in Science and Engineering, 2012.
  • University of Panama Workshop on Fungi, Lichens and Bryophytes, Panama City, Panama. Lecture, “An introduction to phylogenetic methods”, 2011.
  • Morton Arboretum Herbarium Seminar Series, Lisle, Illinois, USA. Lecture, “An overview of the lichen symbiosis”, 31 March 2010.
  • Illinois Mycological Association, North Park Nature Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Lecture,“An introduction to the lichen symbiosis”, 7 September 2010.
  • Fourth Brazilian Meeting of Lichenological Studies, Botucatu, Brazil. Lecture, “An introduction to phylogenetic methods”, 2009.
  • BioBlitz (National Geographic), Indiana Dunes National Seashore, Indiana, USA. Scientist, 2009.
  • National University of San Antonio Abad, Cuzco, Peru. Lecture, “An introduction to phylogenetic methods”, 2008.
  • Cryptogamic Botany Field Day, Big Bay State Park (Apostle Islands), Wisconsin, USA. Co-leader, 2007.
  • North American Mycological Association Foray, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA. Lichenology Assistant, 2005.
  • Annual Madison Audubon Society Fungal Foray, Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin, USA. Co-leader, 2002-2004.
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