Science Cheerleader

Join me on Capitol Hil: 5/23, Human Behavior: Influences on Energy Choices

Darlene — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:17:10 +0000

Join me for the last of a four-part series of Capitol Hill briefings focusing on the science and engineering required to achieve the nation’s energy goals. This event will examine Human Behavior: Influences on Energy Choices. Understanding and motivating human behavior can be powerful factors in moving toward a clean energy economy.
Moderated by Corey Powell, editor in chief of Discover Magazine. This series is sponsored by Discover (my employer), the National Science Foundation, IEEE and ASME. Click on the image to learn more about the speakers and to RSVP.
Learn more about this and our past events, here.

The 2012 Pop Warner Spirit Award goes to….

Darlene — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:57:02 +0000

Moi. Thank you, Pop Warner, for this awesome honor.

The Pop Warner Spirit Award honors a distinguished person or organization that by achieving excellence in the field of cheer or dance helps to instill the values of leadership, commitment and integrity in our young men and women.

Totally psyched. Thank you. And here’s to your talented cheerleaders who helped us set a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Cheerleading Cheer. Of course, we cheered for science:

And for joining Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter at Masterman School a few weeks ago to bring 700 students to their feet to cheer for science: and measure shaking at a school!

See you in Disney World later this month! Cheers!

Science Cheerleaders mentor Hammond High School girls: guest post from SciCheer Jo

Gopher — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:31:27 +0000

Science Cheerleader Jo (Baltimore Ravens cheerleader/environmental scientist) with Hammond High School Diamond. Credit: www.TheUmbrellaSyndicate.com

Hi, Science Cheerleader fans, Jo here, Environmental Scientist and current Ravens Cheerleader. Last week I had the opportunity to test out the Big Cheer for Science with students at Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland.

Hammond High School Diamonds and Jo, Science Cheerleader

First, I met up with the Diamond girls and had some great conversations with them. The Diamonds are a group of African American females, attending Hammond High School, who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and above. Science Cheerleaders and The Diamonds are meeting up monthly to perform and discuss science projects from our partner site, SciStarter ! This was my first time back since our kickoff event back in March, when we started our mentorship between the Diamonds and Science Cheerleaders!

The discussion I had with the Diamonds about what science (and non-science) fields they are planning to pursue in college was great! Almost every girl is planning to pursue a science degree, from medical to politics, they were all interested in an array of fields. The girls asked questions regarding what type of high school and college courses they would need to take for their specific concentrations and I described my daily life, and what it is that I do as an Environmental Scientist and Ravens Cheerleader! One of the girls told me that she used to stereotype cheerleaders, but now her view has changed, and she realizes that anyone can be anything, regardless of how they look on the outside!! One of our goals as Science Cheerleaders is to squash stereotypes and hearing that a goal was accomplished first-hand was so rewarding!

Image Credit: www.TheUmbrellaSyndicate.com

Once our conversation was over, we went to the gymnasium to lead other Hammond students in the Big Cheer for Science! The Big Cheer for Science was part of a large event that took place in Washington, DC at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, with our partners the USGS, IRIS, SciStarter and Discover Magazine. The goal: jump and cheer as loud as you can and to see how much the ground shakes. A sensor was installed by the USGS and Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology in the Hammond High School gymnasium to measure and record the shaking. In addition to the Diamond Girls, Hammond High’s sports teams and many other students participated. We performed the cheer 3 times to get the shaking number as high as we could!!!

Science Cheerleaders and friends at the USA Science and Engineering Festival

At the Science and Engineering Festival, I joined more than 20 other Science Cheerleaders to lead a large group of local students in the cheer, as well as many other schools who were given sensors across the country. All of those participating classrooms with those sensors are now able to help monitor and report to the USGS earth’s seismic activities for years to come! That’s right – this Big Cheer is actually part of a long term scientific research program!

This event at Hammond was so gratifying and so much fun! I can’t wait to go back again, to help perform another SciStarter project and get to know the Diamonds better!

Go Science!
(Editor’s note: Science Cheerleader Erica will mentor the Diamonds later this month! Stay tuned for Erica’s first-person account of the experience.)

Labenga: official sponsor and provider of the [awesome] 2012 Science Cheerleader lab coats.

Darlene — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:03:58 +0000

The Science Cheerleaders sporting new Science Cheerleader lab coats by Labenga!

Thank you Labenga for providing the MOST awesome lab coats for the Science Cheerleaders’ appearance in Washington, DC. Labenga joins Science Cheerleader as the official Lab Coat sponsor of the 2012 Science Cheerleaders. The lab coats were in HIGH DEMAND at our appearance. We’ll be selling them right here on ScienceCheerleader.com through a special arrangements with Labenga. In the interim, check out how you can order your own personalized lab coats, too: http://www.labenga.com/

NBC 10′s vIdeo of Science Cheerleader’s Big Cheer for Science, led in Philadelphia by Mayor Nutter

Darlene — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:47:29 +0000

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Philadelphia Mayor leads 700 Masterman School students in Science Cheerleader’s Big Cheer for Science. USGS measured the shaking of the school during the cheer and, like other schools across the country that participated in the Big Cheer, they are now networked into a long-term earthquake monitoring program from the USGS! Great job, kids!

Philadelphia Mayor ROCKS Science Cheerleader’s Big Cheer for Science with 700 kids!

Darlene — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:03:56 +0000

GOOOO Philly! Way to ROCK THE EARTH! These 700 students from Masterman School performed Science Cheerleader’s one-minute Big Cheer for Science on Friday 4/27. This cheer activated sensors at the school provided by the U. S. Geological Survey. The school will now be part of a national network to measure and record seismic activities for years to come. In fact, every school that participated and received the sensor as part of the Big Cheer, will become part of that network. Learn more about the Big Cheer for Science and its scientific merit on our sister site, SciStarter.
HUGE thanks to Mayor Nutter for his AWESOME work leading the Big Cheer. Special thanks to the St. Joe’s Cheerleaders who helped lead the cheer; Pop Warner Scholars for their help; Gerri Trooskin, Director of the Philadelphia Science Festival for her key role; Masterman School for making this happen; and the School of Rock (with Eagles full back Owen Schmitt on guitar and , ehem, my daughter on bass on vocals) for getting the kids totally pumped up before the cheer! Check
out this video, courtesy of Kishore Hari.
Great job, kids!!

It’s not too late to join the Big Cheer for Science, tomorrow at 1:30 ET! Mayor Nutter to lead Cheer in Philly.

Darlene — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:50:39 +0000

Tomorrow at 1:30 pm ET, schools across the country will participate in Science Cheerleader’s Big Cheer for Science! They’ll stomp out a science cheer for one minute while measuring the shaking of their classrooms with a seismic sensor provided by the United States Geological Survey. The sensor and related software then enable every participating classroom to be part of a long term study to better monitor earthquakes across the country! You can still get involved! Learn how, here.
The Big Cheer for Science is anchored in Washington, DC as the kick off event to the USA Science and Engineering Festival where thousands of kids will join two dozen Science Cheerleaders (NFL and NBA cheerleaders pursuing science, technology, engineering and math careers) who will lead the Big Cheer! The USGS will be there to measure shaking results.
Science Cheerleaders will go into local classrooms to lead the cheer and measure shaking in St. Louis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Bay Head, NJ, too!

Here’s a terrific article from the Examiner about the Science Cheerleader’s Big Cheer for Science in Philly–celebrating the Philadelphia Science Festival this week– where their kick off will start at 12:45 p.m. with a School of Rock concert to pump up the 800 participants at the J.R. Masterman School. Eagles fullback Owen Schmitt will accompany the band. Then comes the main event at precisely 1:30 p.m., as 800-students come together in a one-minute, choreographed cheer led by Mayor Nutter, Philly Science Festival Director Gerri Trooskin, and St. Joe’s University cheerleaders! Read the full (awesome) article, here.

Crystal: St. Louis Rams cheerleader and biologist.

Gopher — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:26:52 +0000

Meet Crystal, a biologist who also cheers for the St. Louis Rams. Crystal will be leading the Big Cheer for Science at a local school on Friday, 4/27 at 1:30 pm ET. Thousands of students across the country will do the same, one-minute cheer at the same time then measure shaking produced by their cheer using sensors provided by the United States Geological Survey. Participating schools then become part of an important USGS network to monitor future seismic activities!

This event will be anchored in Washington, DC, where cheerleaders from the Ravens, Redskins and Wizards (among other teams) will lead thousands of participants in the Big Cheer at the USA Science and Engineering Festival! Boy will all those people be surprised to learn that all those cheerleaders are also scientists and engineers! Learn more about the Big Cheer in Washington, DC, here. Learn how you can get involved in the Big Cheer (wherever you are), here.

Ok, it’s time to meet Crystal!

SciCheer: You have a biology degree. What made you choose that field of study?
Crystal: I have always had an interest in science. In college my major was biology, but I wasn’t sure about which route I wanted to take within the field. It took a tragic moment in my life for me to realize what I wanted to do. In 2006 I lost my Nanny to Alzheimer’s. She was an inspiration in my life and always encouraged me to follow my dreams. Watching her go through a deteriorating disease I knew that I wanted to do something more to give back to the research of Alzheimer’s. As a college graduate and full time employee with Sigma Aldrich, I am making great strides to further pursue my dreams of making an impact in the research of Alzheimer’s.
Also, I was drawn to biology because I find it to be versatile and it offered me an abundance of opportunities. My biology degree would allow me to go to medical school or to be a geneticist, toxicologist, environmentalist, or even a pharmaceutical sales representative. The possibilities in biology are endless. This multifaceted major intrigued me because it allows me to explore additional areas beyond research.

SciCheer: Favorite courses you took to prepare for your degree?
Crystal: One of my favorite courses was microbiology. This course that gave me insight into many different microorganisms present in our environment. The course covered the defense mechanisms in our immune system and how our body reacts when attacked. The elements of this course outlined and increased my interest in pursuing disease research.

You’re an associate scientist. Can you describe what you do ?
Crystal:I analyze and perform research on different projects focusing on proteins and antibodies that are a part of drug research, medical diagnostics, and disease research. Incidentally, I was starting my season as a Rams cheerleader when I was interviewing for this job. We were taking etiquette classes and media training which helped me to become more poised and refined with my interviewing skills. When I interviewed for my current position my supervisor told me he admired my willingness to learn and my excellent interviewing which I feel were enhanced by the training I received from the Rams organization.

SciCheer: You’ve just completed your rookie season with the St. Louis Rams. What was the experience like for you, and why you did you try out to be a professional cheerleader?
Crystal: My rookie season with the Rams has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have made lifetime friends and learned things about myself that I never knew before. The experience has made me better at time management and has encouraged me to put my fears aside. I have been dancing since I was eight years old. In college I was afraid to try out for the dance team and I let my fear of failing deter me from continuing with my passion. I always dreamed about being a Rams Cheerleader, and I told myself that I would not let my fear take over again. Going through the audition process taught me it’s worth fighting for what you want.

SciCheer:Which came first, your interest in science or cheerleading?
Crystal: It’s hard to say which came first because my love for dance has always been a part of my life and I have had an interest in science since I was in second grade. All throughout my education science was always my favorite subject even in high school. My passion for dancing was the same. I always found a way to be a part of a dance class, dance team, or praise dancing at my church.

SciCheer: Do you find that stereotypes about cheerleaders helped or hindered your professional experiences? (Are you taken seriously?)
Crystal: I would say that it has helped my professional experiences. Most people in my professional environment know me as a scientist. When they find out I am a Rams Cheerleader they are eager to learn about my role as a professional dancer. To me, this is one of the joys of my role because I get to oppose the stereotypes, and promote the reality of the NFL cheerleader as a smart, intelligent, and beautiful young women.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?
Crystal: My best cheerleading experience was this past January when I had the opportunity to accompany the Rams to Hong Kong. We performed in the Chinese New Years parade in front of thousands of people and even more people watching from their homes. Seeing the happy faces in the crowd, representing the United States, dancing , and being along side my fellow teammates was on of the best experiences of my life. Being in Hong Kong was a once and a lifetime experience and I was so grateful that I had the chance to be a part of the experience

SciCheer: Best science-related experience?
Crystal: My best science experience was on my first day of work. I had only worked in a lab during college which was somewhat different from a professional laboratory. On my first day I made so many mistakes that I thought my employer would reconsider his decision. But it was that day that I realized making those mistakes allowed me to learn. I also learned that there were people that had been working there for years and still made mistakes on a daily basis.

SciCheer: If you could rewind the clock and change your degree, would you? If so, to what and why? If not, why not?
Crystal:I would not. Although I’m not an award winning scientist do believe my contributions to research help on a larger scale. After all it takes multiple pieces to make a puzzle and I’m honor to contribute to the bigger picture.

SciCheer: Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream and following another ?
Crystal: To me there is no such thing as being a geek these days. If anything it’s considered respectable to be smart and have an education. Studying and doing well in school should be a number one priority however it’s important to pursue your other dreams as well. As a child I always loved to dance. It was my stress reliever when I felt overwhelmed and dancing makes me happy. I’ve always had an interest in science. I didn’t want to be a dancer full time but I didn’t want to be a scientist focused only on my career. So I found a way to satisfy both of my aspirations. Through determination and passion I managed to exceed all of my expectations by becoming a scientist and a Rams Cheerleader. Who said you can’t have the best of both worlds, you just have to believe in yourself and strive to have it all.

SciCheer: Along these lines, what advice would you give your 12-year-old self?
Crystal: I would tell myself that school is important and to take advantage of my education. I would also tell myself to remember that its important to live life and do what you love. I would tell myself to spend time with family, friends, and enjoy being a kid. Do what makes you happy.

SciCheer:What’s one thing people might find especially surprising about you?
Crystal: One thing that people may find surprising about me is that I am a little shy. At work I’m the reserved scientist that is constantly trying to stay on top of things but as a Rams Cheerleader I am able to come out my shell, talk to people, mingle, and be the bubbly person I am.

SciCheer:What are your plans for the future?
Crystal:In the future I hope that my contributions to science will help to give back to the studies of disease. I plan to continue with my masters and eventually pursue my PhD. I hope to one day manage and supervisor my own laboratory geared toward the research of diseases.

SciCheer: Why do you want to be a Science Cheerleader?
CrystalI want to be a science cheerleader because I want to let children know that it is possible to have more than one dream and achieve it. You don’t have to pick or chose between your passions. I want more girls to be inspired to continue on with their careers in science as well as others and break down the stereotypes about cheerleaders and build a new one of character and intelligence.

Suzanne: NBA Washington Wizards cheerleader, dual degrees in Math and Computer Science

Darlene — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:41:16 +0000

Suzanne is a cheerleader for the NBA’s Washington Wizards with dual degrees in Math and Computer Science. And, boy, does she LOVE her job(s)! You can meet Suzanne and dozens of other Science Cheerleaders at the USA Science and Engineering Festival (4/27-29) in Washington, DC! In the interim, let’s learn more about Suzanne.

SciCheer: Ok, Suzanne. What inspired you to pursue degrees in math and computer science?
Suzanne: Until my senior year in high school, I always had to work VERY hard to understand math and make the grades, as math did not come naturally to me. I had wonderful teachers that I spent plenty of time with after school and even had a tutor for Geometry! For some reason, once I got to Calculus, things just “clicked”…derivatives and integrals just made a lot of sense all of a sudden! Even though I enjoyed calculus, when I left for college, I NEVER in a MILLION years thought I’d pursue a degree in math. Upon entering college, I continued my math courses. Since I attended a Liberal Arts school, we were required to take a couple general education courses in every subject before deciding our major. I continued in calculus and had my first math courses with Dr. Yuan-Jen Chiang. Dr. Chiang was AMAZING and her classes were always fun and SO entertaining. Dr. Chiang soon became my advisor and based on my aptitude for the material in class, encouraged me to consider mathematics as a major. During one of our classes she drew us the “Pyramid of Life”, and at the base of the pyramid was mathematics followed by engineering and the sciences, and so forth. I know math majors get poked fun of sometimes because we think the world revolves around math, but logically it does (wink, wink)! As I pursued math as my area of study, I was required to take a couple computer science courses to fulfill the major. With a little inspiration from some outstanding Comp Sci professors, I was motivated to pursue a dual degree in Math and Computer Science. My very fond and inspiring class experiences at Mary Washington turned me on to degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science.

SciCheer: Favorite and/or least favorite courses you took to prepare for your degree?
Suzanne: Dr. Chiang’s class in Chaos Theory (e.g. The Butterfly Effect) was pretty awesome. I had to get special permission to take it as a third year student since I hadn’t taken the prerequisite (Real Analysis) yet. I also enjoyed my very last math class in my curriculum of studies: Topology. We learned using the Robert L. Moore method, which is essentially where we learn the material as self-study (read: by yourself!) and then during class present the proofs of the problem sets. Talk about pressure! I was so nervous and NEVER thought I could do this on my own. Our professor made class time highly interactive, and it was SO rewarding to look back and realize that I conquered that on my own! By far my toughest class was our Computer Architecture class. Essentially we started the semester programming in binary code (just 1’s and 0’s) and created real computer programs that were functional. That was a TOUGH class, but very rewarding.

SciCheer: Why did you try out to be a professional cheerleader?
Suzanne: I am currently in my third season with the Washington Wizards (go WIZ!). I danced through my college years, and was encouraged to try professional cheerleading as a fantastic outlet for dance after college. Professional cheerleading is a wonderful opportunity to keep dancing and performing, but also lets you pursue your career fulltime as well.

SciCheer: What’s a typical day like?
Suzanne: My job is incredibly demanding and challenging, so I try to optimize my time wherever and whenever possible. ExxonMobil (where I work) is an incredibly diverse company with many different and interesting things going on in all parts of the world, so I love to be as informed as possible about what the different areas of my business and other business lines are doing. I am the spend analyst for ExxonMobil’s Procurement Sourcing Center of Excellence, thus I am responsible for analysis on what we (as a corporation) are spending our money on, and where we spend it. I help our commodity owners and internal customers look for new opportunities and areas to save money. I support a tool that was developed for our team in order to make the results of our data mining much faster. The tool is written in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) and connects to a SQL server which stores our data. I work heavily in SQL every day in order to make my job much more efficient. Whenever information is updated or the tool is enhanced, I need to change the VBA code in order to reflect those updates. My programming skills are still being used to this day! Once I have the data I need, I try to look at the data as many different ways as possible in order to seek out where those optimization opportunities might be, whether it’s in another country, a different business line, etc: This is where we do heavy analysis. The data must always tell a story, and my job is to find the story and tell it!

SciCheer: Best thing about your job?
Suzanne: My job is very unique in that it is a combination of technical skill and analytical skill. If you can learn to be a great analyst, you will be able to apply that skill to many other areas of study. I also love that part of my job is R&D (Research & Development) focused. My team constantly works to find new and innovative ways to find and get information more efficiently, whether that is a new technical solution, or a better process. Last and certainly not least, the people I work with are one of the best parts of my job. I really enjoy all of the incredibly smart, motivated and fun people I work with. We work hard, but we also share laughs, which just makes for a fun work environment and experience. We help each other out when we’ve got a big project or are under tight deadlines, and we are also happy for each other’s successes. Fun fact: I bet you would be surprised to know how many people I work with from countries outside the United States! Argentina, Canada, Japan, Nigeria, Czech Republic, and Thailand to name a few! (And to all my Texas friends, no, I am not putting Texas down as its own country in this list!!!)

SciCheer: Do you find that stereotypes about cheerleaders helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Are you taken seriously?)
Suzanne: I really do believe it has enhanced my career in so many ways: I meet so many different people that I might ordinarily not have a chance to interact and talk to, by dancing and performing in front of thousands, it makes those presentations to management seem quite natural and I think it also makes me an overall, well rounded individual who respects her work / life balance.

SciCheer: Do you have any STEM advice for teens and pre-teens?
Suzanne: I couldn’t be more proud to have studied a field and pursued a career that is associated by those adorned with pocket protectors. Although Beyoncé is correct when she asks and then answers herself, “Who runs the world? GIRLS”, I am going to expand on that and tell all of the younger girls out there that Science Technology Engineering and Math girls REALLY rule the world. There isn’t anything you couldn’t do with a degree in a STEM subject. And you know what? There aren’t enough of you out there! I know it sounds cliché, but there comes a point in one’s life where it is VERY cool to be a “geek”. I personally consider myself “geek chic”…haha. People will respect you for your mind, and that is the best feeling in the world. As far as being torn between cheerleading / dancing or pursuing a career in science or engineering, I am always of the mentality that if you want it badly enough, you will make it happen. So, if you WANT to do both, I know there is a way you can make it happen! I am living proof of that. You will have to have excellent organization and time management skills, but you should never think you cannot do both. At ExxonMobil, we believe that to be truly successful in your career, you need a work life balance…I try to hold myself to this.

SciCheer: Along these lines, what advice would you give your 12-year-old self?
Suzanne: Listen to your mother! When I look back at my childhood and teenage years, I honestly cannot remember when I was right and my mother was not. I also never thought I would ever be able to admit that, but time does funny things to one’s sense of awareness and maturity I was a good teenager, but man, I can’t believe I gave my mom such a hard time!

I would also want to tell my 12 year old self that all the work and sweat exerted in school will be so worth it. Just because something might not come “naturally” doesn’t mean it won’t come. You can work hard at something AND excel at it. Just hang in there

SciCheer: What are your plans for the future?
Suzanne :I plan to continue my career at ExxonMobil and learn as many new things about the oil industry as possible…I am never done learning! I would also like to go to grad school (right now it’s a tossup between Math or Law School), get married and have a family one day.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?
Suzanne: Traveling to Mexico after my rookie year on the team to teach dance clinics to children in Mexico City. It was a very rewarding experience, and I am so fortunate I got the opportunity to represent both the Wizards and the NBA. The city was beautiful and everywhere you looked, people seemed like they were in love!

SciCheer: Best work experience?
Suzanne: The best experience was receiving my offer letter and being hired by one of the best companies in the world: ExxonMobil. It was the result of many, many years of hard work and study, and it paid off!

SciCheer: What’s one thing people might find especially surprising about you?
Suzanne: I received two scholarships in college: one for music and one for dance.

SciCheer: If you could rewind the clock and change your degree, would you?
Suzanne: Absolutely not. #1) I loved what I studied in school #2) When I started applying for internships in technical fields, it became apparent very quickly that all of these wonderful opportunities would not be possible without a degree in engineering, math or science. If I could rewind the clock, I’d almost be afraid I would have tried for a third degree, and add engineering!!! (Kidding…sort of).

SciCheer: Why do you want to be a Science Cheerleader?
Suzanne: I want to be a Science Cheerleader so I can encourage younger girls to consider a path of study in math or engineering. I want to help these young ladies understand that with a background in math or any of the other STEM subjects, life would be their oyster. I wish the younger generation could see how we see them: Nothing but opportunities!

Harnessing the power of wind for energy.

Darlene — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:46:49 +0000

On February 29, I attended/helped organize a Capitol Hill briefing as part of an ongoing series titled, “Road to the New Energy Economy,” presented by Discover magazine, the National Science Foundation, and professional engineering associations ASME and IEEE.

The 2/29 event featured Wind Energy and as much as we’ve heard about wind energy and solar energy, there’s still a lot to be learned. Did you know that typically, wind power is greater in the night time? Some parts of the country are perfectly situated, geographically, to harness the power of the sun (solar energy) during daylight hours and convert wind into energy to power homes during the night. Learn more about the opportunities and challenges of wind energy by watching short video clips of the Capitol Hill presenters and feel free to download their informative presentations, here.

Next up: Geothermal energy.