Dr. John here… If you’ve been reading my Science Cheerleader contributions during the past year, you know that I absolutely love science. What you may not know is that I love many other things, including but not limited to: free money. Hence, I’m pleased to share a few interesting funding opportunities for women in science and technology.

1. The L’Oréal USA Fellowships for Women in Science program is a national awards program that annually recognizes and rewards five U.S.-based women researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers. Recipients receive up to $60,000 each that they must put towards their postdoctoral research. The fellowship program aims to raise awareness of the contribution of women to the sciences and identify exceptional female researchers in the U.S. to serve as role models for younger generations.

This hyperlink will take you to the application. Please note that the deadline is December 13, 2010, so interested applicants will have to move fast.

2. Dr. Anita Borg devoted her life to revolutionizing the way we think about technology and dismantling the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields. In honor of Anita’s vision, Google established the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, awarding scholarships to women who share her passion for technology.

Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship recipients will each receive a $10,000 award for the 2011-2012 academic year. A group of female undergraduate and graduate students will be chosen from the applicant pool, and scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of each candidate’s academic background and demonstrated leadership. All scholarship recipients and finalists will be invited to attend the Annual Google Scholars’ Retreat in Mountain View, California in 2011. The scholarship is also offered in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, the United States.

3. The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years is open to current female high school seniors who are intending to enroll as full-time students at a university in the U.S. for the 2011-2012 academic year. Applicants should have a record of strong academic performance and plan to pursue a degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical program. The winning scholars will be invited to attend the Google FUSE networking retreat in 2012.

Good luck!

Dr. John here… During Science Cheerleader’s ongoing effort to challenge stereotypes and inspire youngsters, we’ve searched the globe to find cheerleaders and athletes who are pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.  Little did I know, I spend every workday sitting right across the hall from a high-tech hybrid that has mastered the world of Internet technology and the rigors of personal physique (refer to image of ridiculously toned, bikini-wearing woman).

I’d like to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Arlene, a Google Search Appliance Analyst at the U.S Department of Defense. She manages both the business and technical aspects of the Google search engine on www.defense.gov and is my go-to person for insight on virtually anything related to the Internet (and apparently fitness as well!)

As you’ll learn in the interview below, Arlene has also spent her entire life competing in a variety of sports and cheerleading, culminating as a competitor in National Physique Committee Figure competitions.  She also shares some of her first experiences in the science and technology, and gives away her secret to getting people interested in STEM.

And now I think I need to hit the gym!

Which teams did you cheer or play for and when?

I’ve always been an avid athlete since I was very young: Little League left fielder, Pee-Wee League cheerleader in primary school; softball in Jr high school and indoor and outdoor track and cross-country running in Sr high school. Later on I was an amateur level competitor in National Physique Committee Figure competitions (think bodybuilding with less muscle bulk mixed with a swimsuit presentation).

Who or what experience turned you on to STEM careers?

My dentists, doctors, and my parents turned me on to science as a very young child. I was ill often, had very poor vision, and bad teeth. To help me understand the “why” of all these things, my parents took the time to explain everything to me with the help of books and games. This desire to learn how things work coupled with subscriptions to OMNI Magazine and National Geographic throughout most of my childhood fueled my interest in all things science.

From astronomy to chemistry – I received my first kit when I was 7 – to zoology, I could never get enough science. My biggest love was astronomy and space science, though. I had ambitions of becoming an astronaut when I grew up, but then I learned at university that my inferior vision would keep me from achieving that dream. I turned my attention to web technology and innovation instead.

Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream associated with beauty or physique (cheerleading, baseball, etc) and following a STEM career usually associated with, well, geeks?

My biggest advice: Ignore the labels and go after everything you desire. I feel very fortunate that my parents encouraged me to do whatever I wished. They never told me to choose between math and running track, or between biology and ballet dancing. In their eyes I was capable of doing it all, and so I did.

How did your fellow cheerleaders/athletes accept your interest in STEM fields?

I was fortunate to have known a lot of fellow athletes with brilliant minds throughout my life so my interest in science was often shared. It was always nice to be able to discuss that day’s biology homework while running laps.

What are typical reactions you’ve received when people learn about your figure competition days?

Because I’m soooo smart [kidding. not really. yes I am.], people are either shocked or in disbelief when I tell them about my National Physique Committee figure competition days. When they see the pictures they’re still shocked, but not so disbelieving. Then when I start to explain the science behind competition training (and there’s a lot of it), they become utterly fascinated.

How do you encourage people to become more interested in STEM careers??

I always like to ask people, “Do you ever wonder WHY something is the way it is?” and provide them with all the resources I can to learn the answer to the “why”. Especially children since young ones are still discovering life. More informed = better choices.

Best athletic experience?

Placing second in my class at my final figure competition. In the four years that I competed I’d always been 4th and had busted tail switching up my training regimen to finally move up to 2nd!

Best science experience?

Getting the highest grade in my freshman biology class at university for the fruit fly DNA experiment because no one else in the class could figure how to keep their flies in their containers.

Favorite sports team and why?

Auburn Tigers football. Why? WHY?! Cut me in half and I’ll bleed orange and blue. And it’s where I went to university. WAR EAGLE!

While we most commonly associate Google with its ability to search the Intertubes for our favorite science FAILs, the tech giant is also opening new doors for citizen science. A recent article in the Public Library of Science (PloS) ONE highlights a new mobile phone application, powered by Google Maps and Google’s Android operating system, that allows professional and citizen scientists to gather, submit, and access research data from the field.

The application, called EpiCollect, was initially designed for epedimiological and ecological studies but has potential for a number of other fields, including economics, public health, and resource allocation. Individual users can input data records (variables, photos, GPS location, etc) into EpiCollect from their mobile phone, which is synchronized to a central database. An accompanying web application, located at www.spatialepidemiology.net, provides a common location for mapping, visualization, and analysis of the data by everyone involved in the study. The two-way connectivity between the EpiCollect mobile application and the central database could increase the collection and collation of data for community projects, particular in resource-limited areas.

Importantly, EpiCollect was developed as a free software using Google’s open-source Android operating system. Anyone interested in using the software is encouraged to contact David Aanensen in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London.  The EpiCollect website also provides three sample epidemological datasets and a facility to geocode your own spatial data.

Heeeeere’s John! About a year ago, Google announced it’s “10 to the 100th Power” contest to celebrate its 10th anniversary.  The intent of the contest was to get ideas from around that would help the most number of people.  Google would invest a big pot of cash to help kick-start some of those ideas.  The contest was a pretty neat; even I submitted several ideas in the hope of becoming the savior of all humankind.

Semi-finalists were supposed to be announced by January 27th, 2009, but got delayed until March 17th, and then  was put on hold again.  Apparently the company that handles a bazillion search requests each day got swamped by 150,000 ideas, but I digress.  On September 24th the semi-finalists were announced, and the public is invited to vote on their favorites.  I’m a little miffed because none of my obviously world-changing ideas were among the chosen, but I’ll just have to get over that small disappointment.

All of the ideas are meritorious, however there are a couple that readers of “Science Cheerleader” might find especially interesting…

1. Enhance science and engineering education
2. Encourage positive media depictions of engineers and scientists

I’m really not trying to game the vote (well, OK, I am), but I encourage you to let your Google vote be heard.  Voting ends on October 8th, 2009.

Check out Google’s near-future power meter gadget designed to help you monitor your household energy consumption. Useful tool but the Flintstone’s Kazoo is whispering in my ear “I see big fines in your future! Beware!”
Silly Kazoo…. :/

From Google’s website:

How much does it cost to leave your TV on all day? What about turning your air conditioning 1 degree cooler? Which uses more power every month — your dishwasher or your washing machine? Is your household more or less energy efficient than similar homes in your neighborhood?

Its nearly impossible to make informed choices about electricity. This is a problem but also a huge opportunity for us all to save money and help the environment by reducing our power usage. Studies show that access to your household’s personal energy information is likely to save you 5–15% on your monthly bill. Even greater savings are possible if you use this information to see the value of retiring your old refrigerator, installing a new air conditioner or insulating your home. The potential impact of large numbers of people achieving similar efficiencies is even more exciting. For every six households that save 10% on electricity, for instance, we reduce carbon emissions as much as taking one conventional car off the road (see sources and calculation).

At Google we’re helping enable a future where access to personal electricity information helps everyone make smarter energy choices. Google PowerMeter shows consumers their electricity consumption in a secure Google gadget. Today we are testing the product with utility partners in the US, India and Canada. We plan to expand the rollout of Google PowerMeter later this year.

We think Google PowerMeter offers more useful and actionable feedback than complicated monthly paper bills that provide little detail on consumption or how to save energy. But Google PowerMeter is just a start; it will take a lot of different groups working together to create what the world really needs: a path to smarter power.

Yesterday, Google announced Google Flu Trends, which uses “aggregated search data in an effort to confront the challenge of influenza outbreaks.” (From the Google Flu Trends site):

“We’ve discovered that there is a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Our estimates, based on up-to-date aggregated Google search data, may indicate flu activity up to two weeks ahead of traditional flu surveillance systems.”

It’s an important project but I wish it provided more opportunities for the public to participate in the scientific processes of observing, recording, and comparing data. Like the Great Influenza Experiment (a Citizen Science project) hopes to do. At least, I think that’s what it intends to do…not much information on their 2-page website.

A quick glance at today’s flu prediction map of the U.S. hints that folks in North Carolina and Tennessee might be eating more fruits and veggies than their bordering neighbors to the north and south.

Google’s Flu Trends can  accurately estimate current flu levels one to two weeks faster than published CDC reports.

Are we bearing witness to the transformation of “big government” in its traditional form to “personalized government” via web-enabled technologies? 

Before you answer, consider this: It’s not just the Flu Google is targeting: 
“Google.org’s Predict and Prevent initiative supports efforts to identify hotspots where new infectious diseases may emerge, detect new pathogens and outbreaks earlier, and respond quickly to prevent local threats from becoming global crises. The Google Flu Trends team worked closely with the Predict and Prevent team as the product was developed, and we continue to look for ways to use Google’s tools and products to predict and prevent infectious disease outbreaks and other emerging threats.”