Meet Erin, our newest Science Cheerleader. Erin cheered for the St. Louis Rams while she earned degrees in biology and psychology. She moved to Philadelphia to enroll in a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Masters in Human Sexuality program. Check out her fascinating fields of interest.

S.C.: So, Erin, What turned you on to science and when?
Erin: I have many family members in the medical field and had a peaked interest from early on.  Most importantly, I am passionate about exploring the world, how it works and how we function within it.  I have always been very skilled and interested in math and the sciences, which has encouraged my continued study.

S.C.: I can’t believe how many degrees you’ll have before too long. Great job! We’ll get into your particular fields of study soon. For now, tell us, what team did you cheer for and when?
Erin: I cheered for the Saint Louis Rams (NFL) from 2005-2009.  I was the 2007 ProBowl representative in Hawaii and appeared on the NFL Cheerleader Playoffs, which aired on the NFL Network in the summer of 2006.  I also made many military visits within the United States and overseas to Afghanistan, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.

S.C: Favorite and/or least favorite courses you took to prepare for your degrees?
Erin: My favorite courses in Biology were Nerve Cell Mechanisms and Behavioral Endocrinology, and I really enjoyed Organic Chemistry Lab.  I am very interested in the biological foundations and genetic components of behavior.  In Psychology, I love all courses related to Personality/Personality Assessment, Intellectual Functioning, Psychopathology, Neuropsychology and Behavioral Foundations of Human Sexuality.

S.C.: How do you plan to apply your degree? What does this mean?
Erin: I would like to work in a hospital or private practice, doing both assessment and psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families.  I am particularly interested in the interaction between physical health and psychological health based on the unique components that make up each individual and his or her experiences. I find myself constantly amazed at the power of human resiliency and hope on one’s physical and mental well-being.  I have an invested interest in helping returning military reintegrate into family life and minimizing negative psychological fall out including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), other forms of anxiety and Major Depressive Disorder.  One of the best things about science is that it allows you to have a wide range of interests and an ongoing desire to learn and explore. I am also very interested in the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying human sexuality (response and dysfunction) and the application of this understanding in a therapeutic setting.

S.C.: Wow. We’ll have to have you back to elaborate on that more. I think many of our readers will find that fascinating. I sure do… OK, which came first? Your interest in science or cheerleading?
Erin: This is difficult to tease out. From the time I was little, I loved dance, cheerleading and performing, as well as science and math.  Science and cheerleading/dance were never mutually exclusive in my mind.  I have many family members in the medical field, including my mother, who is a nurse and legal consultant.  She always emphasized that girls can be smart and talented and most importantly, she instilled the values of both work hard and loving what you do.

S.C.: Did you find that stereotypes about cheerleaders helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)
Erin: Both. People were often surprised to find out how driven each of us were in our educational and career paths.  Many people think that cheerleading is a career and all that we do. However, I think those stereotypes are being successfully broken down one person at a time as people realize that cheerleaders are successful, bright, talented individuals first and foremost, who simply love performing, football, and being on a team of inspiring women.  The fans in Saint Louis whom we had the opportunity to meet through charity events, appearances and games were our BIGGEST supporters both on and off the field.  In my academic and professional career, once people learn that I was a cheerleader, I often feel a sense of needing to prove my credentials and intellectual abilities; however, I think the combination of my hard work, dedication, and love of what I do speaks for itself.

S.C.: I think that’s a common theme among the Science Cheerleaders…the need to prove yourself a little more than other folks, in the work or academic settings. How did your fellow cheerleaders accept your interest in science?
Erin: Just as I was very interested and supportive of my fellow cheerleaders’ careers as nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, business owners, public relations specialists, computer programmers, etc., they were very supportive of my career path and interest in science.

S.C.: Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one  dream (cheerleading, etc) associated with beauty and following another (a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math career) usually associated with, well, geeks?
Erin: ALWAYS, always, always know that these two dreams can go hand-in-hand.  You can absolutely do both!  Doing the things that you love and enjoy in all areas of life is what makes you into the most well-rounded individual you can be.

S.C.: Along these lines, what advice would you give your 12-year-old self?
Erin: Continue to seize every opportunity you are presented with.  You never know who you will meet, what you will learn or how that experience will change your life.

S.C.: What are your plans for the future?
Erin: I plan to continue full-time in school and clinicals throughout the next three and a half years.  I am also involved in research on hope, human attachment in relationships and resiliency that we are hoping to publish within the next year.  Also, I will continue teaching ballet and working with Going Pro Entertainment, a company that specializes in consulting women and teams in the dance and cheerleading industry.

S.C.: Please keep us posted on that paper. And, we’re big fans of Going Pro Entertainment. As you know, they put together the awesome choreography and came up with the uniforms for the Science Cheerleaders performance. Looking forward to doing more work with them. So, your best cheerleading experience?
Erin: This is an incredibly difficult question, as I have many, many special memories.  One that readily comes to mind was our visit to Afghanistan.  Five of us traveled overseas to express our appreciation to the troops and bring a little piece of America with us.  One of the neatest experiences was at a smaller forward operating base, where we performed a show on the back of a flat-bed truck in the middle of the desert for the men and women serving our country.  We then stayed up the majority of the night playing rock-band with the troops and watching the sun come up over the Himilayas while listening to stories about their families at home and experiences in the military.

S.C.: I see how that experience ties into your interest in helping soldiers recalibrate back at home. Best science-related experience?
Erin: While I was applying for graduate school, I worked for a biotech company out of Saint Louis.  We sold research supplies and prepped DNA for medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies.  I loved vising the labs, getting to know the brilliant researchers and being up-to-date on their scientific advances.

S.C.: Anything else you’d like to add?

Erin: Just to thank you for the opportunity. I love this cause!!

In our ongoing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes by showcasing professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists, I’d like to introduce you to Ginger, a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader with a Masters Degree in Nursing.

SciCheer: Ginger, please tell us what turned you on to science.

Ginger: I entered Purdue University studying nursing because I wanted to work with–and help–people. After a year there, I decided  I wanted to go to medical school, so I moved back to Kansas City to go to KU for my pre-med requirements but decided to switch back to nursing.  I guess I just felt like the human aspect was sometimes missing from some of the doctor training programs.  I earned my Bachelor’s in Nursing and started working in an emergency room.  After a couple of years of this, I decided to go back to school and get my Master’s in Nursing.  I became a Nurse Practitioner so now I  diagnose, treat, prescribe, and do all sorts of procedures.  It is like the best of both worlds!  I love my job — I have autonomy to make decisions and treat patients, and I have the nursing background and caring touch that goes with it!

SciCheer: Do you find that your looks (or being a former cheerleader) helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)

Ginger: I actually never flaunted the fact that I was a cheerleader.  It was always my practice to let people get to know me for me, and then to let them find out about my cheerleading experience on their own.  I was very proud of my cheerleading days, but that was not something I felt right about telling people straight out.  Many people have stigmas or stereotypes about professional cheerleaders, and I wanted to prove that I was a ‘real’ person with intellect and compassion before they found out about what I did on the side.  That in itself created a level of credibility and trust and actually broke down some barriers that might have been present before.  When asked about my ‘looks’ — I never got caught up in this.  I don’t know if I was judged by my physical appearance or not — if I was, that is a detriment for the people who were doing the judging.  Beauty only lasts for a short time — life is not about what you look like on the outside.

SciCheer: Tell me a little about your favorite courses.

Ginger: I absolutely LOVED microbiology!  Playing with the microscopes and learning about organisms was amazing!  I also loved my criminal psychology and neuropsychology class.  There were intensely interesting.  Anatomy and physiology as well as pathophysiology, while difficult, were excellent classes, too.

SciCheer: Do you have any advice for middle or high school girls who might feel torn between following one dream (cheerleading or dancing) associated with beauty or following another (science) usually associated with, well, geeks?

Ginger: I would say first of all, you can do BOTH!!  I have done it and there is no reason why you cannot chase ALL of your dreams!  You only live once, so go out and try what you want to do!  Worst case scenario you fail but still have amazing experiences and life lessons to carry with you.   Like I said above, beauty isn’t everything; it is fleeting and we should not put our hopes and expectations into something that is so superficial.  Enjoy what you have, but ABSOLUTELY do NOT put value in things that are not of substance.  It is very easy to find an outwardly beautiful person who is ugly on the inside.  Be different!  Be a beautiful PERSON — someone who has strength of character, loves others well, lives for relationship, is fully present, and doesn’t put stock in how pretty she is.  THAT is a rare and truly breathtaking person.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?

Ginger: Going on the USO tour with our team to Italy!  How awesome to go and entertain those who are fighting for our freedom!!  Those are memories I will never forget!  I also will never forget how it felt to come out and do the opening number where the players would run through us as we were lined up on the football field.  Arrowhead is so loud and full of energy — there is NOTHING like it!!

SciCheer: Best ER experience?

Ginger: One of the best ER experiences would have to be when a gal came in who had almost cut off her fingers with an electrical hedge trimmer.  I worked on her hand for a couple of hours, one stitch at a time, trying to put everything back together in working order.  As I worked on her, we talked about her life, her children, her husband, her travels, and I shared with her about myself.  I was so worried about her hand.  I went home that night with her on my mind, and she stayed in my thoughts for days after.  I was afraid the damage was too far down and that her fingers would either not heal, or get infected and she would lose the use of her hand.  Several weeks later, one of my nurses told me I had a visitor in the waiting room.  When I went out to see who it was, it was that patient and her husband.  She had tears in her eyes and a glove on her hand.  She took the glove off, and her hand was perfect!!  She could use all of her fingers, she had full sensation, and it looked great!  It was wonderful!  We hugged, she cried in joy, and we both laughed at how worried we were that her hand was too far damaged, and yet it healed wonderfully.  It was truly a memory I will never forget.

SciCheer: Anything else you’d like people to know?

Ginger: The saying is old but true — ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’.

SciCheer: What’s next?

Ginger: I have applied to go back to school for my doctorate!

Good luck, Ginger! Thanks for lending your voice to science and cheerleading.

Hot diggity-DOG! After years in the making, my partner, Michael Gold, and I–with generous support from Science House–have officially unveiled the beta version (that means this is still a work-in-progress) of ScienceForCitizens.net . Science journalist, Carl Zimmer, who frequently writes for Discover and Time Magazine, said “It’s like Amazon.com for all sorts of possibilities for doing cool citizen science”. We’ll take that!

We’re seeking your feedback on ways we can make the site a phenomenal resource for all who use it. And, consider registering as a new member you can can explore the many citizen science projects out there, add your own project, create a personalized blog, or just meet up online with folks who share your interests.

I had the opportunity to unveil the site during the increasingly popular Science Online 2010 conference in Durham, N.C., this past weekend where I was invited to speak about citizen science, adult science literacy, and science in the media to a captive audience of science writers and bloggers. [I think my family and local friends were relieved to finally catch a break from me yapping about these topics every chance I get. Break's over folks, sorry ]

Here’s more about the Citizen Science session and the launch of ScienceForCitizens.net . Soon, I’ll post a report here on some of the most interesting issues sifted from some of the other sessions at Science Online 2010,  including: Adult Science Literacy, Science in the Media, Blogging 102, and more. For now, here’s a picture taken at the conference, of me (left) with uber science communicators: Dr. Kiki Sanford, Rebecca Skloot, and Joanne Manaster.

In the news.”Science’s Rah-Rah Gal:
Philly’s Darlene Cavalier Cheers for Discovery”

“A former 76ers cheerleader has taken up the cause for promoting science education among adults, and she is turning the old beauty vs. brains debate into a full-blown marketing campaign.”

That’s the lead-in to a recent feature article in Keystone Edge, a newspaper that “tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania–a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play.  Each Thursday, the Web site and weekly online magazine presents original stories, video and photography to tell that story, from Pittsburgh to Philly.” This past Thursday, Science Cheerleader was featured.

Here’s the article, as reported by Rory Sweeney.

Do you know why cell phones work? Probably didn’t care either, which makes sense. People want things that simplify tasks without having to know how or why they work. It’s intrinsically what separates good products from bad ones.

But just because you don’t know exactly how you’re able to read this or why some fats are beneficial when others aren’t shouldn’t mean you stop wondering about all of the world’s why’s?.

Darlene Cavalier has hope for you.

Though she didn’t create the idea, she’s accepted her identity as the “Science Cheerleader” and taken to it, leading the crusade to bring science back to the masses and make analytical thought as routine as starting the car in the morning.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities for people to weigh in on things, not at a federal level,” says Cavalier, who’s an advisor for business development at Discover magazine. “I felt like I had more to contribute to conversations, but I didn’t know what it was.”

So, in April, 2008, the Philadelphia resident started a website–the idea for the title came from another parent at her children’s school who has a marketing background.[Note from Darlene: "He" is Steve Grasse, CEO of mega ad agency, Quaker City Mercantile. ] He became interested in her desire to democratize science and quizzed her about herself to help develop a niche. When he stumbled across her somewhat-hidden past life as a cheerleader, he knew he’d found it.

“I kept it a secret. They’re two totally different worlds,” says the one-time pom-pon shaker for both Temple University and the Philadelaphia 76ers basketball team. “I was already dealing with stereotypes because I looked a little different than some other people who worked at Discover.”

Read: Hot vs. not so much. But almost more important was the vague stigma she feared her cheering past would create, as if she had been too frivolous then to be taken seriously now. “I know for myself, I really, really wanted to prove myself professionally,” she says.

But then add a few drinks at an office party and a chance run-in with an old teammate, and Cavalier was outed, showing off lifts and dance routines she had locked away years ago. Luckily, the office brass didn’t flinch. “They thought it was cool because I had already proved myself at Discover,” she says.

Proving she belonged was important to Cavalier because her bona fides were somewhat suspect. Her collegiate years probably appeared to be spent studying “mixology” and cheerleading, she admits, and aside from a temporary job stuffing envelopes, her first paying gig after school was on the 76ers dance team, from the 1991-92 through the 1993-94 seasons.

While traveling with the team and dancing for thousands of fans every night was fun, Cavalier knew it was a short-term assignment. As it turned out, it was the temp position that landed her not only permanent work, but her calling. She was stuffing envelopes for scientists applying for awards from Discover, which forced Cavalier to interact with them. Invariably, their conversations gravitated toward explanations of the scientists’ work, and Cavalier became convinced that other regular people could be interested in this science-y stuff if they had the same level of interaction.

Fast forward: Cavalier is hired full-time by Discover when it’s purchased by the Walt Disney Co. and she goes to graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania to study public interaction with science. One of her main research topics is why the federal Office of Technology Assessment failed miserably–so miserably, in fact, that most people didn’t even know it existed before it was defunded by Congress in 1995.

By the time she graduates in 2005, she has her answer: “Part of studying the OTA was studying the criticisms,” she says. “Part of the reason people feel it was shot down is it had no public support. I was hoping somebody was pushing for a 21st-century OTA.”

When she found no one, she became that somebody. While her Web site began as a forum to discuss science issues and raise interest among her friends, it quickly morphed into a convention-breaking beast with three goals: increase adult science literacy, enhance citizen involvement in research and reopen a public-friendly OTA.

To increase literacy, Cavalier approached George Mason University physics professor (and author of various books on adult science education) James Trefil, who helped design a “brain makeover”–18 important science principles, whose descriptions are made easier to digest with a little help from the current 76ers dance team, followed by a 26-question test on what’s really important in the world.

The ladies don’t say much. Sample line: “No. 6, Atoms are bound by electron glue,” says blonde Melanie in a subtle but spot-on Philadelphia drawl–but the eye candy is just the spoonful of sugar.

“If we want to move the needle on these issues, we need to be real and realize what motivates people,” Cavalier says.

Does that have to mean selling sex, an idea implicit in using beautiful cheerleaders? “I’m happy to get the lowest common denominator, but I don’t aim for them,” she says.

Rest assured, Cavalier is aware of the incongruity between cheerleading and scientific endeavors–her 11-year-old daughter already “automatically thinks: science equals geek.” The stereotype clash of all-bimbo-no-brain vs. all-science-no-fun is one she plays with on the site. “With Science Cheerleader, it’s like making fun of myself–that Legally Blonde” idea, she says.

But make no mistake; she didn’t start out so self aware. Her early life was firmly entrenched in the carefree, mentally unencumbered world of cheer and all it entails. “I never knew what an engineer was until I went to college,” she says. “I thought it was a train conductor.”

So she pulls from that to engage her audience. They probably got turned off in high school, she reasons, perhaps because they were bored, or maybe just interested but terrified. Either way, her goal is to rekindle that flame.

“I’m saying it is not too late; why do I have to wait for my kids to change the world if I could be weighing in right now if I had access to the right information,” she says. “There are a lot of me out there, I think.”

Must be. The videos have received at least 10,000 views, and she’s making inroads with the Philadelphia Eagles, getting former defensive standout Hugh Douglas to star in a few videos.

The site also boasts a search engine of real science research projects in which regular people can participate, as well as Cavalier’s research into townhall-style science forums in Denmark that she believes could be the model for the improved OTA.

There is criticism, she acknowledges: “mostly feminists,” but also scientists. “To be honest with you, I think there’s jealously. I think they missed the bigger point,” she says. “There is an element of territorialism: ‘Let us have this.’ The point isn’t to take away.” But she admits that it could simply be her perspective: “Maybe if I were on the other side, I would agree.”

Still, she doesn’t regret being a lightning rod for the changing culture of science.

“You can break these two stereotypes; you can blend these two worlds,” she says. “This is just a personal endeavor, and I think that makes it more legit and trustworthy for people because I’m not getting anything out of this. I don’t think I could have been doing what I’m doing now without everything leading up to it.”

Rory Sweeney writes on energy and the environment when he’s paid to and sits around talking about them when he’s not. Send feedback here.

From Dr. John. You may not know it, but you have a celebrity double. Everyone does. It’s not something you can control or influence. It doesn’t matter if you agree. Your celebrity double may not be particularly famous, the same gender as you, or even a human, but your double is out there, doing whatever it is that celebrity doubles do, just waiting to be identified.

Sadly (or perhaps quite impressively?), I seem to have an unprecedented ability to identify these synergies. Take a look at my personal archive for evidence. Now, I don’t make the rules or create the parings. Your celebrity doubles are mandated by a being far more powerful than me. My role is to simply point out the truth through conveniently positioned thumbnails like the ones below.

Coincidentally, my science and engineering friends have provided a wonderful array of case studies for celebrity doubles both real and imaginary: a) Jackie, ocean conservationist, and actress Christina Ricci, b) Uday, a neuroscientist, and New Orleans Governor Bobby Jindal, c) Brian, neuroscientist and Shrek, and d) Brandon, a computer engineer, and Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps. Celebrity doubles, like scientists and non-scientists, come in all shapes and sizes. And sometimes it clearly takes a little creativity to make them apparent.

But, even I’m having a bit of hard time coming up with a celebrity double for our very own Science Cheerleader. Surely, Shrek won’t make the cut this time, but there must be someone (or something) out there to do her justice.

It’s a classic case of Celebrity Double Trouble, and I need your help! Any ideas? (Free T-shirt if we select your idea!)

Science Cheerleader in the news. Switzerland, Argentina, and now the U.K. (on DollyMix, where the Shiny Media girls “join forces to create the ultimate women’s superblog and magazine. Thought-candy for your ladybrains”.)

A very thoughtful person from Switzerland, Joanie, sent this newspaper article (about moi) to me this morning. It’s written in French so she translated it to English. (Thanks, Joanie!)

Hello Darlene,

I read this article in the newspaper yesterday. The paper is called “Le Matin Bleu”, it is published in the Western (French) part of Switzerland. As I found it interesting, I thought you’d like to have it so I have attached it to this email. I also made a translation for you, you’ll find it below. Go on with your ecology projects, I like them. Sincerely,  Joanie.

That takes the cake (idiom equivalent)
In Obama’s country a former cheerleader makes everyone go green.

COMMITMENT. In 1991, Darlene Cavalier hung up her pompoms; after many years in the spotlights with the Philadelphia Sixers, the young woman decides to go green (before its time). Logically, she starts biology studies, gets small jobs here and there, then creates a website, “The Science Cheerleader”, that aims at winning common people over to her passion: the environment. Score! In a country were only 7% of the people says being interested in science, the initiative is a straight success.

Today, the ex-cheerleader is the head of an army of green guys. Her website is getting more and more popular and lists a mass of ideas and projects useful for the earth and easy to apply!

Why hasn’t Obama nominated her as the Head of Energy? If she hasn’t obtained the Nobel Prize yet, you’ll certainly agree, she gives a sexier image to it!”
www.sciencecheerleader.com

Hey guys: Thanks for cheering on the Science Cheerleader at a recent 76ers game! GOOOO Science!

Aw, I’m blushing. See Penn and Teller and watch as the Science Cheerleader wins her court case against the Status Quo to bring science to the PEOPLE!

…then you will probably enjoy this interview I did for the ProCheerleading website. (My, my those women are in shape!)  http://nflcheerleader.blogspot.com/2008/10/darlene-cavalier-is-science-cheerleader.html