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Fauci to students: The future of science is with you

5/1/2020

FAUCI TO STUDENTS: THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE IS WITH YOU
COVID19 Underscores Need for Science Education

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks to students at the 2015 X-STEM symposium. Photo: USA Science and Engineering Festival.

The sixth USA Science and Engineering Festival was scheduled to take place in the nation’s capital from April 24-26, 2020. Instead, the Washington Convention Center, where previous festivals took place, will be converted into a field hospital if needed for COVID19 patients in the District of Columbia.

The festival is the largest of its kind in the country, drawing more than 370,000 K-12 students, parents, and teachers from across the nation for three days of engaging exhibits. It offers the opportunity to see rock stars in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and math) like Bill Nye the Science Guy, astronauts, pilots, oceanographers, doctors and health researchers, inventors of all types, and even robots. I worked at all five previous festivals and was amazed by their size, scope, and enthusiasm levels.

At a related event in 2015, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke to students at the X-STEM festival on “From HIV to Ebola: Always Expect the Unexpected.” Ironically, this year the nation is combating the COVID19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci is now a household name, and we are dealing with the unexpected.

Although the 2020 festival is postponed, it highlights the importance of STEM to our nation’s wellbeing. These examples illustrate why:

Science –Science is the pursuit of understanding of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation. Some science is purely theoretical and cannot be tested through experimentation.
In practical terms related to COVID19, examples of the conduct of science include studying how the virus affects the respiratory system or interacts with the immune system. It includes developing and testing a safe and effective vaccine. Scientists sequenced the COVID19 genome, its genetic code, in January ([i] [ii]), and since then researchers around the world have been digging deeper to learn how COVID19 functions, how to prevent its transmission, and how to treat its symptoms.
Technology – the tools manufactured or used throughout the process. Examples include developing the chemical reagents to process nasal/throat specimens to see if someone tests positive for the coronavirus, the testing equipment itself, the heart/lung monitoring machines, the ventilators used to help patients breathe, and the technology used to conduct genetic sequencing.
Engineering – the foundational designs for the equipment or how it operates. Engineering skills are necessary to design, manufacture, build, and/or operate things. Examples include computer science, electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering. Think of what it takes to build that equipment or field hospitals.

Math – writing, running, and understanding the computer models. The calculations can help project timelines for various phases of the infection. They can help us understand probabilities and what exponential growth means in the spread from one person to thousands, or how population density may affect the virus’ spread. In turn, we can estimate the number of hospital beds that might be needed, or watch for a flattening of the curve.

The purpose of events like the USA SciFest is to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders, and at a minimum, grow a STEM-literate society with critical thinking skills in touch with societal needs. As COVID19 demonstrates, STEM is critical to our wellbeing, and as Dr. Fauci told his young audience, “The future of science is with you.” Maybe one of today’s fifth graders will find the cure for the next big “unexpected” public health crisis.
[i] https://www.asianscientist.com/2020/02/topnews/china-coronavirus-covid-19-study/
[ii] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30251-8/fulltext

-- Marjorie Weisskohl, All Seasons PR

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What's Your Plan? Next Steps in COVID19 Communications for Small Business and Non-Profits

4/17/2020

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What is your small business or non-profit doing to survive COVID19? How are you adapting, and are your communications helping you sustain the business? Join Marjorie Weisskohl of All Seasons PR and Brian Williams of StratIQ Consulting for their April 14 webinar on crisis communications for COVID19 and steps you can take to help surmount this daunting challenge. Continue to follow Congressional action on possible additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Act.

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COVID19 Communications for Small Business

3/25/2020

We hope that this video on COVID19 Communications will be helpful to any organization trying to manage its communications and operations during the pandemic, especially small businesses and non-profits. It's a collaborative effort between All Seasons PR and StratIQ Consulting. The fact sheet identifies other resources and upcoming webinars. We welcome your feedback.
Best wishes and stay well.

Puppies & Valentines at the Maryland Kennel Club

2/15/2020

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Monique Hetterscheidt and Yeti after winning first place in the Herding Dog category.

West Friendship, Md., Feb. 15, 2020—Well-groomed and well-behaved, they arrived in SUVs, campers, and motor homes. There was Abby, Benjie, Declan, Firefly, Maestro, Marley, Mattie, Spicey, Theo, Yeti, and others. Some were from Maryland, plus towns in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New England states. Was this a soccer or basketball game? A political convention? None of the above.

This was the Maryland Kennel Club, hosting an All Breeds Dog Show at the Howard County Fairgrounds over Valentine’s weekend.

And touch our hearts they did, regardless of size, markings, or performance. Some with big, bright eyes, while others had eyes hidden by long fur. Some waited in their crates, while others enjoyed last-minute salon touch ups.

When I arrived, the Basset Hounds were lined up in the ring, ready to be judged. American Kennel Club standards for each breed are applied to individual dogs, evaluating such traits as the dog’s head size and proportion, its muzzle and teeth, neck, eyes, ears, forequarters, hindquarters, tail (if the breed has one), hair length and color, and gait. To me, just an observer, they were all adorable.

The dogs were organized into seven groups: Toys, Terriers, Sporting, Working, Non-Sporting, Hound, and Herding. Strolling around, I met Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Boxers, Irish Setters, Dachshunds, English Springer Spaniels, French Poodles, German Shepherds, King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, and Terriers. Other breeds included Borzois (Russian Wolf Hounds), Pointers, and Salukis. With more than 1,500 dogs entered on Saturday alone, I may have missed a few breeds.

Dr. Cheryl Stiehl, a veterinarian from Pasadena, Md., showed a beautiful pair of Irish setters, and another vet, Dr. Kate Bremser from Rougemont, near Durham, N.C, showed Firefly, her English Springer Spaniel. I spent some time with dog breeder/trainer Monique Hetterscheidt and her Australian Shepherd named Yeti, from Ruther Glen, Va., who won first place for the owner-handler competition for herding dogs and Best in Show.

Regardless of whether a dog placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or further down, a treat awaited each contestant at the end. The top four in each ring received ribbons and a china trophy with the Maryland Kennel Club logo. The Best in Show received an impressive black and gold ribbon mounted in a shadowbox for display.

To encourage the sport of dog shows with the younger generation, this club provides the junior showmanship event for no fee, setting it apart from other clubs.

If you have a chance to attend a dog show, go and enjoy it.

The American Kennel Club website includes a calendar of events, some probably near you: https://www.apps.akc.org/apps/event_calendar/.

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Groundhog's Day at Great Falls National Park

2/4/2020

02/02/2020 -- Groundhog's Day.

There's a long tradition in the little town of Punxsutawney in west-central Pennsylvania, where people in 18th century black top hats and black coats wait for the groundhog to emerge from his burrow. According to Stormfax.com, "when German settlers (Pennsylvania Dutch) arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox."

The long-awaited prediction this year is for an early spring, as Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and decided to venture further outdoors on Sunday.

In northern Virginia, the temperature was in the high 40s/lower 50s, sunny with a light breeze. Not one to spend a beautiful day inside, I decided to venture over to Great Falls National Park in Maryland, about 10 miles north of the Maryland/DC line. The good weather was enough to bring other humans out of their dens, too. Despite the previous day's rain, the ground was very walkable. And, it led to a fast flowing Potomac River.

The video below captures a little of my experience that day. I hope it inspires you to get out there and visit a nearby park. Enjoy!

It's January - Get ready for the outdoors!

1/14/2020

Visitors to the Washington Camping RV Expo, Chantilly, Va.

Visitors to the Washington Camping RV Expo walk the red carpet at the Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Va.

It’s mid-January 2020 but you wouldn’t know it from the thousands of people exploring campers and motor homes at the Washington Camping and RV show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Va., from Jan. 10 to 12. Some came to explore, others to buy that dream camper before peak season arrives.

From the pop-up roofs in vans like the Dodge Ram, reminiscent of the VW’s old pop-top bus, to full size, deluxe motor homes, prospective buyers with backpacks, strollers, and walkers had an opportunity to step inside to see how they’re equipped. And equipped they are.

When driving on the highway, I always wonder what the interiors look like. My favorites in terms of appearance are the small ones made by Airstream. They’re compact, have an aerodynamic design, and are furnished comfortably with double beds, bunks, kitchens with cooking areas and refrigerators. Some have built in showers, tubs and toilets.

The larger vehicles can be quote luxurious. Even Mercedes is in the game, in addition to all the other brands one sees on the road. Sleeping for six, nearly full-size kitchens, fold out awnings to protect your outdoor cooking space, and for those who just cannot free themselves from electronics, space for a large flat-screen TV! Fuel efficiency depends on the model and how you use it. According to the manufacturers, many smaller, Class C camper vans can get up to 18-20 mpg.

Not to be overlooked, the campground reps were there in strong numbers, including several from KOA and a few east of Richmond – Jellystone at Gloucester Point, and Bethpage at Urbanna. Both are less than 20 minutes from the Chesapeake Bay. For those able to handle the sleeping bag experience, many of today’s campgrounds have wonderful amenities. Others rent cabins and are dog-friendly.

To borrow a phrase from Irving Berlin, “from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam,” camping however you do it is a wonderful way to get outdoors to enjoy nature and see the country. Be sure to take in some of it in 2020!

For more information about future shows, see http://www.gsevents.com/rv-shows.cfm. They are sponsored by Good Sam Media & Events, which produces MotorHome and Trailer Life magazines and their companion websites.

Marjorie Weisskohl
CEO, AllSeasonsPR.com
Inspiring people to enjoy and protect the outdoors.