NIH SciEd 2021: Annual Conference for NIH Science Education Projects

The conference began with a keynote address by Jon R. Lorsch, PhD, director of NIH NIGMS, who
highlighted the NIH strategic plan for data science and ways this focus is being implemented,
including in SEPA projects. He also highlighted new initiatives in the IDeA program and NIGMS
science education outreach efforts. In the next keynote address, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD, director
of NIH NIMHD, spoke about health disparities, their effects on children, and promoting health
equity for all youth. And in a third keynote, Maryam Zaringhalam, PhD, AAAS Science & Technology
Policy Fellow and Senior Producer at the StoryCollider, gave an inspiring presentation about the
power of storytelling for engaging people in science. On the second morning of the conference,
Leslie Goodyear, PhD, Principal Research Scientist at the Education Development Center,
highlighted the elements of high-quality project evaluations. On the final day of the conference,
plenary and breakout sessions focused on preparing competitive grant proposals.

Twenty-nine breakout sessions addressed broadening participation, curriculum development,
informal science education, research experiences for students and teachers, science teaching and
learning, teacher professional development, research and evaluation, and project administration.

Eighteen roundtable discussions provided opportunities to learn from other projects in an informal,
small-group format. The NCI YES program also held a satellite PI meeting. All projects were invited
to present a poster about their work during one of two poster sessions and to give a 1-minute
“Flash” talk highlighting their poster. Participants reported that the most valuable things they
gained from the conference were learning about and from other projects; learning about evaluation
tools and resources; learning about other funding options; and–as always–networking,
reconnecting, and finding new collaborators.

Annual Conference for NIH Science Education Projects
Virtual

May 24-27, 2021

All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time

Session Abstracts are in the Detailed Conference Schedule

11:00 – 12:00
Introduction of Dr. Jon Lorsch
Ming Lei, PhD, Director, Division for Research Capacity Building, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH
Keynote Address: NIGMS Update
Jon R. Lorsch, PhD, Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH

12:00-1:00 Concurrent Poster Sessions
See Detailed Conference Schedule for abstracts and poster session assignments

Broadening Participation

Curriculum Development (High School)

Informal Science Education

Research Experiences for Students & Teachers

Science Teaching and Learning

Teacher Professional Development

2:00-3:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Practices to Overcome Barriers to STEM Learning – Programs for First Generation, Urban and Rural Participation
Debra Yourick, Elizabeth Parker, Melinda Gibbons, Erin Hardin

Strategies for Facilitating Public Access to Educational Products Resulting from SEPA Projects
Sandra San Miguel, Liliana Bronner

Using STTR/SBIRs to Position Great Programs to Sustain Themselves Michael Wyss, Melissa Gilliam, Tim Herman, Dina Markowitz, Tony Beck, Robert Russell

Productive Uncertainty and Curriculum Development Discussion
Regina Wu, Jeanne Chowning

The Making of Zoom Fatigue: PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Health Fellowship
Leah Clapman, Eli Kintisch, John Barnes

Themed, Multi-topic Sessions
Each presenter will have 20 minutes

Theme: Research Experiences
Note: This session will run 3:00 – 4:20

Lessons Learned from Developing a Distance Research Program
Teresa Schiff, Mziya Sarishvili, Kelley Withy

Remote Mentored Problem-Based Research
Peter Faletra, Alyson Michael

Developing Partnerships for Epidemiology Education in the Secondary Setting
Robin Taylor Wilson, Dirk Swart, Terri O’Neil

Funding Opportunity: NIDDK Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) (R25)
Robert Clay Rivers

Theme: Multimedia, Social Media, Virtual learning

Like, Follow, Share, Subscribe: How to Use Social Media in SciEd
Amy Warren, Kimberly Jacoby Morris

Adapting & Pivoting: Using our Lessons Learned as an Opportunity
Michelle Ventura Ezeoke

AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Interactive Multimedia Experts
Adam Hott, Peter Anderson, Andrij Holian, Paulette Jones, Harmony Starr

Theme: Broadening Participation in Evaluation (+ NGSS assessment bonus)
Note: This session will run 3:00 – 4:20

Re-engaging Program Alumni Through Focus Groups to Inform Program Evaluation
Sarah Wojiski, Charlie Wray, Emaly Piecuch

Creating Collective Impact – Activated Partnerships x Community Co-creation
Holly Truitt

Exploring Program Impacts Across All Stakeholders: University Student Mentors Describe the Personal and Professional Benefits of their Community Service Through Post-Lesson Reflective Diaries
Lindley McDavid, Loran Carleton Parker, Weiling Li, Sandra San Miguel

Developing and Validating a 3D, Phenomenon-Based Item Cluster for an NGSS- friendly Cell Biology Unit
Ann Lambert, Dina Drits-Esser

11:00-12:00 Plenary Session: Update on the SEPA Program and Town Hall
Tony Beck, PhD, Program Director, Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), Division for Research Capacity Building, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH

12:00-1:00 Concurrent Poster Sessions
See Detailed Conference Schedule for abstracts and poster session assignments

Broadening Participation

Interactive Multimedia

Research & Evaluation

Research Experiences for Students & Teachers

Science Teaching & Learning

Teacher Professional Development

1:00-2:00 Break

2:00-3:00 Plenary Session

Update on the NCI Youth Enjoy Science Program
Alison Lin, PhD, Deputy Chief, Diversity Training Branch, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH

Supporting Teachers: Building a Pathway to Provide Teacher Access to SEPA Resources
Elizabeth “Beth” Allan, PhD, President, National Science Teaching Association, and Professor of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma

NIEHS Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) Program – Synergy with the SEPA Program and SEPA Projects
Liam R. O’Fallon, MS, Health Specialist, Population Health Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH

3:00-4:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Exploring Synergies Between NSTA and SEPA: A Conversation with Dr. Beth Allan, NSTA President, and Tricia Shelton, NSTA Chief Learning Officer Elizabeth Allan, Tricia Shelton, Jeanne Chowning

I’ll Make You Famous – Approaching Career Development with Passion and Joy through SEPA
Sandra San Miguel

The Scientist Spotlights Initiative: Integrating Counterstereotypical Scientists in Science Courses
Dax Ovid, Kimberly Tanner, Jeff Schinske

Tools of the Trade: CAISE Resources for those who Design, Implement and Study Informal STEM Learning Experiences
Sasha Palmquist, Kevin Crowley, Jamie Bell, Cecilia Garibay, Martin Storksdieck, Rabiah Mayas

How Can Science Research Design be Incorporated into the High School Science Classroom?
Brett Taylor, Tony Ward, David Jones

Broader Impacts of Near-Peer Mentoring: Addressing Barriers to Participation in STEM
Debra Yourick, Holly Brown, Brittany Clawson, Nathan Berger, Catherine Morton

11:00-12:00 Keynote Address: Science in Relation: the By, For, and With Who of Scientific Research and Science Education
Savannah Martin, MA, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon and PhD Candidate in Biological Anthropology, Washington University

12:00-1:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Bringing Native Voices to Education, Science and Health
Maurice Godfrey, Savannah Martin, David Wilson, Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer, Joe Jessepe

SEPA Partnerships with Other NIGMS Programs
J. Michael Wyss, Lisa Marriott, Jane Disney, Derrick Scott, LaTia Scott

Designing NGSS-aligned Curriculum: Challenges, Successes and Lessons Learned
Molly Malone, Sheila Homburger, Jen Taylor, Kristin Fenker

Breaking Down Cultural Barriers to STEM Education for Middle Schoolers
Alicia Santiago, Kassy Rousselle

Integrating a 3D Collaborative Virtual Learning Environment into a Middle/High School Science Curriculum
Ido Davidesco, Noah Glaser

Strategies for Working with Research Comparison Groups
Kristin Bass, Alana Newell, Loran Parker, Weiling Li

Partnerships with Schools, Nonprofits, and Community Partners: Successes and Failures
Debra Yourick, Kevin Morris, Nancy Moreno, Luke Bradley, Rebecca Smith

2:00-3:00 Concurrent Poster Sessions
See Detailed Conference Schedule for abstracts and poster session assignments

Big Data

Broadening Participation

Curriculum Development: Middle School

Early STEM Learning

Informal Science Education

Research Experiences for Students & Teachers

3:00-4:00 Themed, Multi-topic Sessions
Each presenter will have 20 minutes

Theme: Research and Learning

eCLOSE Institute: Creating Science Spaces for Teachers and Students in Biomedical Research
Dara Ruiz-Whalen, Alana O’Reilly

Bioinformatics-Based Research to Investigate the Function of Genes Predicted to be Hypothetical
Stephen Koury

Repurposing a CRISPR Virtual Reality Experience for Diverse Educational Uses
Megan Hochstrasser

Theme: Informal Science Education

We Engage 4 Health RAP Sessions
Melinda Butsch Kovacic, Susan Hershberger, Susan Gertz

Strategies to Leverage the Expertise of Your Advisory Board
Anastasia Thanukos, Alex Gurn

Using DiY Exhibitions to Enhance Student’s Understanding of Genomics
Kimberly Jacoby Morris, Rosann Wise

Theme: Teacher Professional Learning

Transforming Field Experiences in Teacher Preparation through Personalized, Mixed Reality Simulations
Chris Dede, Rhonda Bondie

The Evolution of Online Teacher PD Before, During, and Into the Future
Atom Lesiak, Joan Griswold

Examining a Decade of Online Teacher Professional Development
Celina Marie Lay

Theme: Science Teaching and Learning

Chew on This: Obstacles and Successes for Using Food to Teach Chemistry Online
Tandy L. Dolin Petrov, Stanislav V. Petrov, Retta R. Evans, J. Michael Wyss

Enhancing Cancer Literacy in Kentucky High School Students through Cancer Education
Lauren Hudson

11:00-12:00 Keynote Address: Leading the Way to a Modern Data Ecosystem: Stories of Women and Men Making an Impact in Data Science at NIH
Susan Gregurick, PhD, NIH Associate Director for Data Science and Director, Office of Data Science Strategy, NIH Office of Data Science Strategy

12:00-1:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Increasing Youth Voice and Choice: A Toolkit for Recruiting and Retaining “Hard to Reach” Youth in Informal Science Education
Laurie Jo Wallace, Brandon Morgan, Lisa Aslan

Social Networks, Community, and Students’ Identities
Rebecca Smith, Julia McQuillan, Katherine Richardson Bruna, Linda Morell, Meghan Leadabrand

Overcoming Barriers and Creating a Sense of Belonging in Student Research Experiences
Dave Vannier, Ellen Chenoweth, David Boone

Program Sustainability: Successes and Challenges – Session 1
Carla Romney, Debra Yourick, Melissa Gilliam, Kelley Withy, Ralph Imondi

Researchers, Teachers and Data: Oh My!
Consuelo Morales, Rosemary Riggs, Renee Bayer

Integrating Interactive Multimedia into Your Project
Adam Hott, Berri Jacque, Dani Alcena-Stiner, Sheila Homburger

1:00-2:00 Break

2:00-3:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Partnership Stories: Diverse Perspectives on Participatory Research and Design with Underrepresented Communities
Note: this session will run 2:00 – 3:30
Molly L. Kelton, Robert Danielson, Kristin Fisher, David Garcia, Marnie Gelbart, Libby Grace, Regina Idoate, Sharon Locke, AnaMaria Martinez, Louisa Stark, Alison White

Game Design for Systems Thinking: Co-Creating Educational Interventions with Young People
Ailea Stites

Empowering Students with Environmental Health Research
David Petering

Program Sustainability: Successes and Challenges – Session 2
Carla Romney, Dina Markowitz, Chuck Wood, Donald DeRosa

The Design Cycle: Using an Iterative Process Across Content Areas
Kristin Brynteson

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence through Mythbuster Activities & Community Advocacy in the Biology Classroom
Julia Boge, Maria Alonso Luaces

Addressing Equity and Inclusion
Debra Yourick, Nicole Ekanem, Jennifer Ufnar, Sara Erickson, Katherine Bruna, William Folk

3:00-4:00 Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Partnership Stories: Diverse Perspectives on Participatory Research and Design with Underrepresented Communities (continued from prior session) Note: this session will run 2:00 – 3:30

Applying for a SEPA Grant: Information for Potential Applicants
Tony Beck, PhD, Program Director, Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), Division for Research Capacity Building, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH

Avoid the Void – How to Effectively Disseminate Your Findings and Communicate with Your Audience, Instead of Shouting into the Void Adam Hott, Kristen Bass, Jennifer Ufnar