Last year we introduced Soapbox Science to North America and we couldn’t be more excited for this year’s Toronto event! Our organizing team is preparing for another fabulous day in September at Toronto’s Word on the Street Festival. What better way to promote science in the streets than at a literacy street festival? Last year we engaged hundreds of families along Toronto’s Harbourfront; they were surprised and delighted to have the chance to meet our scientists in person and learn about their research.
The Organizing Team for Toronto’s event includes:
- Leigh Paulseth, Science Outreach & Enrichment Coordinator, Ryerson University
- Dr. Emily Agard, Director of SciXchange, Ryerson University
- Ana Sofia Barrows, Departmental Assistant, Ryerson University
- Samantha Yammine, PhD Candidate & 2017 Soapbox Scientist, University of Toronto
We are delighted to apply our passion for science outreach to Soapbox Science. As a group, we share a fundamental belief that diversifying science contributes to better science, better decision-making and better opportunities for everyone. By giving our fabulous Soapbox Scientists a platform to share their knowledge with the public, we are building a more accessible and inclusive science community.
This year’s Soapbox Speakers will hail from Toronto, Guelph, London (Ontario) and Winnipeg and feature some of the top scientists engaged in science outreach and diversity initiatives in Canada. They will be delving into issues like diabetes, whale conservation and food security, or sharing their research on astronomy, paleontology, cell biology and bats!
Sponsors
Soapbox Science Toronto is being sponsored by the Faculty of Science, Ryerson University.
Details of the location and timing of the event
Date: Sunday September 23rd 2018
Address: Word on the Street Festival, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W, Toronto
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Speakers
2018 saw much competition to appear at this event, with many applications received. The selected speakers and their discussion topics include:
Jade Simon (@oisforoviraptor), University of Toronto & Royal Ontario Museum “Birds, bones, and dinosaurs – using modern bird anatomy to decipher the ecology of extinct theropod dinosaurs!”
Sara Mazrouei (@MazroueiSara), University of Toronto “Earth’s Battered Moon – Recent Cratering Rate on the Moon”
Dr. Stefania Impellizzeri (@SfnImpellizzeri), Ryerson University “What is Nano? Big Impact from a Small World”
Dr. Imogen R. Coe (@RySciDean), Ryerson University “Moving Molecules Across Membranes: Transporters in your Cells”
Cylita Guy (@CylitaGuy), University of Toronto “Adventures of your Friendly Neighbourhood Batgirl: Why you should care about bat science”
Dr. Parshati Patel (@parshatipatel), Western University “The Stellar Detective: Solving the mystery of massive star formation”
Dr. Heather R Smith, LGL Limited, environmental research associates “How do you find whales in the ocean?”
Kathy Jacyniak (@cardiackathy), Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph “Unbreak my heart: how do some animals regrow their hearts after injury?”
Stefanie Lucarelli (@stefanieluca), Ryerson University “From the outside in: How we can stop cancer cell growth”
Krishana Sankar (@krishanasankar), University of Toronto “Is Your Pancreas Sweet?”
Ade Oluwafolakemi Oyewole ( @flakyOyewole), University of Toronto “Food Fortification: A Route to Re-engineer Food”
Dr. Bhairavi Shankar (@b_muscateer), BeSpatial Consulting “Guess which planet!? How we use satellite data to learn more about our solar system”