Saturday – January 21, 9:30-11:00am
Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY
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Speaker:
Sara Velardi, MS, PhD Candidate in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy at SUNY ESF
Talk Overview:
So what exactly is a GMO? Why, a genetically modified organism of course! GMOs have been a popular topic in mass media today with opponents and supporters passionately stating their arguments for or against them. In this talk we will discuss the many sides of the coin in the debate surrounding GMOs and if we will expect to see a GMO label on our food in the future.
Biography:
Sara Velardi’s PhD research focuses on public perceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the policy surrounding the regulation and labeling of GMOs. She has presented her current research at the New York State Biotechnology Symposium and the International Rural Sociology Conference in Toronto. Her previous Master’s research focused on science educators’ professional development in environmental education. Specifically she worked on the environmental education program Project Learning Tree. Sara got to explore her love for outdoor education as a naturalist at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, New York while working on her Master’s degree. Sara has a love for teaching and has worked with SUNY-ESF Outreach in the past on various STEM mentoring and ESF SCIENCE summer camp adventures. She has taught biology at Onondaga Community College and hopes to continue teaching throughout her career. She has also had the great opportunity to be a Graduate Ambassador for the Graduate School at SUNY-ESF and give campus tours to prospective students. In her free time she likes to go hiking around Central New York and hold Jodi Picoult mini book clubs with her mom.
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.
Technology Alliance of Central New York
Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.
For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.
