STATE MUSEUM PRESENTS “WOMEN OF SCIENCE” VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING IN AUGUST

Release Date: 
Monday, August 10, 2020
Contact Information: 
Office of Communications Phone: (518) 474-1201

 

The New York State Museum will present “Women of Science” programming on Facebook Live and YouTube through the month of August. Viewers can virtually meet Museum scientists, learn about their research through filmed presentations, and post questions which will be answered by the scientists themselves.

More than a dozen scientists will treat viewers to hands-on educational activities and deliver short talks.

All programs will be at 1:00 p.m. on Facebook and will later be available on YouTube.

A schedule of talks is listed below:

  • Wednesday, August 12 – Cultural Resource Survey Program (CRSP) with Christina Reith
    CRSP provides research and assessment of archaeological and architectural resources for other state agencies. Join Dr. Christina Reith, Co-Director, CRSP in this look at the Smith-Holloway site located in the Schoharie Valley of New York. The site contains several different occupations with the most prevalent being the Transitional and Early Woodland occupations. Dr. Reith will share the artifacts that came from the site and discuss how these artifacts will be used in the future for research and public outreach.
     
  • Wednesday, August 19 – Caring for Unique Records in the Geologic Open File, New York State Museum with Kathleen Bonk
    A geology technician at the New York State Museum, Kathleen Bonk is responsible for the Open File Collection, a unique collection of geology-related archival records. Hear how Kathleen cares for this small-but-significant archive through processing and preservation. Explore the importance of these materials and how she makes the materials in her care available to researchers onsite and remotely.
     
  • Thursday, August 20th – Archaeology with Dr. Daria Merwin
    CRSP provides research and assessment of archaeological and architectural resources for other state agencies. Join Dr. Daria Merwin, Co-Director, CRSP, as she explores shipwrecks. Did you know that New York has hundreds of shipwrecks that can be found in rivers, lakes, the ocean, and even on land? Dr. Merwin will address underwater and maritime archaeology and explore what these amazing sites can tell us about the past.
     
  • Tuesday, August 25th – Geo-Physical Testing at the Douw 1 Site, Papscane Island, NY with Susan Winchell-Sweeney & Kristin O’Connell
    Archaeology is an important tool when investigating the lives of enslaved people living in the Hudson Valley. Discover how the archaeological remains of a house constructed by Volkert P. Douw, a prominent politician during the mid- to late- 1700s, provide insight into the individuals that may have occupied the site including people enslaved by Douw in the 18th century. As part of a larger project to study the impact of slavery in the Hudson Valley, the New York State Museum, in collaboration with the Open Space Institute and Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribal Preservation Office, undertook both a controlled surface artifact collection and a magnetic susceptibility (MS) survey at the Douw Site. MS is a non-invasive geophysical technique that is becoming increasing more popular for archaeological investigations in the United States.
     
  • Wednesday, August 26th – Fossils in the Field with Dr. Lisa Amati, Sarita Morse, and Kathleen Bonk
    What do scientists do when they are “out in the field”? Enjoy this video from the field with State Paleontogist Dr. Lisa Amati and collections technicians Sarita Morse and Kathleen Bonk as they show how they collect fossils, research the area they are studying, and conduct work outside. Learn about the process of collection and hands-on research that helps the New York State Museum increase collections, make discoveries, and share the rich and exciting paleontological history of New York State with you!

Participating scientists include: Dr. Christina Reith, Dr. Daria Merwin, Kristin O’Connell, Susan Winchell-Sweeney, Sarita Morse, Kathleen Bonk, and Dr. Lisa Amati.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is currently closed. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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