Reel Science: Space, Hope and Charity
with Charity Woodrum, PhD, Astrophysicists and Sandy Cummings, Director, Producer, Writer
APR 24, 6:30-9:00PM | Doors @ 6:15PM
Watch and learn at The Empirical Theater as OMSI brings the science of your favorite movies and documentaries to life on the big screen. Perfect for science and film lovers alike, this series combines the best of Science Pub with the fun of movie night, bringing in experts to amplify your movie-watching experience.
6:15PM | Doors Open
6:30PM | Space, Hope and Charity | 78 mins
7:50PM | Discussion and Q&A session with Charity Woodrum, PhD, Astrophysicists and Sandy Cummings, Director, Producer, Writer
TICKETS:
Pay what you can; sliding scale $0-$15.
ABOUT THE FILM: Space, Hope and Charity
An award winning documentary film about Charity Woodrum, a young woman from rural Oregon whose dream of becoming an astrophysicist is nearly derailed when she suffers a devastating tragedy.
Charity was a nontraditional university student, raised in poverty, the first in her family to graduate from high school. In her mid-20s, she was married and nine months pregnant when she decided to return to school to study physics. Life felt perfect. Then, what she calls “The Worst Day.” Her world was destroyed.
With help from friends old and new, she finds her way back to the distant galaxies where she feels most at peace.
Duration: 78 minutes | Rating: PG-15; recommended for ages 15 and above.
Charity Woodrum, PhD, Astrophysicists
Charity has come a long way from her childhood in Canyonville, Oregon, where she found peace many nights looking up at the night sky. Her dream from early on was to work for NASA one day, but it felt like a crazy goal for a kid from rural Oregon who had never met a scientist.
Through devastating tragedy, Charity has kept her eyes on the sky. She earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Arizona in 2024 and is now working as a NASA astrophysicist on the James Webb Space Telescope Team at Goddard Space Flight Center. Her research uses the Universe as a time machine to tell the story of how galaxies evolve over cosmic time.
Sandy Cummings, Director, Producer, Writer
Sandy is an award-winning broadcast journalist (3 national EMMY awards, a Columbia-DuPont Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, Overseas Press Club Award, several Gabriel Awards and numerous nominations) with more than 20 years of experience working for NBC News as a senior producer and a producer, mostly for Dateline NBC.
She has covered breaking news, investigative stories, legal stories, entertainment, medical stories and spent years producing long-form programs for the network before venturing out on her own.
Some of the stories Sandy has told include 9/11, the massacre at Columbine, Hurricane Katrina, the OJ Simpson trial, Australia’s Stolen Generation, Nazis hiding in plain sight in Canada, a family enduring heart transplants in three of their children.
While she has had the pleasure of telling stories of famous people, what she loves most is the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges. Charity Woodrum is one of them. Sandy’s work has aired on NBC, MSNBC, OPB, and on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime and iTunes.
She has built a reputation for earning the trust of the people whose stories she tells, and taking the storytelling to a deeper level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the Empirical Cafe will be open with prepackaged salads, sandwiches and movie snacks. The bar will be open to guests that are 21+. No outside food or drink is allowed.
Click here for OMSI’s overall accessibility information. Below are the specific details for the Empirical Theater.
The Empirical Theater has an upper-level wheelchair accessible entrance and theater restrooms; due to the layout of the theater the lower-level main entrance is only accessible by stairs. Please check in with a Guest Services Representative or volunteer for assistance in locating these areas.
Several daytime documentaries and newer evening full-features offer closed captions, audio description, and volume amplification. The CaptiView closed caption units allow guests to see captions for their show by using a cup holder device that they can adjust within their view, and the Fidelio RX audio description units deliver descriptive narration and can also amplify the theater volume and dialogue.
The Showing Today signs updated daily at the front desk and theater entrance indicate which features offer closed captions (CC) and audio description (AD), while volume amplification is available for all theater content including events such as Science Pub and Reel Science.
Limited quantities of the following devices are available for theater guests and may be requested at either the Front Desk or Concierge Desk as well as from the theater usher:
- CaptiView closed caption (CC) viewing devices
- Fidelio RX audio description and volume amplification units
- Williams Sound NKL-001 neck loops designed to work with hearing aids equipped with a telephone coil or T-Switch
The rough inside measurements of the seats not including arm and back rests:
- Theater seats 16.5” wide and 21.5” deep
- Two accessible seating area chairs 39.29″ high, 29.5″ wide, and 29″ deep
- Additional accessible seating area chairs available by request is 23.5” wide and 21.5” deep
- The weight capacity for the accessible seating area chairs are 500lbs, and the additional accessible seating area chairs support between 200lbs-250lbs
Earplugs can be requested from the Front Desk and Concierge Desk, and sensory resource packs that include:
- Noise reducing headphones
- Fidget toys
- Sunglasses
- Visual and auditory timer
- 2 pound weighted shoulder wrap
- Sanitizing wipes
Please contact OMSI Guest Services at (503) 797-4000 or Info@OMSI.edu with any additional specific questions or needs.
OMSI has a new parking system via the mobile parking app, Parking Kitty, to create an easier and more streamlined experience for our visitors. Parking is $2 + fees for after-hours events. We recommend you download the app prior to your arrival at OMSI. You can also pay via their website at www.parkingkitty.com.