Building a Brighter Future
OMSI is excited to host NSF STEM Day in honor of the National Science Foundation’s 75th Anniversary. Join us Saturday, May 10, 10 am-5 pm for a day-long STEM celebration—featuring hands-on science activities, documentaries, and panel discussions—all related to past and ongoing NSF-funded projects!
Activities
Voces de esperanza | Engage in climate conversations through hands-on exhibit prototypes
Environmental Experiments | Participate in environmental experiments in the Chemistry Lab that was funded by a 1994 NSF grant
Docs and Panels
11 am – Volcanoes of the Deep Sea | Documentary and Q&AÂ
1 pm – Behind the Wonder: How OMSI Exhibits Come to Life* | Join us for a panel featuring community partners that have co-developed multiple NSF exhibits with OMSI
2 pm – Volcanoes of the Deep Sea | Documentary and Q&AÂ
*Behind the Wonder: How OMSI Exhibits Come to Life speakers
Akiko Minaga, VP of Learning Experiences, OMSI (moderator)
As Vice President of Learning Experiences, Akiko leads experience creation, educational programming, and exhibition development strategies at OMSI. As OMSI continues to engage audiences throughout the country while also locally developing the OMSI district, her teams will be engaging our communities to create thought-provoking experiences that inspire curiosity, foster learning, and spark rich dialogue. Akiko oversees OMSI’s Exhibits, Engagement Research and Advancement teams and Museum Engagement teams, in addition to their Statewide and Community Engagement team. She has served in several informal learning and programmatic leadership roles at UC Berkeley and most recently the Exploratorium.
Vicki Coats, Research, Development and Advancement Manager, Exhibit R&D, OMSI
Randall Melton, Assistant Director, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
Randall Melton is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and has been part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation community since childhood. He has been involved with the Tamástslikt project since 1996 in various museum and visitor service roles and is currently the Assistant Director of Operations. Randall received his Bachelor of Science in anthropology/sociology from Eastern Oregon University, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Tessa Rose Campbell, Tlingit/Tulalip, PhD Candidate
Tessa Rose Campbell (Tlingit/Tulalip) is an ALA Doctoral Spectrum Scholar and Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington’s iSchool. With 24 years of experience in libraries and museums, she holds an MLIS and master’s in museum studies. Her research focus is investigating the information seeking behaviors and needs of Native Americans who identify the need for a behavior change pertaining to their health and wellness. Passionate about amplifying Indigenous voices, Tessa ensures their authentic historic and contemporary representation as an Executive Committee Board Member for Historylink.org, the nation’s first online encyclopedia of local and state history.
Vincent Gwozdz, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Commission for the Blind
Meet a Scientist
10:00 am-12:45 pm
Ashley Streig | Understanding the Faults Beneath Our Feet
Valentina London | Beavers are Puzzling
Zein Sadek | Why Are Seal Whiskers Special?
Ondrej Fercak | Floating Wind Energy
1:15 pm-4 pm
Ali Burgos | Coastal Readiness: Test your preparedness
Heather Kitada Smalley | Statistics Target Practice
Hever Velazquez | Scientist, who? Sparking science and health identities through cultural connections
Danielle Schlunegger-Warner | Home is an Iceberg – How sea ice supports biodiversity in the Arctic
Shreya Pramanik | Radiant Revelations: The science of fluorescence
What is NSF?
The National Science Foundation is a United States federal agency supporting research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In our 65-year relationship, OMSI has received support from NSF on nearly 50 projects aimed at bringing high-quality science education to audiences across the Pacific Northwest and the country.
