Neighbor News
The Sharon STEM Talks are off to a great start at Sharon High School
A brand new science seminar series got launched at SHS. The aim of the series is to share science with the entire Sharon community.
The inaugural Sharon STEM Talk took place at the Sharon High School Library on Wednesday, April 6th. More than 50 attendees filled the SHS Library to listen to Dr. John Lydeard, a scientist at Biogen, explain how epigenetics controls the way cells can modify their properties depending on different cues. Discussing examples that ranged from yeast DNA repair to wilting of flowers in the winter to understanding human diseases, Dr. Lydeard engaged in an active and exciting discussion with audience members who ranged from Sharon Middle and Sharon High School students to interested parents and other adults from the community. This event also raised money for the SHS Science Olympiad Team.
The Sharon STEM Talks are an evening seminar series organized by SHS Biology teacher James Dixon, SHS Librarian Cathy Collins, SHS Science Department Coordinator Emily Burke, and SHS Class of 2007 alumnus Vladimir Botchkarev. Dr. Botchkarev obtained a competitive grant from the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) to help fund this seminar series. The ASCB is the largest cell biology society in the United States, whose roles include hosting an annual conference that attracts thousands of scientists from around the world as well as providing resources for local science meetings and community outreach events. This event also received big support from Dr. Libano, the Principal of Sharon High School.
The Sharon STEM Talks will run through the spring semester and into the 2016-2017 school year. The talks will be of very diverse nature and hope to engage the entire Sharon community. There will be three more talks before the summer break. On Thursday, April 14th, Dr. Heather Goldstone from WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station, will discuss climate change. On Thursday, May 5th, Caitlyn Krause, a mindfulness coach who leads workshops all over the world, will talk about the science of mindfulness. A special presentation by a keynote speaker will take place in June. All talks take place at 7pm in the SHS Library. Light refreshments are provided. More details about the Sharon STEM Talks can be found on the Sharon Public Schools website.