Darwin's Dish: About me

Talking with colleagues at conferences is always a delightful, valuable experience.

Originally I'm from Oregon, where I grew up and went to college. (Okay, I was born in California, but we moved when I was five. My parents don't like earthquakes.) I spent four years at University of Oregon studying geology, eight summers working outdoor youth education camps, and two years after in retail, including slinging outdoor gear for a year. I've been into cooking and paleontology since I was a little kid. Along the way I have developed other interests including art, photography, science education, rock climbing, triathlon (still very much a work in progress), and the card game Magic: The Gathering. In 2013 I completed my Masters of Science in Zoology at Oklahoma State University, where I studied paleontology, multivariate statistics, and community ecology.

I am currently the Education and Outreach Director at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, Kansas. I work with other departments within the museum to create programming for school groups and for the general public. I am working to increase science education and outreach aimed at adults, in addition to improving and continuing work with K-12 students. Adult science literacy and appreciation is critical; adults vote and decide if their children should be involved with science education programs. Adult appreciation and valuing of science is communicated to their friends and families, and improves the image of science, scientists, and science museums in the public eye. This is especially important in maximizing community participation in museum events, and increasing museum attendance.

My current major project at the Sternberg Museum is the establishment of the Sternberg Museum Science Camps. We ran our first set of these camp programs this past summer (2014), and we are gearing up for another round this coming summer. The first year, our big challenge was raising money to buy equipment. For 2015, our goal is raising money we can use to provide financial aid to students applying to the camps. If you have any questions about the Sternberg Museum Science Camps, or any other education projects or programs at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, please contact me at DALevering@FHSU.edu.