Koshland Science Museum Announces Lineup Of Winter Public Programs

Date: Dec. 31, 2009

Contact: Annie Drinkard

Koshland Science Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Koshland Science Museum Announces Lineup Of Winter Public Programs

WASHINGTON – Beginning in January, the Marian Koshland Science Museum is offering “The Dish,” an array of public programs that let participants explore current scientific topics. In addition, the museum will host a special forum for educators in February. The schedule of events follows. Please note: Events will take place at the Koshland Science Museum unless otherwise noted.

FREE! Visit the Koshland at NBC4’s Health and Fitness Expo
Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 10 and 11, 9 a.m.to 5 p.m.
Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

Stop by the Koshland’s exhibit at NBC4’s 16th annual health expo to learn more about infectious diseases and the role of DNA in an individual’s overall health. Isolate your own DNA in a hands-on experiment and receive free giveaways. The expo features over 200 businesses and organizations and offers health tests and screenings, cooking demonstrations, and exercise classes. For more information about the expo, visit NBC 4’s Web site at www.nbcwashington.com.

Free Inauguration Day Special

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Take a break from the crowds, have some hot chocolate, and brush up on scientific topics that are sure to be on President-elect Obama’s agenda by visiting our exhibits, Global Warming: Facts and Our Future, and Infectious Disease. The first 500 visitors will also receive free commemorative key chains.

FREE! From One, Many: Understanding Our Ancestors
Saturday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Explore the role of DNA in tracing human ancestry and origins at this free family day, part of the African American History Program of the National Academy of Sciences. At noon, Matthew George Jr., geneticist at Howard University, will present his talk, “Mitochondrial Eve: The Mother of Us All,” about the origins of humankind. And at 2 p.m., Agnes A. Day, associate professor and chair of the department of microbiology, College of Medicine at Howard University, will discuss her journey from a first-generation college graduate to prolific researcher in her talk, “The Sharecropper’s Daughter.” Visitors can also view selections from the exhibit “A Portrait Collection of African Americans in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.”

Say Cheese! Understanding the Living Foods We Eat
Thursday, March 26, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Fine cheeses are like fine wines: producing and aging them properly is both an art and a science. That’s a well known fact in Vermont, the state with the greatest number of artisan cheesemakers per capita, and a leading producer of traditional cheeses and new cheese products. Join Catherine Donnelly, professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Vermont and the co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese, for a discussion of the microbial world of great cheeses. Be prepared to sample! Tickets are $15.

FOR EDUCATORS

Darwin Day Educator Forum: Environment and Evolution
Monday, Feb. 9
National Academy of Sciences
2100 C St., N.W.
Washington, D.C.

In celebration of Darwin Day, the Koshland will host an interactive forum for middle and high school science educators on how current scientific research can be used to support classroom instruction. Participants will discuss research about the environmental influences on evolution such as the impact of climate change, biodiversity, and invasive species. Speakers include Peter Armbruster, assistant professor of biology at Georgetown University; James Trefil, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Physics, George Mason University; and Toby Horn, co-director of the Carnegie Academy for Science Education, Carnegie Institution of Washington. Participants are also invited to attend a reception following the forum and a lecture by Erich Jarvis, a researcher at Duke University who specializes in the evolution of bird song. Educators should make reservations in advance (contact information below).

Tickets and additional information for all Koshland events are available through the museum at 202-334-1201 or www.koshland-science-museum.org; advance registration is suggested. Reporters who wish to cover these programs should pre-register [with whom?].

The Marian Koshland Science Museum engages the general public in an exploration of the current scientific issues that affect their lives. The museum's state-of-the-art exhibits, public events, and educational programs provide information that stimulates discussion and provides insight into how science supports decision-making. Located at 6th and E streets, N.W., the museum is easily accessible by metro at the Gallery Place/Chinatown and Judiciary Square stops.