The Frizzle Factor

Meet Our Guest: Remington Moll is a wildlife ecologist and educator at Michigan State University. His research covers a variety of applications through his study of the community ecology of multi-carnivore, multi-prey systems and work in both wild and urban environments exploring spatial, temporal, and trophic interactions. Follow Remington: Twitter: @remington_moll (https://twitter.com/remington_moll) Webpage: https://remingtonmoll.wordpress.com/ Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BOJOPK8AAAAJ&hl=en In this episode, we talk: Changing gears in study Pivoting between scientist and educator The importance of educators intentionally developing students as people Misconceptions about ecology and wildlife City parks as important wildlife habitat Why we need urban ecology education Specialization vs. diversification in research How the scientific method is like a conversation And much, much more! “We grieve only for what we know.” - Aldo Leopold Learn More: eMammal (Get started learning how to participate in camera trap experiments, and participate in citizen science projects that come up.) https://emammal.si.edu/ Other Citizen Science Possibilities: Zooniverse: https://www.zooniverse.org/ The Cornell Lab - Ornithology: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/citizenscience US Citizen Science Government Site: https://www.citizenscience.gov/# NASA Citizen Science: https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience Folding at Home (Biochemical/medical citizen science): https://foldingathome.org/ Brian McGill - https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/author/brimcgill/ Turkey Mountain Park in Tulsa, OK - https://www.riverparks.org/experience/turkey-mountain Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University: https://www.canr.msu.edu/fw/index Aldo Leopold Foundation: https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/ For more science and education resources from your host, Joanne Wasdin, visit frizzlefactor.com Intro and Outro Music from https://filmmusic.io "Open Those Bright Eyes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Meet Our Guest: Sebastian Echeverri is a scientist, science communicator, and educator based at the University of Pittsburgh where he is currently exploring how jumping spiders get one another's attention during courtship dances. Follow Sebastian: Website: https://www.spiderdaynightlive.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/spiderdayNight Arachnophiles: https://twitter.com/arachnofiles View his latest project with Mass Media Fellowship, a podcast with the Science History Institute: https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/how-philadelphias-water-pollution-problems-shaped-the-city In this episode, we talk: How he wandered into the path of becoming a PhD Scientist (and how sometimes it not as intentional as we think it is) How jumping spiders help us to also understand the physiology of our own vision and behavior Can confirm: Spider scientist loves Spiderman How teachers and educators can create positive experiences with spiders to break down negative misconceptions Importance of collaboration Overcoming challenges with perseverance, practice, and productivity What is a scientist? The important and often underrepresented role of ecology in science education Being bold to explore, ask questions, and make observations in the world around you And much, much more Notes from the Host: Sebastian was the first interview that I conducted and it was so fun. Forgive me for some of the newbie mistakes--the audio quality is a bit weird at first, but we fixed that around 8 minutes or so into the podcast. I love having these long-form conversations with people and I have found myself still quoting things I learned from Sebastian in conversations in and out of the classroom. He does a great job communicating his work, and providing helpful advice for science communicators and educators. Currently (until May 2019), he is working as an NSF-funded intern at the Cincinnati Museum Center, where he is studying how the words we use to talk about animals affect how and what museum visitors learn about them. If you enjoy our conversation, reach out to Sebastian himself and tell him how much his words mean to you. Thanks so much Sebastian. Learn More: Insect Hunter Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxVdaLr1b8pPirmoSecMDw The Science of Spiderman: https://www.inquirer.com/science/superhero-spider-science-spider-man-far-from-home-20190712.html AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship: https://www.aaas.org/programs/mass-media-fellowship Richards-Zawacki Ecology and Evolution Lab at the University of Pittsburgh: http://www.rzlab.pitt.edu/ Friends of Cooper Island: http://cooperisland.org/ William A. Searcy Lab, University of Miami: http://www.bio.miami.edu/searcylab/bill_cv.html Robert Irwin (Still carries on his father’s legacy): https://twitter.com/RobertIrwin Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/ iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ Cincinnati Museum Center: For more science and education resources from Joanne Wasdin, visit frizzlefactor.com Intro & Outro Music from https://filmmusic.io "Open Those Bright Eyes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)