It's Cuffing Season! The fourth and final round of our science speakeasy was one for the books. Instead of just one scientist, we figured we'd get seven scientists for seven rounds of speed dating!
But first, we invited everyone to drinks and themed music from Les Zazous, and we celebrated in the Great Hall right around the holiday tree! Curious about the scientists we hosted? Scroll down to learn all about them!
Our 4-part speakeasy series is a collaboration between LabX and the Cultural Programs of The National Academy of Sciences celebrating the NAS building's 100th anniversary in 2024.
Find your photos here:
01
John Reich
Dr. John Reich joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in February 2016 as a Scientific Program Director. He currently manages FFAR’s Bolstering Healthy Food Systems Priority Area.
02
Kaelyn Sanders
Kaelyn Sanders is a Ph.D. Candidate (ABD) in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Using critical and intersectional frameworks, Kaelyn’s research sits at the nexus of community supervision, reintegration, and inequality, and her dissertation research qualitatively explores digital inequality among Black returning citizens.
03
Franklin Carrero-Martinez
Franklin Carrero-Martinez is the Senior Director of the Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. His multidisciplinary career includes roles as researcher and educator, science administrator, and science diplomat in government, academia and NGOs. In academia, Franklin established a strong research program aimed at understanding the brain’s self-organization principles and how to use that knowledge to manipulate brain connectivity.
04
Abigail Marsh
Abigail Marsh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004.
05
Jen Golbeck
Jen Golbeck is a professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. She is an expert in social networks, social media, and privacy. She is known for her work on computational social network analysis. She developed methods for inferring information about relationships and people in social networks.
06
Shoshana Weider
Shoshana Z. Weider is the Planetary Science Division (PSD) Executive Officer and a Program Officer in PSD at NASA Headquarters. Before coming to NASA Headquarters in 2018, Shoshana spent several years as a science writer and editor. She worked as a science communicator—working on print and online projects, for a variety of audiences—for many leading institutions in Europe, including the European Space Agency’s European Space Research and Technology Centre, as well as the UK’s Diamond Light Source and Science Media Centre.
07
Grelia Steele
Grelia Steele is a certified emergency manager with nearly 10 years of trusted leadership and technical experience in emergency management. As a bilingual professional with international engagements in Turkey, Haiti, and the Balkan Peninsula, she has spent most of her career working in local government in Virginia.
08
Reyhaneh Maktoufi
And last but certainly not least was our illustrious moderator Reyhaneh Maktoufi, who managed the Q&A at the end of the event. Dr. Maktoufi is a National Geographic Wayfinder Awardee and Explorer, a published researcher and science communicator focused on popularizing the science of science communication (SciComm). She is the co-producer, host, and illustrator of PBS| NOVA's digital series Sciencing Out, a mini-series celebrating female science communicators and their unique communication strategies.