WORKSHOPS
U.S. Intellectual Property Law for Paleontologists
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Modern paleontology practice coincides with numerous aspects of intellectual property law, including copyrights, brand associations, trade secrets, and occasionally patents. This seminar aims to introduce paleontologists to key concepts in intellectual property law as applied to their fields. We will discuss basic concepts of U.S. copyright protection as applied to paleontological artwork, photographs, sculptures, and literature. We will discuss basic concepts of U.S. trade secret law and branding in the context of allowing museums and other organizations to assess obligations with regard to fair competition. Lastly, we will address various misconceptions concerning protectability of “natural creations,” such as paleontological specimens and geologic formations. We will conclude with an open Q&A with Jacob Horton, a practicing U.S. intellectual property attorney with fifteen years of experience in the field. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with any specific legal questions they might like answered. Although we will focus on U.S. law, we welcome all those interested in intellectual property law around the world.
Venue: Duke Energy Convention Center
Facilitators: Jacob Horton, Blanchard Horton, PLLC, Stephanie Drumheller-Horton
Cost per person: $5
Minimum and Maximum Capacity: 10 (min) TBD (max) participants
Public Engagement 101: Using Evidence-Based Practices to Enhance Your Skills at Engaging the Public in Informal Learning Environments
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
This workshop will include several short activities designed to increase the ability of SVP members to effectively engage public audiences in informal learning environments. The activities will focus on identifying the relevance of your research and potential misconceptions public audiences might have about it, avoiding the use of jargon words, using analogies for difficult concepts, and role-playing visitor interaction scenarios to identify the elements of successful visitor interactions. Participants will also receive several documents as handouts at the end of the workshop with evidence-based strategies for effective public engagement. Many of these strategies and approaches are also useful for scholarly and non-scholarly writing, including grant proposals, and communicating with other audiences such as policy makers.
This workshop will be led by Dr. Briana Pobiner (National Museum of Natural History & Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at the George Washington University). Dr. Pobiner is a paleoanthropologist whose zooarchaeological and taphonomic research centers on the evolution of human diets. Dr. Pobiner’s research also explores the teaching and learning of evolution in high school biology classrooms. Dr. Pobiner leads the education and outreach efforts of the National Museum of Natural History’s Human Origins Program, including managing its public programs, website content, social media, and exhibition volunteer training. She is the recipient of the 2021 American Association of Biological Anthropologists and Leakey Foundation Communication and Outreach Award in Honor of Camilla Smith, and a 2021 National Center for Science Education Friend of Darwin award.
Venue: Duke Energy Convention Center
Recommended Items to Bring: Something to write with and something to write on (to take notes)
Facilitator: Briana Pobiner
Cost per person: $35
Minimum and Maximum Capacity: 10 (min) 40 (max) participants
Evaluation 101: Is This Effective? Best Practices in Evaluating Education and Outreach Programing
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
This workshop will expose SVP members to best practices in evaluating their individual education and outreach efforts. The workshop will be delivered by two experts in program evaluation with decades of experience in the fields of social science research, measurement and assessment, and educational evaluation. After completing the workshop, participants will understand basic principles of evaluating education and outreach programing and how they can be applied to grow their individual efforts.
This workshop will be led by Dr. Rachel Cochran and Dr. Jason Fulmore. Dr. Cochran has a PhD in Educational Psychology and has more than twenty years of experience in measurement and assessment in educational evaluation and social sciences. She formerly served as the Assistant Director of the Center for Educational Accountability (University of Alabama Birmingham), and Co-PI for several multi-year educational research and reform efforts funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the Institute for Education Sciences. Dr. Cochran currently serves as a Senior Research Associate at the for Public Affairs Council of Alabama. Dr. Fulmore has a master’s degree in Education and a Ph.D. in Health Education/Health Behavior. He has more than fifteen years of experience in educational evaluation, specifically focused on measurement and assessment. Dr. Fulmore has served as the lead evaluator for several large-scale, multi-year educational research grants funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the Institute for Education Sciences. Formerly a research associate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for Educational Accountability, Dr. Fulmore currently serves as a research consultant for the Public Affairs Council of Alabama.
Venue: Duke Energy Convention Center
Recommended Items to Bring: Something to write with and something to write on (to take notes)
Facilitators: Briana Pobiner, Josh Miller
Cost per person: $35
Minimum and Maximum Capacity: 10 (min) 40 (max) participants
Movement and Paleontology: Integrating Movement Arts to Explore and Communicate Paleontology
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Movement arts (e.g. dance, improvisation, circus, etc.) are well-suited for science outreach and education in diverse communities, due to their kinaesthetic and deeply communicative nature. Movement arts can help facilitate a deeper connection to scientific ideas and concepts, while building one’s physical empowerment and brain-body connection. Movement is also a fundamental part of the biological world, a central aspect of many paleontological research questions, and at the core of many art forms. In this workshop, participants will explore how movement arts can benefit scientific research and science communication at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate), and develop strategies for integrating movement exercises into modules of science classes and outreach activities. We will draw from courses that use movement arts to teach biology, and projects previously developed by the organizer and others, including a Paleo-education Indonesian dance troupe, aerial circus choreography that pulls directly from avian flight origin research, and much more. Ultimately, integrating movement arts and paleontological research can span sub-disciplines and cultures, and can help mitigate many of the social challenges related to gender, race, and mental health currently facing STEM fields.
In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in various forms of movement arts focused on using the human form to tell science- and research-based stories, culminating in a showcase of what groups have created throughout the workshop. After a brief interactive discussion and overview, we will explore a series of movement exercises and dance techniques. We will then work in groups to create original material using these techniques with specific paleontology foci, which will be video recorded and published online. Participants will gain specific tools valuable for use in classrooms and outreach venues and will be better prepared to pursue the integration of art and science in and outside of the classroom, lab, and field. Additionally, participants will gain fresh new moves to try out at the SVP afterparty!
This workshop is produced in partnership with the SVP Education and Outreach Committee.
Venue: Duke Energy Convention Center, room TBD
Facilitator: Hila Tzipora Chase
Cost: $15
Minimum and Maximum Capacity: 7 (min) 35 (max) participants
What to Bring: Participants should wear clothing that you are comfortable moving around in, and avoid zippers/etc. that could snag or catch on another attendee’s clothing. Bring a water bottle, and please let the organizer know if you have any accessibility needs- most, if not all can be accommodated, including severe mobility or communication limitations (the organizer is familiar with some of these conditions themselves, and can ensure creative accessibility solutions and discretion). No previous dance or movement experience is required. Come with a creative and open mind!