We often introduce statistical ideas as part of doing science – for example, checking to see if a particular treatment changed an outcome in a chemistry or physics experiment. But statistics also contributes to large-scale scientific inquiry, looking at problems like countering proliferation, assessing new defense systems, and adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning to solve problems in national security. In this talk, I will discuss my career as a statistician, where I have worked for a small business, a national laboratory, a policy think tank, and as a professor. I will also talk about case studies illustrating how statistics contribute to solving problems of national interest. I always knew that I liked math, but growing up, I didn’t know how to make it a career. As an undergraduate, I changed majors (at least in my head) about every two weeks, from linguistics to mechanical engineering and everything in between. But I kept taking math courses. After my junior year, I had a summer internship at Burroughs Wellcome, a pharmaceutical company, in their Clinical Statistics Department. I was doing what undergraduate interns do – I was counting things (how many women in the study, how many over 30). But others in the group were working on the clinical trial for AZT, which was the first medication to treat HIV. I was hooked. Math – or more specifically, statistics – could help solve real-world problems. So I decided on graduate school in statistics. First a MS at Carnegie Mellon, then work at the National Institutes of Health, and then a PhD at Duke. Family took me to southern New Mexico, where I got my first experience in defense work at Cowboy Programming Resources, a five-person company that supported operational evaluation for the Army. The Statistical Sciences Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory brought me back to research and introduced me to the fun of working on big science with interdisciplinary teams. I transitioned to academia in the Department of Statistics at Iowa State University, and then got a taste of data supporting policy at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Science and Technology Policy Institute. At NC State, I am putting this all together. As the PI for the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences, I get to bring the “national lab” feel of mission-driven problems and interdisciplinary teams to the university. And as AVC, I am helping to enable and build research in defense and security and data science, while expanding our partnerships with the national laboratories.
Data, Statistics, and Big Science w/ Dr. Alyson Wilson
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Thermal Ink-Jet technology needed plain paper ink to be successful. How that invention took place will be the main topic. A few other such applied inventions that happened prior and after will creep in. The objective of this discussion is to reveal to the participants that one can have a delightful time inventing things that lead to beneficial tools for humans, and one needs to be looking at the long-term picture of just what one’s inventions portend. Dr. David Hackleman was born in Coos Bay, Oregon. He has always had an interest in Physical Sciences and Technology. Hackleman, a 1969 NYSCamp delegate from Oregon, then went on to study at Oregon State University to attain his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1973. After attending graduate school in The Chemistry Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hackleman started his career at Hewlett Packard with a focus on IC Testing, IC Process Design, and Thermal Ink-Jet. Now retired from HP, Hackleman is on the board of advisors for OSU Chemistry and in the process of selling a company he started in 2012 called “OilExTech”. OilExTech makes equipment one can use to extract essential oils from plants using a microwave oven.
Have Fun at a Company Where you Need to Invent on a Schedule w/ Dr. David Hackleman
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Science in the education system is too often given hard boundaries. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths are seen as separate and distinct creatures. How can aeronautical engineers help us build better bones? How can material scientists help diagnose HIV in the poorest parts of the world? How can biologists revolutionize big data and computing? During this lecture, we’ll tear those walls down alongside tales of how a physicist somehow ended up a molecular biologist (she's still not quite sure how that happened...) *To paraphrase James Watson. Dr. Karla-Louise Herpoldt is a scientist at Seagen, a biotechnology company specializing in cancer therapeutics, based in Seattle, WA. After a physics degree at the University of Oxford, she had an identity crisis and decided to become a molecular biologist instead. Her research has focused on the computational design of proteins for vaccines and drug delivery. She completed her Ph.D. at Imperial College London, UK where she studied protein interactions for the design of HIV diagnostics. Aside from doing science Karla also enjoys talking about science - to anyone. She is very active in outreach and education programs and will talk to anyone who will listen about how great science is. Karla was a Germany delegate to the NYSCamp in 2006 and was on Staph in 2008, 2010, and 2011. She rants about how awesome West Virginia is, almost as much as she talks about science. She enjoys dance (and is often found dancing around her lab...) and is making the most of living in the Pacific Northwest by throwing herself downhills (on skis and bikes).
Avoiding Boring People: Life Lessons Learnt in the Laboratory w/ Dr. Karla-Louise Herpoldt
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The development of Covid-19 vaccines in less than a year represents a remarkable scientific achievement. With multiple vaccines licensed for use, we now have the tools required to end the Covid-19 pandemic. And yet, the pandemic is far from over. In this session, Emily will take stock of the accomplishments and lessons learned over the past year in vaccine development and deployment. She will reflect on the unfinished Covid-19 vaccines R&D agenda, the global imperative for both high and low income countries to accelerate distribution and what it will take to achieve the acceleration required in lower income countries in order to end the pandemic in 2022. Emily Serazin joined Boston Consulting Group in 2006. She has been based both in the Washington and Mumbai offices. Emily is a core member of BCG's Health Care and Social Impact practices. Within health care, Emily's focus is on vaccines and global health across the value chain. She also has expertise in digital health and in the formation and optimization of public-private partnerships. Examples of Emily's experience in the commercial health care sector include developing growth and product launch strategies for players in the global vaccines market, leading due diligences, and supporting post-merger integrations. In the realm of global public health, Emily has worked across leading global health institutions such as Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation to define investment strategies, coordinate multistakeholder efforts, prioritize portfolios, and identify key levers to drive uptake in low- and middle-income countries.
Getting Vaccines Around the World w/ Emily Serazin
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Lecture presented at the 2021 virtual National Youth Science Camp on July 12, 2021. The purpose of my presentation is to inspire youth to push the boundaries of their imagination to expand curiosity and utilize knowledge and their unique capabilities to benefit life on Earth. The presentation will demonstrate the reality of accomplishing high ideas through the application of imagination, engineering, and collaboration. This presentation will show an overview of NASA’s Systems Engineering Process and characteristics of a good systems engineer. I will discuss 4 major projects: Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS), Artemis - NASA’s Lunar Exploration Program, Mars 2020 “Perseverance” Rover Project, and the Gateway Logistics Element of the Artemis Program. We will discuss mission-critical problems and solutions and accomplishments across multiple flight programs, with other agencies, and industry. Systems Engineering is the methodology NASA uses to accomplish mission success. I worked to support NASA programs over my 30 years of engineering and leadership experience at NASA, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as an electrical design engineer, project engineer and systems engineer. The management of requirements throughout the project lifecycle is essential to accomplishing high ideas through the application of imagination, engineering, and collaboration. These are the necessary pillars to discover, explore and create to benefit life of Earth. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Kennedy Space Center Former Systems Engineer Michelle E. Amos worked for 30 years at NASA, Kennedy Space Center as an electrical design engineer, project manager, and systems engineer. She was privileged to work on several Flagship NASA Programs before leaving NASA in May 2020. Recently – She worked as systems engineer at NASA, Jet Propulsion Lab in CA supporting the Mars 2020 Rover, “Perseverance”, which landed on Mars, Feb 18, 2021. She worked across 11 system domains to help engineers certify the rover ready for flight. Her last assignment at NASA, Kennedy Space Center in FL was systems engineer for Deep Space Logistics which will provide supplies for astronauts to live and work on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis Program. Artemis will send the next man and first woman to the Moon in 2024. Michelle Amos has been married for 30 years to John D. Amos. Their home is Orlando Florida. They have 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and 1 grand-dog. Mrs. Amos is the youngest of 10 children and she was born and raised is Baton Rouge, LA where she is currently serving with her husband as Mission Leaders of the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They manage over 200 missionaries serving throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
NASA Engineering to Benefit Life of Mars w/ Michelle E. Amos
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Deoxyribonucleic acid is known as the molecule carrying genetic instructions of all known organisms and many viruses. Its canonical double helix form consists of two polynucleotide chains coiled around, bound to each other through base pairing with hydrogen bonds. In the past decade, physicists have harnessed the simplicity of base pairing to use DNA as a building block for the molecular self-assembly of complex DNA nanostructures. DNA organization and folding also play a crucial role in living organisms. In eukaryotes, DNA organization into chromatin provides control over gene expression and thus controls many processes, including establishing and maintaining cellular identity. While physicists have harnessed DNA to build tools, biologists have developed novel systems to edit DNA in the test tube and in living beings. Here, I provide an insight into the versatility and potential of DNA and discuss how I entered these different fields and some of the most exciting applications and innovations developed in this past decade. Dr. Enrique Lin Shiao is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California Berkeley in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer A. Doudna, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020. Enrique was born and raised in Costa Rica until he turned 18, and a scholarship from the German government allowed him to study Engineering Physics at the Technical University in Munich. He then pursued research in biophysics at the University of Cambridge, followed by a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. His research has always focused on DNA, from DNA origami to epigenetics to genome editing using CRISPR. Enrique is also the co-founder of Caminos en Ciencia, a podcast that gives voice to challenges, success stories, and lessons of Latin American scientists working in science to provide role models for our communities.
From Making DNA Smileys to Improving the CRISPR Applications w/ Dr. Enrique Lin Shiao
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We are working on adding Closed Captions to this video!
Game Theory w/ Dr. John Nash
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Lecture: The Columbia Accident: Risk Management, Decision Making, & Organizational Lessons Learned w/ Dr. David Lengyel, a Former Chief Risk Officer, NASA Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate The February 2003 loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia during reentry on mission STS-107 was a mishap that stunned both NASA and the world. This presentation examines risk management, decision-making, and organizational issues associated with this mishap with the goal of raising awareness of key lessons learned. David Lengyel, Ph.D. retired from NASA in 2014 after 21 years at the agency. From 2005 to 2014 he served as the Chief Risk and Knowledge Management Officer for the Exploration Systems Mission and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorates. He managed the Moscow Technical Liaison Office in Russia for the International Space Station Program, served as Executive Director of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and Executive Secretary of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Prior to coming to NASA, Mr. Lengyel was an F-15 Eagle and FA-18 Hornet Aircrew Training Instructor for the McDonnell Aircraft Company. He accumulated over 2200 flight hours as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps while flying the F-4S Phantom II, FA-18 Hornet and OV-10 Bronco. He holds a Ph.D. and MS in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University, an MA in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, an MBA from the University of Missouri, and a BS from the U.S. Naval Academy. This lecture is from the 2021 National Youth Science Camp. Hosted in Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia since 1963, the National Youth Science Camp (#NYSCamp) is a residential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (#STEM) program designed to honor and challenge some of the nation’s rising leaders and provide them with opportunities to engage with STEM professionals and participate in exciting outdoor activities. Typically, two delegates are selected to attend camp from each state and the District of Columbia. In partnership with the U.S. State Department, we also host international delegates. Past countries represented include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. Housing, meals, transportation, and supplies are provided to participants at no cost. Learn more at nysf(dot)com. Lecture Date: 07/30/2021
Columbia Accident: Risk Management, Decision Making, & Organizational Lessons w/ Dr. David Lengyel
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Lecture: "What's Underneath the Underneath?" Exploring the Deep Seafloor and Subseafloor with Katie Inderbitzen Seventy percent of the Earth is covered by the global ocean, and 37% of the ocean is more than 4000 meters (~2.5 miles) deep. But why should we care about this dark, inhospitable environment? In this lecture, Katie will discuss the truth behind the phrase “We have better maps of the surface of Mars than we do of the Earth's seafloor” and how this relates to mapping and exploring the deep sea. She will also expound on more than a decade of deep-sea research experiences using submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and scientific ocean drilling to explore locations that had not been previously seen by human eyes. Dr. Katie Inderbitzen is a Postdoctoral Researcher working on subseafloor fluid circulation and its effects on the physical properties of rocks and rock/fluid geochemistry, in an effort to better understand subseafloor hydrothermal systems. In addition, she assists with the maintenance of subseafloor observatory systems (CORKs) on the eastern Juan de Fuca Ridge flank and in the Middle Valley sedimented rift (where her Ph.D. research was focused) and is involved in exploratory work on low-temperature fluid discharging from basaltic outcrops off the western coast of Costa Rica. She has spent a year of her life at sea and has used numerous deep-sea vehicles to collect data (ROV Jason, AUV Sentry, etc.). She has also made 7 dives in the human-occupied Alvin submersible. When she's not being an awesome scientist, Katie enjoys watching hockey, camping, karaoke, and is also a seamstress and Master-level competitive costumer. Katie was a 1998 delegate to the NYSC from New Hampshire and was on Staph in 1999, 2002, and from 2017 to 2019. This lecture is from the 2021 National Youth Science Camp. Hosted in Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia since 1963, the National Youth Science Camp (#NYSCamp) is a residential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (#STEM) program designed to honor and challenge some of the nation’s rising leaders and provide them with opportunities to engage with STEM professionals and participate in exciting outdoor activities. Typically, two delegates are selected to attend camp from each state and the District of Columbia. In partnership with the U.S. State Department, we also host international delegates. Past countries represented include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. Housing, meals, transportation, and supplies are provided to participants at no cost. Learn more at nysf(dot)com. Lecture Date: 07/29/2021
What's Underneath the Underneath? Exploring the Deep Seafloor & Subseafloor w/ Dr. Katie Inderbitzen
YouTube Video UCAzzGiK3fqER2Ka2dIZ4jlQ_GAi4hl_GCME
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