“The Science Of…” video series by JU and Jacksonville Zoo catching on with educators. March 21, 2017

The goals…
Highlight, explain, and celebrate nature, technology, science, and scientific endeavors in North East Florida.  Explore the natural world as well as interconnected people, research, business, and history.  And of course, explain some scientific concepts that matter to North East Florida.

Things to look for…
Closed captioning in English and  Spanish, as well as downloadable transcripts in English, are available for all videos.  Each feature has a Companion Guide, which contains additional information and links, and can be used for educational purposes.  We currently have one feature – Sea Turtles: Threats and Solutions.

Watch the videos through the credits to see additional footage, like dinosaur assembly, comments, and perspectives.

Our first videos…
Our first sets of videos fall under the categories Conservation and Natural History.  The first Conservation videos focus on Sea Turtles, a group of animals that are threatened and endangered, and are very special to Lucas, as you will see in the feature.  All of our Conservation videos are produced in collaboration with the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  The first Natural History videos center on components in the Darwin & Dinosaurs exhibit, which is at the Museum of Science & History until September 5, 2016.  These videos give an overview of the exhibit, as well as focus in on topics explained by the exhibit curators, Mike Triebold and Angus Carroll.  Watch the videos and then go see the exhibit to learn a lot more before it leaves town!

What the future will hold…
We have a lot of plans for this project, and the scope of The Science Of… will expand as we roll out more videos that have their own niches.  For example, the upcoming Tips and How to… category will provide videos to help enable young scientists develop and carry out quality science projects for fun and for science fairs.  These videos focus on practical aspects of experimental design as well as demonstrate techniques and calculations that are appropriate for middle through high school projects.  As we progress and increase our output, we hope that this project will serve as a valuable resource to connect learning with local activities.

Keep us on your radar…
We hope you enjoy the first set of videos and come back for more as they are added.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications of new videos, and make sure to also visit our website to obtain more resources such as recommended links and downloadable files.

Thanks…
As we have started to interact with the community about this project, the response has been very positive.  We thank you for your support and look forward to providing a valuable resource for the region. The Science Of… is partially funded through the JU EPIC program, which is funded by the State of Florida.

People

Collaboration…
This project springs from the collaborative environment at Jacksonville University, a comprehensive university with a liberal arts and sciences core.  First and foremost, this project is a reflection of the talents of the people listed below.

Anthony (Andy) Ouellette, Professor of Biology and Chemistry
Ph.D. University of Minnesota | B.S. University of Central Florida | A.A. Valencia College

Gregory (Greg) Minton, Media Services Manager
A.S. Full Sail University

Lucas Meers, Conservation Program Officer, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
B.S. Jacksonville University

Lee Ann Clements, Associate Provost; Professor of Biology & Marine Science
Ph.D., M.S. University of South Carolina | B.A. University of Virginia

David Smith, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design (Now at Auburn University but still part of the team!)
M.F.A. Goddard College | B.F.A. Ringling School of Art and Design

George (Tony) Steve, Artist in Residence in Music
M.M. Ithaca College | B.M. Jacksonville University

Amanda Jackson, Media Services Specialist
B.S. University of Florida

Eric Kunzendorf, Professor of Computer Animation
M.F.A. University of Georgia / B.A. Columbia University