About SciStarter SciStarter helps bring together millions of curious and concerned people in the world; the thousands of opportunities to engage in real-world research questions in collaboration with researchers, communities, organizations, and companies; and the resources, products, and services that enable people to pursue and enjoy these activities while learning and accelerating important research. Together, we can help answer questions that cannot be answered alone. When we’re all involved, the science is better.SciStarter SCSTTR_e138af4e-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea00SciStarter is a globally acclaimed, online citizen science hub where thousands of projects, searchable by location, topic, age level, etc., have been registered by individual project leaders or imported through partnerships with federal governments, NGOs, and universities.North Carolina State UniversityAs a research affiliate of North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Arizona State University (ASU), and a popular citizen science portal, SciStarter hosts an active community of more than 170,000 registered SciStarter members and millions of additional site visitors.Arizona State UniversityNational Science FoundationHundreds of citizen science projects use SciStarter's National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported APIs to help volunteers earn credit for their participation in their SciStarter dashboard, across all kinds of projects and platforms.SciStarter PartnersThese features enable SciStarter's partners (libraries, schools, museums, Girl Scouts and more) to catalyze customized engagement pathways and track and support the progress of their communities through SciStarter.LibrariesSchoolsMuseumsGirl ScoutsResearchersSciStarter also supports researchers in managing projects, including best practices for engaging participant partners. CommunitiesOrganizationsCompaniesSciStarter TeamDarlene CavalierFounder ~ Darlene is the founder of SciStarter, Science Cheerleaders, Inc. (a nonprofit organization of more than 300 current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders pursuing STEM careers), and Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology (ECAST); cofounder of ScienceNearMe.org; author of several books; and a professor of practice at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University. ^^ Darlene oversees strategic project direction and evaluation.Daniel Arbuckle, Ph.D.Lead Developer ~ Daniel holds a doctorate in computer science from the University of Southern California, where he specialized in robotics and was a member of the nanotechnology lab. He now has ten years behind him as a consultant, during which time he has been helping an assortment of businesses from clothing manufacturers to realtors. ^^ He's been SciStarter's lead developer from the start!Caren Cooper, Ph.D.Director of Research Partnerships ~ Caren is an associate professor in Forestry and Environmental Resources at NCSU in the Chancellor's Faculty Excellence program on Leadership in Public Science, and assistant head of the Biodiversity Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Caren and her research team work with SciStarter on a number of academic initiatives, including the NC State Citizen Science portal. ^^ She likes to propel herself on one wheel, two wheel, and eight wheel devices.Caroline NickersonAdvisor ~ Caroline Nickerson is an advisor at SciStarter, where she assists with the Citizen Science Month Program, SciStarter’s Corporate Volunteer Programs and other programmatic and outreach efforts, including working with SciStarter's Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Science Connected, Discover Magazine and SciStarter platforms. Caroline is a Master of Public Policy graduate from American University, where she was a Reilly Environmental Policy Scholar, and is a current PhD student at the University of Florida. She also works with the UF-VA Bioethics Unit, the Christensen Project, Florida Community Innovation and the Commission on Local Debates. ^^ She was the 2019 Cherry Blossom Princess representing the state of Florida and the grand prize scholarship winner at Miss Earth USA 2021 as Miss Louisiana Earth.Jill NugentSocial Media, Education Manager ~ Jill works in higher education where she teaches science courses and serves as an administrator in online STEM programs. Jill authors SciStarter's monthly citizen science column in the NSTA Journal Science Scope and was a contributing author on the NSTA Press book, "Citizen Science: 15 lessons that bring biology to life." She is a founding member of Team Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) in the annual City Nature Challenge. ^^ Jill manages SciStarter's social media and education initiatives.Lea Shanley, Ph.D.Advisor ~ Lea is a Research Fellow at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and also serves as co-Chair of the Group on Earth Observations Citizen Science Working Group. ^^ She works at the intersection of Earth observation, open science, technology innovation, and public policy. Lea helps SciStarter identify new strategic partnerships.Robin SalthouseLibrary Specialist ~ Robin is a retired adult services supervisor librarian from the Maricopa County Library District in Arizona. In the first pilot of this project in Arizona, she served as public library liaison for six Phoenix Valley libraries and their communities to develop, create, and check out citizen science kits with tools and directions that allow library users to gather and submit data. ^^ Robin serves as a public library liaison, provides expertise on resource development, and contributes to technical support and communication with library partners.Tara L. CoxSenior Project Manager ~ Tara is the assistant director of programs at the National Girls Collaborative, which aims to bring together organizations throughout the country that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Tara specializes in developing and scaling learning experiences and resources on strategies for engaging diverse audiences in STEM. ^^ Tara oversees project management, professional development, and National Citizen and Community Science Library Network growth.Bob HirshonPodcasts ~ Bob Hirshon heads up Springtail Media, specializing in science media and digital entertainment. He is Principal Investigator for the NSF-supported National Park Science Challenge, an augmented reality adventure that takes place in National Parks. Hirshon headed up the Kinetic City family of science projects, including the Peabody Award winning children's radio drama Kinetic City Super Crew, McGraw-Hill book series and Codie Award winning website and education program. Hirshon can be heard on XM/Sirius Radio’s Kids Place Live as "Bob the Science Slob", sharing science news and answering children's questions. ^^ At SciStarter, Bob edits the Citizen Science Podcast.Roland Moundalak, MAProgram and QA Coordinator ~ Coming from a non-STEM career, Roland is an advocate of citizen science, which he believes has great and untapped potential in advancing human knowledge! ^^ His key responsibilities at SciStarter include citizen science community coordination, cross-platform app/web testing, data remediation, front-end development, internet research (to grow the event/project database!), program coordination, quality assurance and webinar co-hosting.Emma GilesProgram Coordinator ~ Emma Giles coordinates team communication and tasks, plans events and manages programs, responds to client and customer questions and concerns, and promotes citizen science through community outreach. Emma earned her undergraduate degrees in business management and Spanish communication at Arizona State University and is back at ASU currently pursuing a master’s degree in Science and Technology Policy. For the last three years, she was a science and math teacher for a Title I charter school in Phoenix where she focused on creating meaningful and exciting experiences for students to develop into curious thinkers and young citizen scientists. ^^ She continues to support the school community as a tennis coach and substitute teacher. Trevor BartoneContent and Program Coordinator ~ Trevor is a study coordinator at a leading medical contract research organization specializing in medical device testing. He is currently studying to obtain his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from The School of Molecular Sciences at ASU. ^^ Having worked to bring citizen science to his local community over the last five years, he plans to further develop programs and resources for others looking to do the same.Jim WebsterSciStarter Ambassador ~ Jim Webster, an amateur astronomer and astro-photographer from New Jersey, is a member of the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area since 2017. His concerns about the impact of light pollution on astronomy and more importantly on nature led him to the International Dark-Sky Association, becoming an advocate for them in 2021. One of the tools utilized to study light pollution was the citizen science project "Globe at Night" found on SciStarter. Jim's interest in SciStarter and citizen science projects have expanded over time, becoming a SciStarter Ambassador in 2023. ^^ SciStarter and citizen science are now part of the growing number of available presentations he has on astronomy, photography, light pollution, and citizen science of both Earth and space sciences. ^^ "I have been doing this for a few years and still consider myself a beginner and always will, there is always something new to learn."Steve GanoRemembering Steve Gano, Valued Colleague ~ Steve Gano was with SciStarter from the start. Steve was a thoughtful, kind soul. He was understated, but when Steve spoke, we listened. ^^ As SciStarter continues to grow, we remember Steve Gano and the foundation he helped create.Better science_e138b03e-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea00To enable people to engage in real-world research questions_e138b110-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea00CuriosityCollaborationResearchScienceResearch QuestionsHelp answer questions together that cannot be answered alone._e138b21e-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea00Learning, Participation & ContributionEnable and encourage people to learn about, participate in, and contribute to real science through both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts._e138b2e6-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea001Appreciation & UnderstandingInspire greater appreciation and promote a better understanding of science and technology._e138b3a4-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea002CollaborationCreate a shared space where scientists and project leaders can collaborate with people interested in working on or learning about their research projects._e138b476-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea003Curiosities, Concerns & ImpactsSatisfy the popular urge to tinker, build, and explore by making it simple and fun for everyone from all walks of life to turn their curiosities and concerns into real impact._e138b534-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea004ContentDevelop and distribute original content_e138b5fc-7e4c-11ee-a904-fe502683ea005SciStarter also develops and distributes original content across syndicated blogs, a podcast, weekly events on Zoom, a bi-monthly newsletter, bi-monthly emails to members, social media and a YouTube channel. 2023-11-08https://scistarter.org/aboutOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net