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Welcome to Houston Science Enthusiasts! Founded in 2010 (under the original name Houston Super Secret Science Club), our goal is to provide a place for people interested in science to find and gather at the most interesting science-related activities in the Greater Houston region. These include gatherings at the many science-related lectures held at area universities and other educational institutions, visits to museums, outdoors field trips and social mixers at local pubs and restaurants. The idea to make these meet-ups entertaining and interesting to the lay community as well as those from the ranks of professional scientists. Anyone can join -- you don't need a Ph.D., just some curiosity.
You also are invited to join our Facebook group, where we continue the discussion online: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HoustonSuperSecretScienceClub/
Find our listing of Houston Science Resources here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/houston-science-enthusiasts/houston-science-resources/637381806593089/
Nadchodzące wydarzenia (4+)
Zobacz wszystkie- Unlocking the Chemistry of the HeavensLink widoczny dla uczestników wydarzenia
ONLINE: The Houston Astronomical Society presents Danna Qasim, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Planetary Science Research Staff at Southwest Research Institute, in a talk titled “Unlocking the Chemistry of the Heavens."
Description: "In this talk, Dr. Qasim will discuss her career path, starting at age 16 when she decided to become an astrochemist, and the research projects she engaged in that lead me to her passion for bridging interstellar chemistry to the chemistry in our Solar System. These included experimentally testing the role of the mineral schreibersite on meteorites in biochemical reactions which may have been critical to life, the challenges of forming interstellar methane ice analogs in the laboratory and experimental investigations on the role of interstellar inheritance in the detection of amines and amino acids in meteorites. Dr. Qasim will also give brief overview of her current research in the Nebular Origins of the Universe Research Laboratory (NOUR Laboratory), and reflect on the current funding climate for (space) science. Dr. Qasims talk will be dedicated her late PhD supervisor, Prof. Harold Linnartz, whose belief in her scientific potential often exceeded her own."
Speaker: Dr. Danna Qasim is a laboratory astrophysicist and astronomer. Her long-term goal is bridging interstellar/protoplanetary disk chemistry to the chemistry in our Solar System. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and minor in astronomy at Northern Arizona University (2012), and her Master of Science in Chemical Sciences at Kennesaw State University under the supervision of Prof. Heather Abbott-Lyon, where she experimentally investigated early Earth phosphorylation reactions by meteoritic minerals (2016). She received her PhD in Astronomy at Leiden University under the supervision of Profs. Harold Linnartz and Ewine van Dishoeck (2020). Notably, she developed a method to experimentally investigate carbon atom chemistry occurring in dark interstellar clouds, which resulted in two international dissertation awards.
After her PhD, she did her postdoctoral at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where she worked in the Cosmic Ice and Astrobiology Analytical Laboratories to bridge interstellar chemistry to the chemistry found in meteorites. In 2022, she joined SwRI’s Planetary Science Research Staff, where she is currently leading a JWST Cycle 3 Program on interstellar sulfur chemistry, a NASA New Frontiers Data Analysis Program on analyzing Juno data of Ganymede and is head of the newly formed Nebular Origins of the Universe Research Laboratory
Join us Friday, June 6th, 2025, at 7:00 pm CT.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o5WvU_P0TpqPhVBk8Q7QQA#/registration
You only need to register once!
- Women in Coastal Science: Dr. Sandra Metoyer, Environmental Institute of HoustonR.A. Apffel Beach Park Pavilion, Galveston, TX
IN-PERSON: "The Women in Coastal Science Speaker Series is a free, award-winning program that brings together leading female scientists, conservationists, and researchers to share their expertise. Held monthly, this engaging series covers topics ranging from marine mammal rescue to habitat restoration, giving attendees an inside look at the critical efforts shaping our Gulf shores.
"This month's speaker is Dr. Sandra Metoyer, executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
"Metoyer is driven by a deep passion for discovering others’ passions through science and education. With academic roots in geography and geosciences, she brings more than a decade of experience guiding innovative initiatives that broaden access to STEM careers, research, and learning opportunities. Her work focuses on bridging research and real-world impact through transdisciplinary partnerships aimed at addressing complex socio-environmental challenges.
"As executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston, Dr. Metoyer draws on over 13 years of leadership in higher education, where she has designed and directed projects with a strong record of securing funding and achieving measurable outcomes. She has served as Co-PI and director of a National Science Foundation HSI Institutional Transformation project and previously led a U.S. Department of Education Title V grant. Her research interests center on geospatial literacy, STEM education, and creating early inquiry-driven research experiences for undergraduates."
More information and registration: https://www.visitgalveston.com/women-in-coastal-science/
Directions: https://www.visitgalveston.com/things-to-do/beaches/east-beach/
- World Ocean Day 2025West Side of East Beach, Apffel Park, Galveston, TX
IN-PERSON: Join Artist Boat and our partners in celebrating World Ocean Day. Spend the day at the beach discovering, learning, demonstrating, and experiencing how we CAN be a part of the solution to keep pollution out of the ocean. Enjoy hands-on activities, Eco-Art workshops and Bucket Brigade tours (register here), and live entertainment on the main stage.
Winners of the Beautify the Bucket Art Contest will be announced at 4:00 pm.
### R.A. Apffel Beach Park, East Beach, Galveston
More information and workshop registration: https://www.artistboat.org/world-ocean-day-festival/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=GovDelivery
### The Festival is FREE with East Beach Entry.($15/Car All Day Parking)
- Marine Heat Waves and Marine SpeciesLink widoczny dla uczestników wydarzenia
ONLINE: The location, season, size, duration and intensity of a marine heat wave (MHW) influences its impacts. For animals, summer and fall events are especially concerning because animals are already at temperatures closer to their upper heat tolerances. Sessile species like corals face greater risks than mobile species. For coastal weather, MHWs can lead to dangerously hot and humid conditions. They also contribute to rapid hurricane intensification.
Join GCOOS in June and July as we present our Summer Webinar Series focused on the science and impacts of MHW.
https://gcoos.org/heat-waves-webinars/
### June 12: Marine Heat Waves and Marine Species
#### Featuring: Elizabeth Harris, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | Megan Howson, GCOOS | Jerad King, GCOOS
Marine heat waves (MHW), periods of higher-than-normal temperatures in the ocean, can have significant impacts on marine species. The Gulf alone is home to more than 15,000 species ranging from highly migratory whales and sea turtles to fish that live their whole lives on a single coral reef. In this lunch & learn webinar, hear from experts about how environmental data, including temperature data, is used to sustainably manage marine species, as well as some new GCOOS tools being developed to make marine-species data more accessible.
