There are three online signature presentations, in addition to the many other offerings by community organizations. Registration is required. For more details and to register go to
https://bit.ly/BigReadSangamonCounty
—-
March 2, 10-11 a.m. Kickoff Keynote by Kathryn Harris, “Reading Science, Reading Together”
Hosted by the Academy of Lifelong Learning at Lincoln Land Community College.
Kathryn Harris, retired librarian and Springfield’s 2020 State Journal-Register First Citizen, will give the kickoff presentation about Lab Girl. Harris will help introduce the community to Hope Jahren’s memoir, make connections to common elements of history and science and convey the benefits of a community reading the same book.
—-
March 25, 6:30 p.m. “The Power of Curiosity,” presented by Emily Graslie
Hosted by Lincoln Land Community College
Emily Graslie is a lifelong champion of curiosity with a fascinating life story. Trained as an artist and inspired by museums, she became a renowned science communicator. She was the Chief Curiosity Correspondent for the Field Museum in Chicago. Graslie served as creator, host and writer of The Brain Scoop, an educational YouTube channel with 200-plus episodes about natural history that have been viewed more than 32 million times. In 2020 she made her broadcast television debut on PBS as executive producer, host and writer of Prehistoric Road Trip, a new series by WTTW Chicago about paleontology and geology.
Learn about Graslie’s creative journey through the lenses of fine art and science communication. She will be making her presentation to Springfield participants from her home in the Chicago area.
—-
April 17, 11 a.m. Keynote Presentation about Lab Girl by author Hope Jahren
Hosted by the Academy of Lifelong Learning at Lincoln Land Community College.
Hear about Lab Girl and Hope Jahren’s love of science directly from the author. Springfield is partnering with six other communities around the country that are reading Lab Girl to provide this opportunity. She will be joining her Springfield-area audience from Oslo, Norway, where she is currently a professor at the University of Oslo. Jahren is an award-winning scientist who has been pursuing independent research in paleobiology since 1996, when she completed her Ph.D. at the University of California Berkeley. Her career in research and teaching began at the Georgia Institute of Technology and then at Johns Hopkins University. She is the recipient of three Fulbright Awards and is one of four scientists, and the only woman, to have been awarded both of the Young Investigator Medals given within the Earth Sciences. She was a tenured professor at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu before moving to Norway.
Related Stories
A community that reads together grows together
This article appears in The Big Read.
