{"656450":{"#nid":"656450","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Christina Ragan: Celebrating Brain Awareness Week \u2014 and Neuroscience for All ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2022\/183-mindcraft-the-science-of-crafting\/\u0022\u003Escience of crafting\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2022\/171-science-improv\/\u0022\u003Escience improv show\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech has partnered with\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Science\u0026nbsp;Festival\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in filling the\u0026nbsp;month of March with science outreach events since\u0026nbsp;the annual festival was founded\u0026nbsp;in 2014.\u0026nbsp;And after receiving a seed grant\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/\u0022\u003EDana Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;the second year in a row,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/christina-ragan\u0022\u003EChristina Ragan\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is ready to partner with the festival to\u0026nbsp;host her outreach \u201cSuper Bowl\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;Brain Awareness Day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith a passion for inspiring others and making neuroscience more accessible, Ragan, a faculty member and lecturer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and the director of Outreach for the Undergraduate Program in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuroscience.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENeuroscience\u003C\/a\u003E at Tech, is a leader in developing neuroscience-related outreach events.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the past two years, Ragan has been annually awarded a $1,500 seed grant from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/\u0022\u003EDana Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E to design that kind of outreach in celebration of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brainawareness.org\/\u0022\u003EBrain Awareness Week\u003C\/a\u003E, the Foundation\u2019s global campaign dedicated to fostering curiosity and enthusiasm for brain science.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArriving at Georgia Tech in early 2021, Ragan organized a virtual Brain Awareness Day event for middle school students that welcomed over 100 attendees.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEveryone is Welcome: Science \u0026amp; Engineering Day at GT 2022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis spring\u2019s programming, scheduled on campus for March 19 as part of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival\u0022\u003EScience \u0026amp; Engineering Day at GT\u003C\/a\u003E, is set have an even bigger audience. (Organizers have confirmed that anyone who missed the RSVP period for this day-long celebration is still welcome to attend without registration, with limited courtesy parking available in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival\u0022\u003Ecentral lot shown here\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/christina-ragan-honored-award-neuroscience-teaching-outreach-mentorship\u0022\u003E2020 Carol Ann Paul Neuroscience Educator of the Year\u003C\/a\u003E, Ragan\u2019s dedication in the space has already made an impact on campus. This month, we spoke with Ragan to learn more about Brain Awareness Day and her approach to reaching community members beyond campus:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: What is Brain Awareness Week, and why do you think it\u2019s important?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: Brain Awareness Week, organized by the Dana Foundation, is a great way to share Neuroscience to the public in a way that is engaging, fun, and accessible to a broad audience.\u0026nbsp; We are celebrating Brain Awareness Week in three ways: 1. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival\u0022\u003EOur Brain Awareness Day event\u003C\/a\u003E as part of the Atlanta Science Festival (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival\u0022\u003EMarch 19\u003C\/a\u003E from 10am-2pm in CULC 483 and 487), 2. Laboratory Tours for High Schoolers during the March 19 event, and 3.\u0026nbsp;Visiting the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.drewcharterschool.org\/\u0022\u003EDrew School\u003C\/a\u003E on April 1. My organizing committee of Neuro undergraduates (Rommi Kashlan, Brenna Cheney, Claire Deng, and Payton McClarity-Jones) have been extremely helpful in planning these activities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI love that we get to involve our undergraduates for our outreach events, so they get to teach others all about the brain. I think it\u0027s important for the public to learn about the nervous system since it plays such a critical role in pretty much everything we do. Even when we are asleep or daydreaming, our brain is hard at work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScience doesn\u0027t need to be restricted to folks who have formal degrees. Every time a kid asks, \u0022but why?\u0022 they are acting just like a scientist!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: Seed grants are often given to help researchers or faculty begin to develop new projects or programs. What project or program do you hope to develop with this grant?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: I would love to get involved with folks involved in STEM education in the greater Atlanta area to assess the outcomes of events like these. Who are we reaching and who do we still need to increase our efforts to? How can we reach the most people? What kinds of events not only promote students to pursue STEM careers, but also encourage appreciation and literacy for science for those who aren\u0027t in STEM fields? I\u0027d also like to form strong relationships with area schools so we can share our Neuroscience demonstrations with them, as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the second year I have received this grant and I am so excited that we can use it to increase the number of resources we can use for Neuroscience outreach. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for something I consider so rewarding.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI would love it if attendees for our Atlanta Science Festival event walk away excited, inspired, and curious about Neuroscience. I hope that this year\u0027s attendees become regular attendees annually and spread the word to their friends. I would love for attendees to tell their parents and teachers about it so we can arrange more school visits, especially to schools who may not always get opportunities \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: Where does your passion for neuroscience outreach stem from?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: My mom introduced me to community outreach at a young age through various volunteering opportunities. She instilled an appreciation, rather than an obligation, for serving others and I have her to thank for promoting that. I always had fun volunteering, especially as a family, and never found it to be a chore.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt wasn\u2019t until graduate school when I became involved in Graduate Women in Science that I started doing STEM outreach. During my Postdoctoral Fellowship at Michigan State University, I was involved with the Neuroscience Fair and school visits for Brain Awareness Week. At Purdue University Northwest, I organized my very own Neuroscience Fair event that hosted 500 attendees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: What\u2019s your favorite neuroscience outreach event or program that you\u2019ve done?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: I call Brain Awareness Day (the event that will be part of Atlanta Science Festival this year) my \u201cSuper Bowl\u201d.\u0026nbsp; I love seeing all the attendees engaged with the presenters and the look on their faces when they learn the neuroscience behind the activity. It\u0027s really funny when their minds are just blown away after the gears start turning and they figure something out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: Why do you think this kind of outreach is important?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: Neuroscience outreach is important, especially for middle school girls, because that is the time in their lives when they are unfortunately taught that being smart or liking science isn\u0027t for girls. I don\u0027t expect everyone who attends our outreach events to become scientists, but I do aim to encourage an appreciation for science and to think like scientists.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe are truly in the Information Age, and it is our job as educators to help students learn how to evaluate all this information that is literally at their fingertips.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: How do you envision outreach playing into the future of Georgia Tech\u2019s Neuroscience program as it continues to develop?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA: I think outreach can have a positive impact for our Tech students and for the community. I envision outreach being something that our program is known for to provide our students an opportunity to engage with the public in a way that is fun and an application of what they have learned in their classes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI think that what we offer students in the classroom is just a small portion of their education. I would love to foster relationships with other schools and youth organizations to make\u0026nbsp;neuroscience accessible to all.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach March, we join the Dana Foundation in celebrating Brain Awareness Week. \u201cI think it\u0027s important for the public to learn about the nervous system since it plays such a critical role in pretty much everything we do. Even when we are asleep or daydreaming, our brain is hard at work,\u201d shares Christina Ragan, biology lecturer and director of Outreach for Undergraduate Neuroscience at Tech. Learn about Ragan\u2019s work and approach to outreach \u2014 and drop by \u0022Through the Lenses of Your Senses\u0022 on March 19.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Learn about biology lecturer and director of Outreach for Undergraduate Neuroscience Christina Ragan\u2019s work and approach to outreach \u2014 and stop by \u0022Through the Lenses of Your Senses\u0022 on March 19."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2022-03-17 17:29:13","changed_gmt":"2023-03-28 19:26:49","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"656436":{"id":"656436","type":"image","title":"Christina Ragan challenging attendees with optical illusions at a previous Brain Awareness Day Neuroscience event held at Michigan State University.","body":null,"created":"1647531695","gmt_created":"2022-03-17 15:41:35","changed":"1647531740","gmt_changed":"2022-03-17 15:42:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248824","name":"stroop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stroop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stroop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":90157,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stroop.jpg?itok=EddlCXHa"}},"648809":{"id":"648809","type":"image","title":"Christina Ragan","body":null,"created":"1626373971","gmt_created":"2021-07-15 18:32:51","changed":"1680031587","gmt_changed":"2023-03-28 19:26:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246290","name":"Christina Ragan.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Christina%20Ragan.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Christina%20Ragan.png","mime":"image\/png","size":423462,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Christina%20Ragan.png?itok=3CfkITtQ"}},"656447":{"id":"656447","type":"image","title":"Students are often involved in Ragan\u0027s outreach efforts.\u00a0Here,\u00a0Ragan is holding a student-designed\u00a0electroconvulsive-therapy model for a Brain Awareness Day event.","body":null,"created":"1647537509","gmt_created":"2022-03-17 17:18:29","changed":"1647537509","gmt_changed":"2022-03-17 17:18:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248830","name":"model.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/model.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/model.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":111284,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/model.jpg?itok=nQ9AdvZz"}},"656437":{"id":"656437","type":"image","title":"Prior to hosting a\u00a0virtual Brain Awareness Day in 2021 at Georgia Tech, Ragan hosted\u00a0over 500 attendees at an in-person\u00a0event at her previous institution,\u00a0Purdue University Northwest, in 2020.","body":null,"created":"1647531906","gmt_created":"2022-03-17 15:45:06","changed":"1680031593","gmt_changed":"2023-03-28 19:26:33","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248825","name":"Brain Awareness 1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Brain%20Awareness%201.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Brain%20Awareness%201.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":126574,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Brain%20Awareness%201.jpg?itok=FA3eexlA"}}},"media_ids":["656436","648809","656447","656437"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2022\/?text=Georgia+Tech","title":"Georgia Tech Atlanta Science Festival events"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival","title":"Science \u0026 Engineering Day at GT"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/christina-ragan-honored-award-neuroscience-teaching-outreach-mentorship","title":"Christina Ragan Honored With Award for Neuroscience Teaching, Outreach, Mentorship"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188268","name":"Christina Ragan"},{"id":"1304","name":"neuroscience"},{"id":"2179","name":"outreach"},{"id":"190172","name":"Brain Awareness Day"},{"id":"190173","name":"Brain Awareness Week"},{"id":"66491","name":"Atlanta Science Festival"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Audra Davidson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\ndavidson.audra@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejess@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore information about the Brain Awareness Day event:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/ATLScienceFestival\u0022\u003EScience \u0026amp; Engineering Day at GT\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["davidson.audra@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}