Science Goes Public (And it needs YOU!) Do you have a secret desire to be a scientist? Want to learn how you can contribute to scientific discovery? Dr. Holly Menninger, Director of Public Science in NC State’s College of Sciences, will speak about getting you and the public involved in research— not just by sharing findings but also in the work of discovery. Citizen scientists are helping to study backyard mammals, birds and ants, household bacteria, the biology of food, typhoons and much, much more! You too can be a citizen scientist! An entomologist by training, Dr. Menninger is a science communicator by passion and practice. She has worked at the intersection of science and society – in policy, natural resource management, and public engagement in science. In 2014, she was named the first director of public science for the College of Sciences at NC State where she currently oversees a series of initiatives designed to build science literacy beyond campus. From 2011 - 2014, she coordinated Your Wild Life, an outreach and science communication program that engages the public in the study of the biodiversity in their daily lives. She’s authored a number of peer-reviewed scientific publications, policy articles, and popular science stories, and her work has been frequently featured in the popular news media. Dr. Menninger earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Denison University and her Ph.D. in behavior, ecology, evolution and systematics from the University of Maryland.