2023 Winter Newsletter
Dear TSS members and friends,
Thank you,
TSS Board of Directors
- Mark your calendars for the 11th Annual HORIZONS Spring Speaker Series in the IMAX Theater: February 22, March 29, April 19, and May 17; doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:00 presentation. Season tickets are available at: Eventbrite.com. Individual tickets are available at tallysci.org. Tickets prices start at $8.
- Interested in a FIELD TRIP? We have an online survey of possible trips and would appreciate your input. Some past favorites: The Bio Paleontology Lab (dinosaur fossils), the Alum Bluffs geological site (the earth’s crust), and Center for Biological Control (bee defense). Let us know where you would like to go next!
- TSS, through the Big Bend/Leon Association for Science Teaching (BLAST), fund up to four MINI-GRANTS each semester. These grants are available to Leon County public science school teachers to fund classroom projects. Check out the application here! Maximum Mini-Grant funding is $250 for teachers. Winners will present their results at the May Annual BLAST Awards Ceremony. Stay tuned!
- This past fall, TSS hosted a CITIZEN SCIENCE NIGHT with FSU on September 7th. What is “CITIZEN SCIENCE?” It is the involvement of the public in scientific research. Citizen science connects professionals to community volunteers who have the opportunity to advance research by conducting periodic surveys or observations of a specific phenomenon. Florida State University biologist Dr. Austin Mast presented the theories and practices of Citizen Science. Rebecca Means, Coastal Plains Institute, and Roz Kilcollins, Bald Point Volunteer Coordinator for Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch (FHCW) showcased their research projects at the event and welcomed volunteers. See their websites to get more information.
- Coming soon: In accordance with our mission to bring opportunities to under-served populations, we will again participate in Neighborhood CAMP FAIR, a public event to share information about science camps with students and their families.
- Science Fair! Science Fair judging of middle and high school students will be culminating in the Capital Regional Science & Engineering Fair on February 4th. Every year, TSS works with elementary, middle and high schools to provide volunteers and recruit judges. Volunteers help students to realize the invaluable benefits in problem solving, critical thinking, and learning to communicate their project. TSS recruits volunteer judges from our membership, The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida Geological Survey, and Environmental and Geotechnical Specialists, Inc. (EGS), and friends.
- Gold Medal Award Ceremony: On November 1st, the 2022 Gold Medal was awarded to Dr. Ellen Granger of Florida State University. She is the Director of the Office of STEM Teaching Activities and Co-Director of FSU Teach. Dr. Granger was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for her contributions to science education. Thank you for your continued support of TSS. Please consider a contribution to the HORIZONS Speaker Series. DONATE HERE. Your donations provide funds for travel expenses, lodging, and honorariums. Donations also fund teacher mini-grants, Gold Medal Awards ceremony, and travel scholarships for local Science Fair winners.
Thank you,
TSS Board of Directors
Kerry Maddox, Pres.
Christopher Harvey, Vice Pres.
Carol Zimmerman, Treasurer
Amelia Maddox, Secretary
Barry Boerner
Martin Bremer
Mabry Gaboardi Calhoun
Jake Edwards
Alicia Hudson
Adrienne Stephenson
Kathryn Travis
Susan Vinson
Charlisa Whyms
Christopher Harvey, Vice Pres.
Carol Zimmerman, Treasurer
Amelia Maddox, Secretary
Barry Boerner
Martin Bremer
Mabry Gaboardi Calhoun
Jake Edwards
Alicia Hudson
Adrienne Stephenson
Kathryn Travis
Susan Vinson
Charlisa Whyms
Carol, as a TSS board member is continuing her life-long interest in science and science education. After receiving her BS in Chemistry from Youngstown State University and MS from Florida State University in Science Education, She taught chemistry for 35 years, first at Godby High School and then Tallahassee Community College (TCC). At TCC, she also served as science program chair and was an active participant in TCC’s science student mentor program (STEM Stars).
The Tallahassee Scientific Society announces the award of their 2019 Gold Medal to Dr. Laura Greene, Chief Scientist at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The Society’s Gold Medal, established in 2004, is bestowed annually on a scientist or scholar selected from the Tallahassee community whose career achievements in science or mathematics, and contributions to science education and outreach, are deemed exemplary.
Mabry specializes in earth science and promoting scientific literacy. She earned her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from FSU, with her research at the MagLab, while serving as a NSF GK12 Fellow, working in public school classrooms. Mabry has also enjoyed working at the Florida Geological Survey, the Florida Center for STEM at FSU, and teaching earth science for seven years at TCC.
Yvonne worked in the Public Health Laboratory in Jacksonville and then as Bureau Chief in the Food Safety Laboratory at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. After retirement from the State of Florida, a move to Denver, she is now back to Tallahassee. Yvonne works with the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the Association of Food and Drug Officials. She has a BS Biology from FSU and MS Community Health from UNF.
Tangy is a cardiac physiologist and Instructor in the sciences at Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College. One of her life goals is to offer an academic advantage to Middle and High Schoolers, and as a result she is the founder of the non-profit organization, Skolier Institute Summer Camp, Inc. She prides herself in mentoring, educating, and propelling scholars to higher levels. She enjoys reading and engaging outdoor activities with family.
Bill is a retired invertebrate biologist. He studied parasitology and genetics at the Florida State University, where his graduate studies focused on the genetics of digenetic trematodes. After graduating he spent 32 years as a marine fisheries manager with the state of Florida and federal fishery management councils. He has two grown children and has resided in Tallahassee since 1970. His interests include world history, paleontology, evolution, music, cycling, and kayaking.
Kerry brings a background of science teaching, training, research, and community outreach to the Board of Tallahassee Scientific Society. She presently teaches biology at Thomas University and serves on the Tallahassee Science Festival Board. In her professional career, she has worked to communicate complex concepts in science to a diverse range of students, from K-12 through seniors.
Chris earned a degree in Meteorology from FSU in 1995 and began teaching Physics, Physical, and Earth/Space Science at Godby High School, moving to Chiles High School in 2000. In 2008, Chris joined a team creating science assessments for Florida, then becoming the Mathematics and Science Coordinator while also overseeing the development of Florida’s state-wide Mathematics and Science assessments. Chris is the Instructional Certification Specialist for Leon County Schools and oversees the Beginning Teacher Program.
Tony is a Professor Emeritus of Computer Science from Southeast Missouri State University and retired Professor of Chemistry from Stephan F. Austin State University (TX). He is a physical / computational chemist who earned his B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from Marquette University and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University. 
George taught middle and high school in Louisville, Ky before becoming a faculty member in science education at FSU in 1967 where he retired with the rank of Professor Emeritus in 2001. His work, in addition to teaching, included curriculum development that evolved from print materials to multimedia. His projects have been used broadly in the US and internationally. 
Dana served for 30 years in the Florida Park Service, mostly as the state-wide chief biologist. Dana earned an MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from FSU. He is an authority on the limpkin, the snail-eating wading bird, about which he authored several scientific accounts. Dana has been active on boards and as an officer for Florida Audubon Society, Apalachee Audubon Society, Birdsong Nature Center, and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Association.