Annual Report: 2016
This report is a summary of the 2015–2016 Administrative year (May 1st to April 30th).
This year’s focus was on our youth. We engaged in several activities in an attempt to lead middle and high school students towards a greater appreciation of science.
We held a reception for public and private school science teachers at which we outlined requirements that qualify student projects for the Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
We had a table at the Annual Tallahassee Science Festival held at Lake Ella and invited students to ask questions about science fair projects and challenged them to participate in the Science Fairs. This was an opportunity to dialog with interested students and to assist them in formulating the questions to be addressed in their science fair project.
We continued our financial support for science fairs with a contribution to a deserving participant in the Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This year’s awardee was Sampath Kunar. His project was entitled, “Interactions between Histones and IDH Contribute to Childhood and Adult Glioblastoma Formation”.
We also continued our support, as a sponsor, of the State History Fair with our contribution design-ated for the history of science award.
Our presence was noted at the Mag Lab’s Open House where we engaged with more than 400 community youth and wowed them with our science demonstrations.
Throughout the year we held the 2nd Saturday Science Lab in conjunction with the Leon County Public Library. This was another attempt to capture the imagination of our youth and steer them towards a greater appreciation for science.
Another new initiative to encourage our youth to embrace science was undertaken this year. We awarded 3 tickets to a deserving science student for a Horizons event. The students were chosen by their teachers and the additional tickets were to be used by the student’s parents or by fellow science students.
Your society’s financial condition is sound in both our general fund and in the Lannutti Lecture Series fund. We are always appreciative of those that make an additional contribution which allows us to do more to promote science.
Our Horizons series experienced another successful year finishing last year’s events with George Burgess, the “Shark Man” and the 3 events in the 2016 series: Chris Koenig, “All about Groupers; Mars Adven-ture with James Rice: and Tom Seeley’s presenta-tion on the “IQ of the hive”. Planning will start for next year’s series soon after the annual meeting.
Frank Stephenson has chaired the Horizons Committee since your society launched this program. Frank is retiring from the board and will not be chairing the committee next year. We will sorely miss his endeavors. It will be difficult to replace the contribution he has made to the Society and to the Horizons series. We wish him well as he retires to his home in Carrabelle.
Our Gold Metal Award and member appreciation reception was both a fun event and a joy to honor someone of the stature of Harrison Prosper, our Gold Medal Awardee. Dr. Prosper’s presentation was informative and enlightened all in attendance regarding CERN – the supercollider in Switzerland that is used to investigate subatomic particles.
During the year, three new board members, were appointed: Jim Davis, Todd Engstrom, and Dana Bryan. They have quickly assumed their roles and are making a contribution in leading your society.
Our membership has remained relatively con-stant over the years. We rely primarily on our members’ dues and donations for financial support to accomplish our mission. We thank those that continue to renew their membership and welcome new members that have joined us this last year.
The board appreciates the effort of many of our members who have stepped forward to assist with the Society’s programs and activities. Without volunteers we could not have accom-plished what we were able to do this year. Thank you, volunteers.
Detailed reports on our activities are presented on other pages of this annual report. Please take the time to review those pages.
We welcome feedback and new ideas from our members. Members are welcome to attend our board meetings held at noon the first Thursday of the month at the law offices of Hopping, Green, and Sams
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.