This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Welcome to my sixth installment of You Should Know, where I give my own #ScholarSunday salute to Science Bloggers and Blogs you may not yet know about.
Introducing … Ta-Shana Taylor and the Black Geoscientists Blog.
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At Black Geoscientists, Ms. Taylor discusses the world of race and geosciences. It's a mix of her personal comments on diversity and inclusion in geosciences and commentary on what's going on with life. But much of the web space centers around how to shift the demographic metrics in her field.
From her blog post Geosciences in the United States: The Stats
Ta-Shana Taylor has BS in Geology from Northeastern University and a MS in Geosciences from University of Arizona and another MS in Teaching from Pace University. She is a Project Coordinator for gender equity grants at a science museum. She teaches informal educators strategies to engage girls in engineering and technology. She also writes curriculum and teach for a research program that is exploring the utility of virtual world technologies in learning fitness and nutrition in middle school girls.
Her graduate research was on the marine mammal taphonomy of the Gulf of California, with special attention made to the remains of an endangered species of harbor porpoise, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). She spent some time teaching high school earth sciences in a low-income school, after her graduate studies. She earned the title of Lead Earth Science Teacher and designed curriculum and led professional developments on earth science for the school.
In her own words.
I can't decide whether I'm a geologist or an educator, I have a passion for both. I see diversity as an integral part of progress for all. Science at it's best meets the needs of society, and society is not homogenous. Once science represents the population it serves, I feel there will be advances we can't imagine. And I want geosciences to be an integral part of that progress.
Links to some of her engaging material
Colbert vs Suey: My hippie perspective
Carl Sagan, Cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson: The gift of a mentor
The BARR response: A scientific explanation to dispel the myth of the angry black person
You can engage Ms. Taylor at the following social media services:
Twitter: @BlackGeoRocks and @TashanaTaylor
Instagram: TashanaTaylor
Connect with her and be sure to leave a comment. Tell her you found her via The Urban Scientist (me, @DNLee5) and #ScholarSunday.