About Us

As seen in Discover Magazine, Forbes.com, Boston Globe, and more.

In a nutshell...

This is the place to find out about, take part in, and contribute to science through recreational activities and research projects.

If you're a scientist or a representative of a citizen science organization or community group: This is the place to tell eager people about your work and get them interested in helping out.

Want the details? Read on...

OUR MISSION
SciStarter will bring together the millions of citizen scientists in the world; the thousands of potential projects offered by researchers, organizations, and companies; and the resources, products, and services that enable citizens to pursue and enjoy these activities. We aim to:

Enable and encourage people to learn about, participate in, and contribute to science through both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts.
Inspire greater appreciation and promote a better understanding of science and technology among the general public.
Create a shared space where scientists can talk with citizens interested in working on or learning about their research projects.
Satisfy the popular urge to tinker, build, and explore by making it simple and fun for people—singles, parents, grandparents, kids—to jump in and get their hands dirty with science.

OUR TEAM
Darlene Cavalier
Founder
darlene@scistarter.com
Darlene is also the founder of ScienceCheerleader.com, a popular blog that works through NFL and NBA cheerleaders-turned-scientists and engineers to promote science literacy and the involvement of citizens in science and science-related policy. She has held executive positions at Walt Disney Publishing and has worked at Discover magazine for 15 years, where she now is a senior adviser and writer. She has created national science awards programs, science education initiatives, and a series of science-themed roundtable discussions for, among others, the Disney Institute, Space.com, Sally Ride's Imaginary Lines, and the Franklin Institute. She also serves on the Steering Committee for Science Debate and is a founding partner of Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology, which engages experts, stakeholders, and everyday citizens in assessing the implications of emerging developments in science and technology. She originated and managed the Emmy award-winning Science of NFL Football series produced by the NFL, NBC Sports, NBC Learn, the National Science Foundation and Science Cheerleader.

A former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader, Darlene does not regret the years she gabbed through high school science classes. She earned a Master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania, studying science history, sociology, and science policy to learn more about people like herself: "hybrid actors," citizens interested in but not formally trained in the sciences. Finding remarkably few opportunities for these folks to participate in science in any meaningful way, she launched Science Cheerleader and worked with Michael Gold and Susan West to develop ScienceforCitizens.net, a precursor to SciStarter. Darlene lives in Philadelphia with her husband and four children, who have made it a hobby to explore the rainforests of Costa Rica.

John Ohab
Contributor
john@scistarter.com
Dr. John Ohab is a new technology strategist for the Public Web Program at the U.S. Department of Defense. He also hosts the department's award-winning science and technology podcast, "Armed with Science." John joined the Defense Department as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2008. He was previously an association Fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health. John received his B.S. in biopsychology from UC Santa Barbara in 2002 and his Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA in 2007.

John was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, experienced a moderately successful run in high school varsity tennis, and is waiting patiently for that elusive Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl victory. Now in the Washington D.C. area, he spends his spare time watching movies, producing citizen science reports for ScienceCheerleader.com, promoting urban forestry with Casey Trees, and miming historical statues and monuments at every opportunity.

Elizabeth Walter
Contributor
elizabeth@scistarter.com
Dr. Elizabeth Walter is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford University. Though her work by day involves looking for associations between genetic differences and alterations in brain circuits, she enjoys learning and writing about all areas of science. She is an occasional contributor to Stanford Scientific Magazine and Greater Good Magazine. She also enjoys exploring science concepts with kids as part of the Bay Area's Science is Elementary program. Elizabeth received dual bachelors degrees in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from Dartmouth College in 2001 and her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Oregon in 2007.

Elizabeth enjoys exploring the outdoors by foot, mountain bike and kayak. She is only moderately afraid of heights and bears, but is known to freeze at the sight of poison oak. Since living in California, she's fallen in love with the high Sierra mountains because of their rugged beauty, off-trail hiking opportunities and agreeable lack of poison oak above 5000' or so.

Lisa Gardiner
Contributor
lisa@sciscistarter.com
Dr. Lisa Gardiner enjoys exploring the Earth from the tops of Colorado’s mountains to the bottom of tropical seas. She has a background in earth science, climate science, ecology, and paleontology - receiving her B.A. from Smith College in Geology and Marine Science and her Ph.D. from University of Georgia in Geology. She is currently honing her skills writing about science in the M.F.A. program at Goucher College. Lisa started Citizen Science Buzz, a blog on Talking Science to share exciting stories about how the public is getting involved with science. Lisa also develops resources for the public, students, and teachers to learn about the earth at Spark, UCAR Science Education. She has written for educational websites, led workshops for teachers, taught environmental education, and occasionally helped develop museum exhibits. She is the author and illustrator of several books and articles about science for children. For several years, Lisa’s eyes were glued to fossil coral reefs in the Bahamas as she searched for tiny clams and snails to study for her dissertation. Now she lives a mile above the ocean in Colorado and is a fan on hiking in summer, whether through mountain tundra or through city blocks, and skiing and snowshoeing in winter. When wearing her artist hat, Lisa creates painting of trees (or forests, depending on your perspective).

Kate Atkins
Contributor
kate@scistarter.com
Kate Atkins is Web Project Leader at University of Pennsylvania Libraries, and Senior Editor of Apps on Tap (http://appsontap.wordpress.com). She has an MES in Natural Resource Management from Penn, and is a Certified Land Preservationist. As a master's student in 2008/09, she was sponsored by the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (http://environment.wharton.upenn.edu/) to trek in Antarctica with Wharton Leadership Ventures. In 2009/10 she developed the trek's environmental curriculum, and was delighted to return to King George Island to teach in the field. Since then she's turned her attention to her home town: Philadelphia. An avid birder, Kate is often found birding by bike in West Philly, Cape May County, and everywhere in between. She writes at Birding Philly (http://birdingphilly.wordpress.com).

Jacqueline Lewis
Contributor
Jacquie@scistarter.com
Jacqueline Lewis is a writer, lawyer & professional optimist. She’s retained an affinity for all things scientific.through stints as a newspaper reporter, surety strategist, congressional intern, cafeteria lady, soldier, factory worker, projectionist, accounting warden, library clerk, and as Director of Operations at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Since their inception, she has provided occasional behind the scenes encouragement and strategic support for ScienceCheerleader.com & http://www.scienceforcitizens.net A 2010 Fellow of Leadership Philadelphia, she graduated from Albertus Magnus College & the University of Connecticut School of Law. Special interests include neuroscience, violence prevention, and the science of optimism. Lewis has hiked with the nomadic Penan in Borneo and can be found on the web at www.myresilience.net. Her 7th grade Science teacher, Gerald Freedman made her copy the periodic tale of the elements in longhand when she was mischievous. (She remains extremely well versed in atomic weight and chemical abbreviations to this day.)

JOIN US
We're looking for volunteer contributors and interns to help build out our site.

Are you interested in science, Web publishing, and being part of an exciting, creative new venture? Send a note describing your qualifications to info@scistarter.com.