Abstract

In response to the National Science Foundation’s mandate for broader impacts, academic scientists have become more engaged in education and outreach (E/O). Scientists participate in E/O by leading their own programs, such as lab internships, participating in local or regional programs, e.g., institution-supported efforts, or leveraging federally sponsored national-scale E/O programs. As a principal investigator at a research university, I (Girguis) have been involved with a variety of E/O programs, ranging from ad hoc groups (informal high school internships in my laboratory) to regional efforts (Harvard’s Microbial Science Initiative, Science Cafés) and national programs (RIDGE 2000; Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE), and National Public Radio science shows). These opportunities have allowed me to share research on microbes living in the deep sea, including the deep subsurface biosphere.