OUTREACH

I truly enjoy outreach, especially the opportunity to get people excited about nature and science! Below is a sampling of outreach activities I have done, designed to engage folks of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences.

I am happy to contribute to existing outreach programs and/or facilitate new interactions - please contact me (torrance.hanley [at] gmail.com) to discuss possibilities.

Girls, Inc of Lynn and Beach Sisters

I have designed and led activities for after-school program for middle and high school students at Girls, Inc. of Lynn on a variety of topics, including:

  • dietary preferences of invasive European green crabs (Carcinus maenas) in salt marsh ecosystems

  • behavioral differences of Baltic isopods (Idotea balthica) in seagrass ecosystems

I described my career path and research interests as part of Girls, Inc.’s Woman of the Week program (both in-person and virtually). I also partnered with the Beach Sisters program to give mentors a chance to engage in community science, teaching them about seagrass restoration while they helped prepare seeds for a local project.

COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE ACADEMY

I designed and led several activities and a week-long program for middle and high school students in Northeastern University’s Coastal Ocean Science Academy (COSA) on a variety of topics, including:

  • dune conservation and restoration, focusing on American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) genetic diversity and trait variation with students conducting field surveys, measuring and processing samples in the laboratory, and gaining hands-on experience with basic molecular techniques (PCR, gel electrophoresis, genotyping, etc.)

  • salt marsh management, focusing on trait variation in short- and tall-form smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and having students help with a common garden greenhouse study

  • host-parasite dynamics in seagrass meadows, focusing on seagrass wasting disease and having students compare the condition of seagrass samples from different populations

SCIENCE CAFé SERIES

I co-organized 10+ virtual and in-person science cafés with Northeastern University Marine Science Center Outreach Program and MassBays National Estuary Partnership. Each event included a series of presentations around a marine-inspired theme, featured speakers with diverse interests and expertise to engage a broad audience, and encouraged audience questions and discussion (list of past events here, recording of a virtual science café here).

evolution in CHANGING SEAS CareerS workshop for girls

I designed and led activities on seagrass genetic diversity and wasting disease, and participated in career panel discussions for the Evolution in Changing Seas Careers Workshop for Girls. I also created a version of the seagrass activity for use in high school classrooms (motivated by the pandemic, when in-person, hands-on, learning opportunities were limited).

BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL MARINE SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM

I designed and led activities on oyster parasites and diseases (Oyster Doctors), as well as on seagrass conservation and restoration for the annual Boston High School Marine Science Symposium (HSMSS). I also served on the steering committee to organize this annual event that often reaches 300+ high school students and teachers from Boston and surrounding communities. I also moderated a See Yourself in STEM panel for HSMSS in 2021 (recording of this virtual event here).