Joshua Vermaas
In order to maximize the scientific impact of the work we as a community do, it is important to leave the lab occasionally and step out into the great wide world and communicate with non-scientists. This sort of scientific outreach can take many forms, such as in-class demonstrations, interactive presentations at farmer’s markets and libraries, or perhaps an advisory position to governmental decision makers. These types of outreach all take planning and an extensive time commitment for planning and preparation beyond the activities themselves, which depending on your career stage, such as a busy postdoc, may not be feasible. However, in simply checking a box when you renew your BPS membership, BPS will periodically present fun and straightforward opportunities for outreach: judging school science fairs!
Prior to my first judging assignment, I had never stepped foot in a science fair, since I never participated in one when I was younger. This meant that my mental image of a science fair was full of Hollywood tropes, with lots of lame volcanoes, needless explosions from failed experiments, and perhaps a mad scientist or two. Instead, when I got out of my car in Brush, Colorado for the county science fair, I was greeted by about 50 projects put together by enterprising young minds curious about the world around them. One girl was studying how Chapstick melted after she left a stick in her car one summer day. Another was making a bottle-sized microbial fuel cell since that is what interested her. A boy was building bridges and testing their load capacity, and another was testing the reaction time of his family at catching a yardstick. There were no volcanoes to be seen, and I had a blast talking with the students about their projects, what they learned, and what they were planning on doing in the next few years, particularly if they were thinking about college.
The experience of getting out into the world to talk with young engaged minds was a lot of fun, so much so that I’ve kept an eye out on other opportunities to interact with budding new scientists through the various e-mail lists I’m on for my day job at NREL. Most recently, that was at an elementary school. In this case, the level of the projects was quite a bit different, and some of the hypotheses generated were whimsical, albeit consistent with the experimental results that the students had gathered. Some of the results were also quite eye-opening for the young scientists conducting the experiment, such as failing to grow mold on a loaf of bread for a full month, spinning a magnet in a copper pipe, or how agar tastes (spoiler alert: Not great!). Here the biggest challenge was the judging itself, as frequently the discussions I was having with the kids made it difficult to actually fill out the judging sheet!
Alright, having now sold you on the benefits of science fairs, how do you sign up? The path of least resistance is to just check the box at membership renewal! It’s really that straightforward. If one of the organizations that BPS partners with is doing a science fair in your area, there is a non-zero probability that you’ll get an email asking if you’d like to participate as a judge. If you agree, you show up at the appointed time and award the student with the best biophysics-related project a sponsored prize! Other opportunities may require more legwork, such as inquiring with your local science fair organizers, who will be happy to have you on board in whatever capacity you feel comfortable with. Just remember to always be positive with the students (they don’t have over a decade of formal schooling… yet), and it will be a great experience for everyone!
— Joshua Vermaas, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Learn more about presenting a Biophysics Award at your local science fair.
“In high school there was a fierce science teacher named 
school in rural Oregon – he was known for his pointed and sarcastic remarks, as well as his ability to teach science. He taught me Chemistry, Physics and Semi-Micro Quantitative Analysis, and oversaw my senior research project, which won a semi-finalist place in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He also graciously disposed of the batch of chemicals that I once mixed and realized after making it, that it might not be entirely safe. He taught science to many students, including a colleague at UNC Chapel Hill, Richard Cheney, who grew up in a small town up the road from my parents. Sadly, Mr. Griffith 
“The biggest impact on me was not from any one teacher but from a family of teachers at St. Stephen’s Elementary School in Milwaukee. They watched over me and my brother during difficult times in a turbulent family. My debt to them is immeasurable.”
arch opportunities, I became more familiar with the interdisciplinary concept of biophysics, and subsequently, the breadth and depth associated with this area of study. When my lab mentor told me about the 
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