ARCS Foundation, Metro Washington Chapter (MWC) September 2023 Newsletter |
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Sep 9: Fall Member Meeting with ARCS Light Announcement, 4-8 pm
Sep 24: ARCS Friends Wine Tasting Event, 4-6 pm
Oct 26: Scholar Awards Reception (SAR), 6:30-9 pm
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Welcome to the 2023-2024 ARCS season – the 55th anniversary for our Metro-Washington Chapter!
Our MWC chapter was chartered 55 years ago, with 69 members joining that first year. Just two years later, we presented our first ARCS scholar awards to students at both George Washington University and Johns Hopkins University. We have since expanded our university partnerships to include Georgetown University (1975), University of Virginia (1984) and University of Maryland (1996). We have supported more than 500 scholars by raising over $8M in donations from members, corporations, and foundations. True to our original charter, 100% of donations still go to directly the scholars. Thank you all for your hard work and support!!
To recognize our legacy and the ongoing importance of STEM research, our newsletter will feature long-term members, donors, and scholars. We will continue to spotlight our current talented scholars as they share their excitement about ARCS support and the opportunities in their research areas. Read below to hear what our Georgetown Endowment Scholar, Gigi Pavur, had to say. We also want to hear your suggestions and stories.
Our council members worked hard over the summer to create an exciting activities agenda. You will find them all listed in the “Blue Book” directory that will be handed out at our Fall Member Meeting or mailed to members who could not attend. Our scheduled activities include:
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Sept 9 Fall Member Meeting at the home of Amy and Mark Mykityshyn;
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Oct 26 Scholar Award Reception at the National Academies of Science featuring our 16 scholars from our five partner schools;
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ARCS Friends events, such as last month's sailing on the Chesapeake Bay and the upcoming Sept 24 wine tasting at the home of Charlotte and Steve Knights;
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Nov 14 ARCS scholar/scholar alum networking event, our first such event, in advance of the Neil deGrasse Tyson lecture;
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Dec 7 Holiday party at the home of Holly and Jim Coyne;
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Feb 3 Winter Member Meeting that will include distinguished scientific panels and speakers;
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May 16 Spring Member Meeting;
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Eagle Award Event in the spring where our 55th Anniversary celebration culminates.
We are proud of our 55 years of accomplishments and excited to kick-off the next 55 years. We hope you will attend every event you can and assist in the planning and execution of one or more. Let's use this anniversary year to reconnect with ARCS colleagues, meet new members, and celebrate the ARCS mission of “Advancing Science in America.”
~Julie Hohl and Patty Sparrell, ARCS-MWC co-presidents
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We are looking forward to seeing ARCS members, significant others and guests at the Fall Membership Meeting and Social on Sat, Sept 9 from 4-8 pm at the home of Amy and Mark Mykityshyn at 6529 Sothoron Road in McLean, VA. The Mykityshyn's patio and restroom are handicapped accessible.
Kicking off MWC's 55th Anniversary and announcing our new ARCS Light, this "Family Favorite" summer dish potluck dinner begins with appetizers and social at 4 pm. Significant others and guests can enjoy the Mykityshyn's lovely patio and surrounds while ARCS members conduct the business meeting from 5-5:45 pm. After the business meeting, enjoy catching up with friends old and new over one of the many dishes brought to be shared.
If you haven't already, click here to RSVP. You will be taken to a Sign Up Genius webpage to input the dish you'd like to bring and the names of guests who will accompany you. You can also see which of your ARCS friends have responded.
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Mark your calendars now for this year's Scholar Awards Reception recognizing our outstanding 2023-24 ARCS-MWC Scholars. This marquee event will again be held at the National Academy of Sciences on Oct 26 from 6:30-9 pm.
Start thinking about the guests you'd like to bring this celebratory year. Watch your mail and email for electronic and paper invitations.
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Have you heard about our new ARCS Friends events? Pay-as-you-go outings to strengthen friendships and meet new members. Think: garden tours, hiking, winetasting and the like. Activities will be designed for groups, small (3-4) and large (10 or more).
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Judging by the success of our first ARCS friends event, you will want to take part in these outings. Nine ARCS friends boarded the Woodwind Schooner on Mon, Aug 14 for a smooth and enjoyable journey on the Chesapeake waters in Annapolis, MD.
The weather cooperated with sunny skies and a delightful breeze that kept the sails full, moving us at a steady pace. We enjoyed friendly conversation and laughter during our two hour excursion.
After sailing we gathered for group pictures and continued our lively conversation over a late lunch with fine drinks at Pussers dockside restaurant. The storms that rolled in as we left did not dampen our spirits after such a fun day.
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Our next ARCS friends event is a fall afternoon wine tasting on Sun, Sept 24
from 4-6 pm at the home of Steve and Charlotte Knight, 2708 Elsmore St, Fairfax, VA.
This free event is open to all ARCS members, significant others and guests and includes appetizers along with California and European wines. Should you wish to continue to dinner afterwards, there are many wonderful restaurants in the area.
To register, call or msg Charlotte Knight at 630-362-8344 by Sept 20. Bring an ARCS friend!
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Gertrude (Gigi) Pavur - Endowment Scholar
1st Year Scholar, 4th year PhD student. Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Virginia
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Research:
My research focuses on using satellite-based Earth Observations to study hydrological natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes. Our studies aim to improve hydrological understanding of these events and to model risk with particular attention to vulnerable populations that are almost always disproportionately affected by hydrometeorological extremes.
What has the ARCS Foundation Fellowship meant to me, so far?
Even just applying for the ARCS Foundation Fellowship was unexpectedly rewarding for me because one of the questions asked us to write about how we would use the fellowship, if selected. I found myself dreaming about what I could do if I had this opportunity and landed on aspiring to work with the United Nations as a graduate student. As soon as I was selected, I realized this dream might actually be feasible if I put in a little more leg work to explore it.
I’m happy to share that my ARCS Fellowship will support me to pursue a brief internship with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria. I’m beyond excited for this opportunity to learn from global leaders in international Space Policy. I’m very thankful for the generosity of the ARCS Foundation and for their encouragement, even in the application, to dream big.
Where was my field 55 years ago? Where is it today? Where will it be 55 years from now?
Fifty-five years ago, in 1968, the iconic Earthrise photo was taken on the NASA Apollo 8 mission, which was the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon. As soon as Astronauts Bill Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell came around the far side of the Moon, they excitedly noticed the beauty of planet Earth outside their spacecraft window and just managed to take a color photograph before it disappeared out of their sight.
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Even today, the Earthrise photo continues to inspire humankind and helps us recognize the fragility and beauty of our Blue Marble. I wish I knew how many images of Earth we’ve collected from Low Earth Orbit since 1968 for comparison, because I imagine it would have been an unfathomable amount to the Apollo 8 crew 55 years ago.
The perspective from space to observe Earth has given us new opportunities to understand our planet and support sustainable development. I’m especially inspired by the work of the NASA Applied Sciences Program to bridge space-based environmental research with societal applications around the world such as through disaster response and risk reduction, health and air quality, water resources, environmental justice, and more.
In the next 55 years, I imagine research and environmental applications from Space will only continue to take-off (get it?!). Maybe PhD students will find new opportunities for disasters research using Moon-based Earth Observations, and the University of Virginia will have a satellite campus in Low Earth Orbit (ok, maybe I do dream too big sometimes haha).
Given that our changing climate is predicted to increase both the intensity and frequency of disasters, innovations and technologies in the Space Enterprise will be more important than ever. I’m hopeful that ethical engineering, technological advancements, and collaborations as global citizens will help humankind make substantial progress on mitigating the social, economic, and environmental losses of natural disasters across our planet.
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Do you remember last year's SAR speaker and ARCS-MWC scholar alum, Dr. Ori Fox, PhD? Dr. Fox has been an Astronomer at AURA's Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which operates the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Dr. Fox serves as a Instrument Scientist on JWST’s Launch and Operations Team and Project Scientist for the JWST Data Analysis Tools Software.
For his research, Dr. Fox studies the ever-changing and transient Universe. He is Principal Investigator of several key JWST and HST observation programs to understand the evolution of stars and their metals. Dr. Fox is one of four founding Principal Investigators of the Transient Science at Space Telescope research group currently studying a vast array of topics including Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Dark Energy.
Together, Dr. Fox and his team are working on several projects at the forefront of astronomy using the Hubble Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, and upcoming Roman Space Telescope. Click here to read more about Dr. Fox.
Dr. Fox is participating in a nationally-coordinated, virtual ARCS forward event. ARCS Forward events are personal and intimate conversations between members, current scholars, and other outstanding scientists in all STEM fields. For more info and to register, click here.
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Have you heard from or met with your councils for the 2023-24 year? If not, now would be a good time to connect with your council chair(s).
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Co-Presidents
Immediate Past Co-Presidents
Secretary
Treasurer
Endowment Treasurer
Co-VPs Finance
Co-VPs Membership
Co-VPs University Relations
Co-VPs Development
Co-VPs Communications
VP Administration
Co-VPs Activities
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Julie Hohl
Patty Sparrell
Claudia Benack
Elli Nesbitt
Chi Pham
Silvija Strikis
Jane Riddle
Sharon Gross
Esther Scott
Neela Babu
Lubna Zahir
Miriam Erickson
Anne Wingo
Susan Trice
Trish O-Malley
Michelle Francis
Danielle Robinson
Sarah Doverspike
Charlotte Knight
Mary Jo Ruane
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P.O. Box 60868
10221 River Road
Potomac, MD 20859-0868
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