E Pluribus Scienta
From many, Science!
Science funding has been stagnant, and only faces future cuts, making it harder to do basic scientific research. At the same time, we're faced with a communication gap between scientists and the general public, on such issues as climate change or vaccine safety. This creates a unique opportunity: use crowdfunding to make more money available for scientific research, while obligating scientists to communicate the results of their work in a form everyone can understand: science videos, art, cartoons, or other creative means. We've formed a non-profit to promote this idea, and to raise funds for scientists to pursue research projects and create novel ways to communicate the findings. Science funding and communication need to be strong in the early 21st century if we're going to tackle the issues confronting us.
The Team
Bryan Bishé, Ph.D. - Founder & President
Bryan has been interested in science since fourth grade, particularly related to natural resources such as water. In eighth grade, he published his first results on chemical levels in a local stream.
My parents just found this in the garage!
Good LinkedIn photo for a scientist, right?
Bryan graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Biology. His work in a human genetics/genomics lab spurred his decision to go to grad school, despite everything he'd heard. He decided to do it in California though, where at least it wasn't icy in the winter, and started his Ph.D. program in 2007 at UC San Diego. While there, he researched how the Hepatitis C virus co-opts cellular machinery to get itself secreted, and successfully defended his Ph.D. in 2013.
Dr. Bishé is currently researching cyanobacterial genetics in the lab of James Golden at UCSD. He is also learning about the process of starting a non-profit organization and social media networking (somewhat to his chagrin).
Not recommended for the at-home audience. Sam is a trained shark-wrangler.
Sam Chin - Treasurer
Sam is a marine ecologist specializing in fisheries resources, and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the City University of New York. His current work is centered on the development of noninvasive methods for surveying fish populations using environmental DNA metabarcoding. He has ongoing projects in tropical mangroves as well as in his local waterways in New York City. Having worked as a marine species observer in commercial fishing fleets and for the US Navy, Sam is a seasoned field biologist – equally at home at the lab bench, mucking his way up the Bronx River, or a thousand miles offshore.
Courtney Sorensen - Secretary
Courtney is an attorney specializing in trust, estate, and other fiduciary litigation. Courtney graduated from Santa Clara University in 2010, and from Wake Forest University Law School in 2013, after which she immediately returned to San Diego, where there is even less weather than North Carolina. She was admitted to the California bar in December 2013. She has worked on cases regarding attorney misconduct and protected corporate trustees from allegations of misconduct. In her favorite case, she ensured that a non-profit cat shelter and adoption organization received a favorable settlement to help them in their efforts to find homes for elderly cats.
Looking studious
Seth Wolfson - Board Member
Seth worked as an Advance Lead for The Hillary Clinton Campaign and The White House, where he designed and managed small- and large-scale campaign events for key campaign and political figures. He resides in New York City, where he has spent the past seven years producing events. He has worked with pre-eminent fashion labels such as Rag & Bone, Philip Lim, J Mendel and Alexander Wang. Other events he has worked on include large events for clients such as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Audi and the 32,000 participant Five Boro Bike Tour. Prior to producing, he spent two years as Creative Director for a NASCAR team. Seth sits on the board of a not-for-profit organization that he co-founded seven years ago, which aims to enrich the lives of children suffering from PTSD through use of art and its creative expressions. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Marketing and Photography from Marietta College.