Join us in the back patio of Smitty’s Bar in Washington DC for four true personal stories about science and the times it woke us up!
To attend, you must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, and we recommend that people wear masks and stay physically distant.
Hosted by Maryam Zaringhalam and Shane Hanlon
Stories by:
Sean Bartel is the senior video producer at the international office of the IBEW, telling visual stories about construction projects across the US and Canada. He's originally from Cincinnati, went to school at Indiana University, and grew up going to the same temple as Jerry Springer (no, srsly he did!).
Sean is the proud father of a 2-year old dachshund named Freddie, and has a thing for travel - in pre-Covid times, he collected a selfie at every state sign, and now hopes to get the same at every international border crossing. Also, he believes Ted Lasso and Twizzlers can solve all the world's problems.
Kate Symes is a human being whose brain grinds to a halt when asked to write a bio about herself. She has a job that is typical of someone who lives in Washington, DC. She has a side hustle that is typical of a hippie in her mid-40s. She has a complicated relationship with social media and sugar, and an awesome relationship with her boyfriend and cats. She is thrilled to be telling a story with Story Collider, and will be thrilled to see you there in your real life non-Zoom body.
Dr. Susan Tsang works as a private consultant through her company Biodiversitas Global LLC, and continues to conduct research through her Research Associate affiliations with the American Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the Philippines. She provides subject matter expertise on and creates programs and activities to address illegal wildlife trade, disease ecology, and other global sustainable development challenges. As a researcher, her primary interest is in the evolution and biogeography of Southeast Asian flying foxes, the world's largest bats, which has led her to working with some of the most threatened yet poorly known bat species in the world. Along with her Southeast Asian colleagues, she has carried out conservation work both at the community and transnational levels, with some of her ongoing projects in Indonesia focused on local empowerment for reducing bat hunting. She also serves on the steering committee of the Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit and the Global Union of Bat Diversity Networks to address larger capacity building and assessment/policy needs and has been appointed as a member of the IUCN Bat Specialist Group and the Global Bat Taxonomy Working Group.
Ronald Young Jr. is an audio producer and storyteller of the human experience based in Alexandria, VA. He hosts the Pushkin podcast Solvable where he interviews guests who are working to solve the world’s most pressing issues. He is also Senior Producer and Owner of ohitsBigRon studios, home to the critically acclaimed and award-winning Time Well Spent, and the movie review podcast, Leaving the Theater, both of which he also hosts. An avid pop culture enthusiast, Ronald is a frequent contributor to NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, as well as WAMU's 1A. Passionate about social justice and equity, Ronald is always excited to tell the untold stories of the black community, and he was honored to work as associate producer on Seizing Freedom. Ronald’s work brings you facts and commentary blended with wit and humor. He enlivens stories bringing them from the page and our memories to the ears of listeners everywhere.