What does a former microbiologist and a laboratory tester do with an abundance of energy and a love of science? Erika Forest joined Lawrence Technological University in August to be the science outreach coordinator in the College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS), a newly created position that allows her to “talk about science.”
Working for a laboratory that tested products for various manufacturers, Forest liked being “at the bench” setting up, interpreting and reporting the results of tests that detect, measure, and identify pathogens and other microorganisms to help ensure public health to her clients. “Once I started interacting with clients and helping people find out what they needed, I realized how much I liked talking about science,” Forest said.
She then found the posting for a science outreach coordinator that “allowed me to talk about science, which is so impactful for the world overall.”
Forest says that the Department of Natural Sciences has been doing great outreach to high schoolers but Shannon Timmons, department chair, the professors, and the staff did not have the bandwidth to focus primarily on high school outreach. “In my role, I help with that outreach and help advocate for biology, physics, and chemistry. I love helping high school students see that science isn’t scary, that it is relevant to their lives, and can be interesting and fun. There’s so much you can do with it.”
Patrick Nelson, PhD, dean of CoAS, explained the reason for this new position. “LTU established this position to enhance our ability to reach out to local high schools, mainly in natural sciences, and increase our in-house capabilities of managing projects and labs across numerous STEM disciplines. We need to increase enrollment in the natural sciences, and one way to accomplish this is through outreach. However, this person must also build strong connections between our college, the STEM center, and the VP of enrollment’s office,” he said.
Apparently, this position was “perfectly created for me,” said Forest, “since all I wanted was to talk about science.”
Science is in Forest’s genes. Her father was a physicist turned engineer. Her parents gifted Forest with her first microscope at 10 years old and she’s loved looking through microscopes ever since. She earned a BS and an MS in biology from Grand Valley State University.
Among the many aspects of her new job, Forest especially sees great benefit in letting high schoolers do hands-on experiments like making liquid nitrogen slushies. “They put soda pop and fruit in big metal bowls and make strawberry lemonade! They have lots of fun ‘doing science,’” she said, describing some of the ways she interacts with prospective LTU students. “I try to open their eyes to the many jobs that are science-based and how they might imagine themselves doing later in life.
“STEM is accessible to everyone”
Erika Forest
“STEM is accessible to everyone,” Forest explains.
Since joining LTU, Forest says, “All of the faculty have been wonderful, coming up with really cool ideas to engage students. And they’re so great when they work with students. We have lots of amazing research going on.
“It’s a great place for students because their professors know them; they know their names, research interests, and plans for after graduation!”
Shannon Timmons, PhD, chair of the Department of Natural Sciences, said, “As our new science outreach coordinator, Ms. Forest plays a crucial role in connecting high school students, teachers, and administrators with knowledge about our innovative, technologically focused biology, chemistry, and physics degree programs. Through hands-on activities and personal interactions, she shares her love of science, the differentiators of an LTU degree, and many successful careers of our alumni to inspire the next generation of scientists to pursue their degree at LTU.
She has helped to update and improve our laboratory spaces in addition to creating new marketing materials and designing creative approaches to connect with prospective students. She has already become an indispensable member of the department and college, and we look forward to welcoming new students to campus to excel in our degree programs because of her efforts.”
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