COVER STORY
IN SIG H TS
Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA STEM TODAY: Could you talk a little bit about the Inspector Planet reels and how you're incorporating education with adventure, discovery and having a lot of fun? Tracy Fanara: To me, discovery is a lot of fun all on its own. Then you add an adventure, and it's like, why wouldn't you pursue this kind of career? When I was little, I was really into Goonies and Indiana Jones. Being a scientist is basically taking that concept of investigation and finding the unknown, solving mysteries and bringing it to real-life situations where you can actually help
PHOTO CREDIT: Tracy Fanara by University of Florida
people. Right now, on Instagram, I'm taking earth mysteries and looking at
want to be a vet, even though that
making efforts towards STEM and it's
it from different perspectives, biology,
changed, and I did want to be, for many
really important that everybody is
chemistry, and astrophysics. With
years. So, to be a vet you must learn
pitching into these mass efforts.
different perspectives you can see
STEM. As I started to get a little bit older,
Seekers of Science is just one way
something crazy or strange in the
I was influenced by natural and man-
that we're trying to make a
world and make sense of it.
made disasters throughout my area that
contribution, while also making it
I grew up (near Buffalo, New York). I
easier for parents to continue STEM
ST: What do you feel are the crucial
started realizing that water really
education at home.
ages at which girls need to be reached
impacted those animals and we needed
and engaged so they will get
to provide clean water and protect them
ST: Could you talk a little bit about
committed to a STEM track?
from storms and things like that. And
some of the summer programs that
TF: Definitely middle-school age. I
that's when I started getting into the
NOAA (National Oceanographic and
taught seventh grade science as part
hydrologic aspect of how the world
Atmospheric Administration) does to
of my dissertation funding, and I
works and earth system design.
promote STEM to younger people? TF: NOAA has an entire educational
realized how important that age group is. Although I believe that STEM is
ST: Can you tell us a little bit about how
office that focuses on bringing STEM
important at any age, if it wasn't for
you've used Seekers of Science to
into the classroom. They have build-a-
my mom telling me how smart I was
educate and engage young people in the
buoy programs, different events that
from sixth grade on and how good at
STEM world?
have students from around the
math and science I was, who knows if
TF: Seekers of Science is just such a good
country come into the nation’s capital
I would have actually been good at it?
opportunity after we talk to a group or do
or into the headquarters of NOAA.
an experiment with a group or have the
They have science fairs and bring
ST: When did you first realize you
kid’s camp. It's something that they can
your child to work day or friend to
were interested in the STEM fields?
take home and keep going with STEM.
work day. NOAA does a bunch of stuff.
TF: I loved animals. And animals
It's also a way to reach kids we couldn’t
They also provide internship
were the gateway science into STEM
reach because they weren’t in the
programs. So many great things.
because I started thinking I didn't
classrooms. There are so many people
— E.J. SPRING 2022 | STEM TODAY
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