Miss Next Century 2020 | Merritt Moore

Merritt Moore is an American ballerina and quantum physicist. Moore's love for math and dance started at a young age growing up in California. Moore dances professionally for ballet companies around the world and completed her PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics at Oxford in 2017 following her underaduate degree in physics at Harvard. In 2020, Moore began an innovative residency at Harvard's ArtLab exploring how AI can inspire human creativity through dance.

Moore was named Glamour's 'Top Ten College Women' in 2010. In 2017, Moore was a candidate on BBC Two's 'Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?'. In 2018, Moore started a unique Instagram profile and campaign called SASters Squad (Science-Art-Sisters Squad, @sasters_squad) to support and promote women pursuing both science and art. Moore was named one of Forbes 'Forbes 30 under 30' in 2020.

Merritt Moore was named Future-ish's 10th Miss Next Century in 2020.

Social Media

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>> Facebook
>> Instagram: @physicsonpointe | @sasters_squad
>> LinkedIn
>> Twitter: @physicsonpointe

Additional Reading

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• Butterfield, L. 2017. Women in science: A quantum ballerina dancing to the beat of her own drum. Oxford Science Blog.
• Campbell, C. S. 2018. PODCAST: Torn Between Two Passions? Choose Both. Forbes
• Knapton, S. 2017. Oxford physicist and professional ballerina battles to become astronaut in new BBC show. The Telegraph.
• Levine, A. 2018. Staying on Pointe: Physicist Twirls Her Way to Successful Ballet Career. APS News.
• Strul, J. 2010. Meet the Top 10 College Women of 2010: Amazing Women You Haven't Heard of…Yet! Glamour.
• Wikipedia

Miss Next Century 2019 | Alicia Gonzaléz Martínez

Alicia Gonzaléz Martínez is a Spanish neurologist, dancer (classical and flamenco), and performer. She received her medical degree from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain and has held research and residency positions in the US and in Spain. Gonzaléz Martínez started dancing at age 3. In 2010, Gonzaléz Martínez and several friends started a performing group called Ojos Venecia. Gonzaléz Martínez sees many similarities in science and dancing, including creativity, resilience, ongoing training, the need for communication, and a long list of failures and successes.

Gonzaléz Martínez was named Future-ish's 9th Miss Next Century in 2019.

Additional Reading

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• Bergman, O. 2015. Alicia Gonzaléz Martínez–med student, scientist, dancer and performer. Crasina.se
• Galisteo, A. 2019. La médico ciudarrealeña Alicia González, premiada por la Academia Americana de Neurología.

Sceleb | Shayla Rivera

Shayla Rivera promo pic for HBO Latino's "Entre Nos".
Image credit: HBO Latino
Shayla Rivera is a Puerto Rican American aerospace engineer, comedian, and STEM advocate. Rivera also wears many other hats including keynote speaker, Professor of Practice at Texas A&M, and producer. Often described as a renaissance woman, she uses humor to share her own story, as well as to inspire others.

Rivera was born and grew up in Puerto Rico. Her interest in science and engineering started at an early age, along with a keen interest in human behavior. Rivera earned a BS in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M where she also took additional courses in psychology. After graduation, Rivera worked for McDonnell Douglas Space Systems as a rocket scientist, literally, in programs including the NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station. She left NASA after five years to pursue her interest in psychology that eventually led her to corporate training, executive seminars, and motivational speaking. It was in this role that she also discovered her talent for comedy.

She worked with Debbie Allen to create the hit one woman show “Rocket Science and Salsa,” and was honored with a "Best Lead Actress" nomination by the NAACP Theater Awards. For the same production, Allen also received a nomination for "Best Choreography". She went on to participated in many other comedy events, shows, and series and was honored by Latin 2015 as the Finniest Latina Comedian.

Rivera received the Award for Excellence in Public Speaking by the Latino Speakers Bureau in 2010, LA's “Mario Moreno Cantinflas Award” in 2014, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service Participation in 2017.

Rivera was named the Future-ish 2019 Queen of the Smart Set.

NewsFusion | 045

NewsFusion for November 2017

Science...

• New app in Australia will help count frogs | Daily Telegraph
• Excerpt fromThe Physics of Star Wars | Wired
• San Francisco 49ers Foundation brings STEAM education to underserved youth | 49ers Foundation

Design...

• Move over Helvetica, IBM is designing a new font | Fast Company: Co. Design
• Cooper Hewitt's Joris Laarman Lab exhibit highlights digital technologies at intersection of design, art, and science | Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
• Aerospace and fashion find common, interdisciplinary future | The Daily Free Press

Culture...

• Learning math in your native toungue: How Siberia keeps indigenous languages alive | TASS
  
• Miss Universe New Zealand Miss Universe NZ, Harlem-Cruz Atarangi Ihaia, first to wear tā moko in world competition | Maori Television
• Celebrities discover surprising stories of their ancestors in PBS Series Finding Your Roots, from resourceful immigrants and connections to Holocaust to DNA cousins and slave ownership | NJ

SeanChron | City Arts Article on the Need for Arts in STEM

Just read a great article by in the Seattle City Arts magazine, Creative Class by Jonathan Zwickel. In the article, Zwickel explores one of my favorite subjects, how obsessive focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is not enough...we need to focus on the arts and humanities as well if we want to have well rounded students in this and the next century. Zwickel does a great job of sharing the story of how a national crisis (in my opinion) plays out in Seattle Public Schools. Adding an "A" for arts into STEM...forming "STEAM" may be one answer but as you might expect, its much more complicated than that.

SeanChron | Arcade's STEAM issue

Seattle's Arcade Magazine has devoted an entire issue to "Putting Art and Design at the Center of STEM", Issue 31.2 Spring 2013: STEM + A = STEAM. This is an issue near and dear to my heart and mind (see STEM is Not Enough and it seems to be getting a lot more attention lately. Thank you Arcade for another great issue!

Digital Innovation Researcher | Cathy N. Davis

Cathy N. Davidson is an American English Professor, digital innovation researcher, and institutional change consultant.

Davidson received her BA in Philosophy and English from Elmhurst College in 1970 and then completed her MA and and PhD in English at the University of New York-Binghamton by 1974. Davidson conducted postdoctoral research in linguistics and literary theory at the University of Chicago. She has also received honorary doctorates from Elmhurst College and Northwestern University.

Davidson was a Professor of English at Michigan State University from 1976 to 1989 and served as visiting professor at universities around the world for several years in England, Japan, and Spain. She joined the faculty at Duke University as a Professor of English in 1989. Today, she holds two prestigious chairs at Duke, the Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English and the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Her academic and consulting work focuses the history of technology, collaboration, cognition, innovative learning-applications, virtual communities, digital literacy, and new media.

Davidson has served in leadership positions at Duke and held many external leadership roles as well, including the role of Editor of American Literature from 1989 to 1999. She has received numerous grants, fellowships, and awards which has supported her efforts to bridge the humanities and social sciences with natural sciences. In 2010, she was appointed to a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities after being nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate. In this role she has been a passionate advocate for including the arts in efforts to develop better STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

Davidson was named on our Stylish Scientist List in 2012 and 2013.

>> Twitter: @CathyNDavidson
>> Wikipedia