WASHU students, Kari Miller, Haswell lab, and Ghiska Ramahdita, Genin and Huebsch labs, have been named semifinalists in the 2021 Reach Out Science Slam Communication Challenge jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Museum of Science, Boston. Kari and Ghiska will be presenting original, three-minute science stories on their respective research in mechanobiology.

The Reach Out Science Slam is a nationwide effort to boost the communication skills of students and early-career researchers affiliated with the National Science Foundation’s 12 flagship Science and Technology Centers (STCs). These Centers tackle the frontiers of science and technology, foster discovery and innovation, and train next-generation scientists and engineers.

Competitors of the Reach Out Science Slam are required to make their science stories suitable for family audiences and include a live presentation component. Entrants are encouraged to make presentations engaging by incorporating demonstrations, animation, props, music, and more.

The Slam Semifinals will be held on April 6 and 13 and 20 and the Finals will be held on May 4, 2021. All Reach Out events will be presented live on YouTube at 7:00 p.m. EDT before a national audience and a panel of expert judges. The Judges’ Pick and the Audience Choice Winner of the Science Slam Finals will receive a $1,000 VISA gift card. All finalists will receive professionally packaged videos of their presentations and will also be distributed through Museum of Science and National Science Foundation social media channels.

For more information on the Reach Out Science Slam Communication Challenge, please visit mos.org/reach-out-challenge.