As part of the 2015-16 Bryan Innovation Lab Visiting Innovators Program, The Steward School is hosting Margaret Wertheim February 15 and 16.
While on campus, Wertheim will engage audiences with building The Steward School Satellite Reef and increasing public awareness of distressed coral reefs, which are an essential part of our global ecosystem but are disappearing as environmental and human impacts threaten their survivability. Participants will learn through a citizen science project how the worlds of science, math, conservation, and arts are bringing awareness to our ocean ecosystem.
Wertheim will host a series of workshops, and there will be a Fiber Arts & Science Fair, all of which is free and open to the public.
Monday, Feb. 15 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Workshop: Margaret Wertheim introduces the Reef project, discusses hyperbolic geometry and its manifestations in the marine world, and teaches the techniques of hyperbolic crochet.
Tuesday, Feb. 16 3:15 p.m.
Fiber Arts & Science Fair: hands-on activities, demos, exhibit of crochet coral reef, and complimentary refreshments. Guest exhibitors will include Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VCU Rice Center, James River Association, VCUarts department of fashion, and University of Richmond knitting club.
6:00 p.m. Lecture and Discussion (Children’s activities offered during this program.
Wertheim has built an international following dedicated to advancing scientific concepts through hands-on, embodied practices such as crochet and paper folding. Her TED talk, “The Beautiful Math of Coral,” has 1.2 million views.
Margaret Wertheim is among three thought leaders featured in the 2015-16 Bryan Innovation Lab Visiting Innovators Program. While on campus, these innovators share their expertise in a variety of ways—they speak to students, work with classes on relevant issues, make presentations that are open to the Richmond community, and conduct workshops for educators and families. This furthers The Steward School’s commitment to fostering innovation in students and the greater Richmond community. The program is made possible through support from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, Robins Foundation, and Luck Companies Foundation. For more information, visit Steward School.
