THE GOWNARIS LAB
Ecology for All!
The cost of textbooks can create financial barriers that disproportionally impact underrepresented groups in STEM. Over the past two years, I received grants from Gettysburg College and
PA GOAL to lead the development of an open textbook for intermediate-level ecology classes. The Ecology for All! team included ten faculty, undergraduate students, and graduate students from three institutions. The textbook was developed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind.
We would love for you to use our open textbook in your courses! You can access the textbook here. If you plan to use the textbook, please fill out this quick survey here. Feel free to reach out to ngownari@gettysburg.edu for tips and tricks on using the book.
Culturally Responsive Education
In 2021, I led a team of faculty, data scientists, and community leaders in a workshop on Culturally Relevant Education in Environmental Data Science (CREEDS). This two-day workshop used a "deconstruction-construction" approach. On Day 1, invited panelists shared educational modules they had created, and participants discussed the ways in which these modules used a culturally relevant/responsive approach. On Day 2, participants used open datasets to develop their own educational modules.
I am currently working with three undergraduate "Culturally Responsive Data Science Fellows" who are using the resources and knowledge gained from this workshop to develop modules for Ecology for All!
Read more about the workshop here and find collated resources on culturally responsive education here.
Open Science
I co-lead the Global Young Academy's Open Science Working Group. The Global Young Academy consists of 200 diverse young scientists who are interested in science-based solutions to global issues. The Open Science Working Group has led panels, published papers, and provided on global-level open science initiatives.
Members of this group, in collaboration with members of several National Young Academies, recently published two papers in the CODATA Data Science Journal. These papers focused on barriers to participation in open science and on inequities in the current open science ecosystem.
Other recent activities include providing input to UNESCO's recommendations on open science and supporting workshops on science policy writing for early career scientists.