It’s the last week of the month, which means … It's time to focus on another amazing Science Communicator!
For January, I want to reveal the amazing Dr. Earyn McGee.
A notable Herpetologist and Science Communicator, Earyn grew up in Inglewood, California where she took a special liking to animals and science. She enjoyed watching Steve Irwin on Animal Planet and had an innate curiosity about creatures—she wanted to learn about where they slept, what they ate and how they survived the elements, so she spent a lot of time in nature.
Though her early dream was to be a veterinarian, Earyn developed a love for research when she became an Environmental Biology Scholar, earning her undergraduate degree in Conservation Biology at Howard University. Following that, she achieved a Master’s degree in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment from the University of Arizona. Last year, also at the U of A, she completed her Ph.D. She loves lizards so much, when earning her doctorate, she studied the effects of stream drying on lizard communities.
Currently, she hosts the popular #FindThatLizard challenge on Twitter, which she created. Each week she posts a photo of a lizard camouflaged in nature for the online community to find.
Aside from providing a fun science-centric activity, she uses that forum to discuss social justice and conservation issues.
Earyn identifies not having a lot of female African American representation in the industry as a challenge, but is committed to helping progress diversity and inclusivity by actively encouraging Black women to pursue careers in natural resources. In addition, she was formerly a graduate student mentor for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program and also one of the co-organizers of #BlackBirdersWeek. That was created to celebrate Black birdwatching in response to a 2020 incident in Central Park where a white woman accused a Black man of threatening her as he was peacefully birdwatching.
Earyn also has a great respect for Native communities and their relationship to the environment. In an interview for the University of Arizona, she stated, “I hope to help with the conservation of species in such a way that promotes local indigenous cultures. It’s easy to focus on conservation when you don’t have to focus on your own survival, but across the world, the areas and people that are most threatened are those impacted by western colonialism and its lingering effects.”
In her spare time, she creates original content for her YouTube channel and writes about science for the Las Vegas Review Journal as a Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow, selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS).
Like me, she’s also used music to communicate in her scientific life. Back in 2019, she and over a dozen other female scientists created a video set to Eve’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” where they lip-synced the song as they demonstrated science activities in response to Discovery’s brand re-launch, which they felt lacked gender and racial diversity.
In 2020, Earyn was honored as part of the #IfThenSheCan - The Exhibit, which took place at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo in New York City. Her likeness was represented in a 3-D printed statue along with other women in STEM. The display was “designed to activate a culture shift among young girls and inspire the next generation of STEM pioneers.” That same year, Earyn earned a spot on the prestigious Forbes ‘30 Under 30 Scientists’ list.
On her website, Earyn states that she’s an “aspiring Natural History TV Show Host.” I’m certain we’ll be watching a show hosted by her before too long!
Watch this space in February for info about another featured Science Communicator. Until then, keep up with Earyn on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or visit her website at: earynmcgee.com. And don’t forget to check Twitter each Wednesday for a new #FindThatLizard challenge on her page.
I’m curious about which Science Communicators inspire you? Tell me about them in the comments section.
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Photo: earynmcgee.com
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