Dr. Caren Cooper - Citizen Science

Think you need a degree in science to contribute to important scientific discoveries? Think again. All around the world, in fields ranging from astronomy to zoology, millions of everyday people are choosing to participate in the scientific process. Working in cooperation with scientists in pursuit of information, innovation, and discovery, these volunteer “citizen scientists” are challenging old notions about who can conduct research, where knowledge can be acquired, and even how solutions to some of our biggest societal problems might emerge. In this presentation, Caren Cooper, author of the new book Citizen Science, will describe the exciting discoveries that occur when ordinary people, from retirees, to mothers, to inmates, to video gamers, are involved in the research cycle.

Copies of Citizen Science will be available on-site for purchase and signing from the NC State Bookstores.

Caren Cooper is an associate professor of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State and assistant head of the Biodiversity Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.