2015 ANNUAL REPORT | TABLE OF CONTENTS EXPANDING HORIZONS 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | TABLE OF CONTENTS 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | TABLE OF CONTENTS Science News | DECEMBER 26, 2015 PLUTO COMES INTO VIEW — COVER The New Horizons mission to Pluto (shown in false color) took the top spot on Science News’ list of the most important science stories of the year. Throughout 2015, SN kept readers abreast of the mission’s milestones, including live cover- age from mission control as the probe reached its destination. And in more than two dozen sto- ries, SN reporters explained how New Horizons’ voluminous amounts of data are redefining our understanding of the beloved dwarf planet. Table of contents 2 Letter from H. Robert Horvitz, Chair Letter from Maya Ajmera, President 4 Society for Science & the Public 6 Intel Science Talent Search 8 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 10 Broadcom MASTERS 12 Society Advocates 14 15 Society Outreach 16 Alumni 18 Science News 22 Science News in High Schools Science News for Students Science News | JUNE 27, 2015 23 OCTOPUS SKIN CAN ‘SEE’ The California two-spot octopus (hatchling 24 Financials shown above) can detect light with its skin — no eyes or brain required — and respond Donors with a color-change display. As bizarre as that 26 feat sounds, it was not totally unexpected, as Science News explained. The story was 30 Board of Trustees just the latest in SN’s ongoing coverage of visual experiments that are expanding how Executive Team and Staff biologists define what it means to see. 31 SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | LETTER FROM H. ROBERT HORVITZ t is an honor to serve as the Chair of the Society’s Board of Trustees during this time of expanding horizons. I am happy to introduce this 2015 Annual Report, which shares Ia comprehensive picture of the organization with you, our dedicated supporters. As someone who has been on the board for ten years, I have been delighted as the Society has not only continued to excel at its core programs, but also built upon those efforts to expand into new directions. We continue to be at the forefront of breaking scientific news, such as by reporting the New Horizons mission to Pluto, which inspired our annual report theme. Science News and Science News for Students continue to win prestigious journalism awards for their exceptional coverage. We were pleased to announce in October that the Society’s Broadcom MASTERS com- petition will continue to be funded through our partnership with the Broadcom Foundation. This important commitment extends through our 100th anniversary in 2021 and ensures Broadcom MASTERS remains the premier national STEM competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders for years to come. As you will see in the pages of this Annual Report, by expanding our horizons, we are making even more of an impact. We continue to focus on our core vision of promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement: to inform, educate and inspire. Under Maya Ajmera’s first full year of visionary leadership, the Society’s horizons have grown in the overall scale of the organization, our focus on a collaborative team culture, en- suring the continued prestige of the Society’s core programming and a new and exciting focus on outreach and equity, which is markedly increasing the number of young people accessing the valuable resources of the Society. We look forward to continuing to build upon our suc- cesses in the years to come. I personally thank the Board of Trustees for working hard to constantly ensure the suc- cess of the Society in achieving our important goals. I extend a special thank-you to Michela English, who retired as a Trustee after serving with distinction since 2008, including most recently as the Executive Committee, At-Large member. Our work, now and in the future, is made possible by the generous support of you, the Society’s subscribing members, donors, alumni and readers. Thank you for all that you do. We look forward to continuing our successes and growth in 2016. Science News for Students | MAY 22, 2015 THE MICROBES INSIDE US Sincerely yours, An explosion of research in recent years has revealed the surprisingly big influence that microbes living in the body have on health and behavior. H. Robert Horvitz Science News for Students surveyed some of this cutting- Chair, Board of Trustees edge work, including a study that showed Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2002 that mice (and presumably people, too) Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology need bacteria to develop normal blood- Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute brain barriers. In bacteria-free mice Member, MIT McGovern Institute for Brain Research (like the one above left), the blood-brain barrier allowed a dye (yellow) to accumu- Member, MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research late in the brain. 2 SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 3 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | LETTER FROM MAYA AJMERA Science News | MARCH 7, 2015 am pleased to present our 2015 Annual Report — Expanding Horizons — which ICEBERG FLIPS OVER What looks like a glassy blue mountain rising represents my first full year as President & CEO of the Society for Science & the Public out of the ocean is actually an upside-down Iand Publisher of Science News. iceberg. About 90 percent of an iceberg’s It has been an exciting year at the Society. We awarded more than $6 million to bulk stays hidden beneath the water. But every once in a while, after calving off a gla- deserving middle and high school students from the United States and around the world. cier or melting unevenly, an iceberg topples In 2015, we expanded our partnership with the Broadcom Foundation through the Soci- over, exposing its pristine underbelly. This ety’s 100th anniversary in 2021, ensuring that Broadcom MASTERS remains the premier stunning photograph, taken off the coast of Antarctica, was featured in a national STEM competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Science News story about the rare event. We certainly expanded our horizons by adding new programming to intentionally ensure that more students and underserved communities would be impacted by our work by piloting the Science News in High Schools program and Advocate Grant Program in 2015, along with running the Society’s first ever Science Talent Search Research Teachers Confer- ence. This new emphasis on outreach and equity has already impacted thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of students in the United States and around the world. We did more than ever to reach out to our talented alumni, holding nine events in eight cities, including our first ever Alumni Signature Event that took place in Boston. With these events, the Society had the opportunity to personally meet more than 600 alumni. Throughout the pages of this annual report, you will see incredible images from Science News and Science News for Students stories from 2015. These pictures illustrate how scientific discoveries continue to expand our understanding of the world around us. They show how, more than ever, it is important that the Society bring accurate scientific coverage to the world. I want to personally thank our thousands of judges and volunteers who support the work of the Society with their extraordinary commitment to our science competitions. The depth and breadth of the Society’s work is only possible due to its exceptional team, who bring to life our vision every day. Additionally, I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for their steadfast stewardship of our storied institution. Just as science is ever changing and expanding, we will continue to find ways to reach additional audiences with accurate scientific news and to support new generations of talented students at the beginning of their scientific careers. None of this would be possible without your generous support. We look forward to continuing to connect with you in 2016. Thank you for all that you do to ensure the Society’s success and impact. With best wishes, Maya Ajmera President & CEO Publisher, Science News 1985 Science Talent Search 4 SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 5 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC 2015 ANNUAL REPORT | SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC Science News | DECEMBER 12, 2015 MARS LOSES ITS ATMOSPHERE The solar wind strips away Mars’ atmo- sphere, and scientists now know just how fast the Red Plant is losing its gas. Mea- surements from NASA’s MAVEN probe suggest that Mars loses 100 grams of atmosphere every second. In this simula- tion of the Martian atmosphere, described in Science News, colored streaks represent lost gas molecules. Unlike Earth, Mars has no magnetic field to protect its atmo- sphere from charged particles streaming from the sun. Reaching beyond our horizons Since 1921, the Society for Science & the Public — a nonprofit Emerson Ritter, a California zoologist, founded the organiza- youth edition to Science News. Engineering for Rising Stars), formerly the Discovery Channel 501(c)(3) membership organization promoting the under- tion with the goal of keeping the public informed about sci- For decades, the Society has offered many of the most Young Scientist Challenge and SSP Middle School Program. standing and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays entific achievements. Scripps and Ritter accomplished their revered science education programs in the world: the Intel Sci- The Society is thrilled to present its 2015 annual report. in human advancement — has engaged the public in the ex- goal by distributing the latest science research via a news ence Talent Search (STS), formerly the Westinghouse Science We’re looking back on a year of important new programs and citement of science and research through its award-winning service for reporters.