Categoría: NOTICIAS

¿Qué es un científico?

ECUSA Nueva York charló con alumnos de español del Bard High School Early College-Queens sobre esta y otras preguntas relacionadas con la carrera investigadora.

Durante la visita organizada junto con su profesora de español María Ahmad, Juan y Alejandra, miembros del capítulo de ECUSA de Nueva York, charlaron con alumnos de secundaria de herencia de español sobre la imagen que la sociedad tiene de los científicos, la importancia de la investigación científica para sortear los retos del mundo actual y sus carreras científicas e investigaciones. Los alumnos se mostraron muy interesados y respondieron de manera muy positiva:

“A mi me gusto mucho la presentación que Juan y Alejandra hicieron. Pienso que fue muy informativo y me gustó lo que hablaron. Siento que ellos se conectaron con nosotros y nos informan mucho sobre la ciencia como una carrera. Me gustaría tener más clases sobre la ciencia en el futuro, es muy importante aprender sobre la ciencia y creo que se debe hablar más sobre el tema.” – Testimonio de una alumna del Bard High School Early College-Queens tras la visita.

Esperamos realizar más colaboraciones de educación con esta institución en el futuro.

ECUSA D.C. Kicks Off Ciencia al Pil-Pil Series

On May 23rd, the new ECUSA D.C. chapter board hosted the first networking event of the Ciencia al Pil-Pil 2024 series. New arrivals mingled with friends and professionals from ECUSA, including representatives from esteemed institutions such as NASA, Georgetown University, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Amazon, Bruker, Northrop Grumman and the World Bank.

We are grateful to Tia Pepa and Taberna del Alabardero for hosting us, and to Fundación Ramón Areces for their support.

Conversations about AI: Cibersecurity and Digital Identity

As part of the ECUSA DC Seminar Series, and in collaboration with the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in the USA, we hosted the event ‘Conversations about AI: Cybersecurity and Digital Identity’, presented by Mikel Sánchez (Veridas, Spain) in collaboration with Daniel Bachenheimer (Accenture, USA). The discussion highlighted a major challenge: #Deepfakes. The session stressed the critical need for advanced detection and authentication technologies to effectively counter these threats. We are grateful to the invited speakers and to the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in the USA for hosting this amazing event.

vicepresident-dc@ecusa.es

When Science Inspires Comics: A Look into the “Ellas son Ciencia” Exhibitions in NYC and Málaga

By Carmen Morcelle and Maria Garcia

Have you ever pondered the mysteries of the Universe or wondered how our brain works? If so, you share something with scientists: curiosity, an innate interest in understanding the world around us.

Fascination with the unknown is natural, but how does that curiosity lead to a scientific career? What challenges do scientists encounter along their path to uncover nature’s best-kept secrets?

To answer all these questions while showcasing groundbreaking research, the Women in Science Committee at ECUSA (MECUSA) and artist Quan Zhou joined forces in 2021 for the “Ellas son Ciencia” (Women are Science) project, aiming to demonstrate that talent and inspiration know no gender or geographic boundaries. Recently, inspired by this initiative, we opened two exhibition spaces: one at the KJCC-NYU in New York City and another at the University of Malaga (Spain), displaying not only the artwork developed for the project but also new pieces that reveal the creative journey behind it.

The opening dates of the two exhibitions were set in late February and March, coinciding with Women’s History Month. This timing was particularly meaningful for the team behind the project, as one of the main aims of “Ellas son Ciencia” is to give visibility to women in research, a group that has historically received less attention from the media compared to their male counterparts.

At the KJCC-NYU, attendees giving opening speeches included Professor and KJCC’s Director Jordana Mendelson, Isabel Rivero from the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, Lucia Regales – one of the scientists featured in the comics – and Carmen Morcelle, Chair of MECUSA. The artist illustrating the comics, Quan Zhou, explained the creative process “behind the scenes”, which involved close collaborations between three key partners: MECUSA’s team, the scientists depicted in the comics and Zhou herself.

One unique aspect of the exhibition in NYC is that the artwork is displayed in its original language, Spanish, though its English version can be accessed easily by scanning a QR code next to the different pieces showcased . “We wanted to make Science and the journey behind each of these extraordinary women available to all audiences, but keep the focus on the huge Spanish-speaking population in NYC, for whom role models in Spanish might not be so easy to find”, says Zhou.

At the University of Málaga, the exhibition opening was commissioned by Carmen Cortés, professor at the University of Málaga, and attendees included the Vice Chancellor for Culture at the University of Málaga Rosario Gutiérrez and Maria Garcia, part of MECUSA’s team. In addition to the comics, this space includes a video explaining the project as well as objects linked to day-to-day scientific work.

*The exhibition at the KJCC-NYU will be available until December 2024, and it will be open to the public whenever there is a scheduled program at the KJCC.To make an appointment to visit the exhibit you can email: kjc.info@nyu.edu*The exhibition at the University of Málaga is currently being showcased at the School of Communications and Technology and will be soon changing its location. For more information, please email mecusa@ecusa.es.

**Carmen Morcelle is the Chair of MECUSA and Maria Garcia is one of MECUSA’s Project Coordinators

ECUSA DC Seminar Series: ‘EMERGING VIRAL DISEASES: TRANSMISSION, CHALLENGES AND VACCINES’

As part of the ECUSA DC Seminar Series, and in collaboration with the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in the USA, we hosted the event ‘EMERGING VIRAL DISEASES: TRANSMISSION, CHALLENGES AND VACCINES’. The event addressed the challenges and threats that emerging viral pathogens currently pose for the human species and how vaccines are the answer to these threats.

«A New Era in Astronomy: The James Webb Space Telescope Celebrates Science» by NASA. The aftermath

As part of the ECUSA Seminar Series, and in collaboration with the NASA and ECUSA (the Spanish Scientists Association in the US), the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in the USA hosted the event ‘A New Era in Astronomy: The James Webb Space Telescope Celebrates Science.’ The event featured an expert panel discussion on the James Webb Space Telescope’s scientific significance, potential and the impact it will have on the field of astronomy.

Celebramos el tercer Seminario de la serie “Seminar series for a more sustainable future” by ECUSA Washington DC: REPRESENTING SCIENCE IN EARLY MODERN SPAIN

El pasado miércoles 14 de junio organizamos el tercero de los seminarios en colaboración con la Oficina Cultural de la Embajada de España en Estados Unidos, enfocado al diálogo entre Ciencia y Arte en la Edad Moderna Española.
Tuvimos el privilegio de contar un ponente excepcional, el Dr. Sergio Ramiro, investigador Ramón y Cajal en el Instituto de Historia del Consejor Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, en Madrid.

ECUSA participa en el EU Open House 2023 en Washington DC

ECUSA participó en la EU Open House 2023 organizado por la Embajada de España en Estados Unidos en la Antigua Residencia de los Embajadores de España en USA. Nuestros miembros y amigos participaron activamente en la celebración y realizaron experimentos científicos para niños y adultos, enseñando las bases científicas de los grupos sanguíneos, la misteriosa mano de goma en lo que a percepción sensorial se refiere, entre otros muchos y divertidos experimentos.