The Big Blue: A Conversation on Oceans & Climate

Please contact science@pioneerworks.org if you would like to be placed on the waitlist for this event.

Dive in and join us to explore our oceans and climate. Professor Vincent Pieribone, of the Pierce Laboratory at Yale and OceanX, and Dr. Camille Gaynus, a marine ecologist focused on algae diversity currently at Penn State Brandywine, will be in conversation with Pioneer Works Director of Sciences Janna Levin. They will walk us through their research and explorations that reveal some of the wild and wondrous discoveries that lie below the surface of our oceans.

Please note: The talk will begin at 8pm.

Dr. Camille Gaynus is a marine ecologist. She currently works in the Biology department at Penn State Brandywine. Prior to her current position, Camille worked at the University of Pennsylvania employing genetic and bioinformatic methods to assess changes in algal diversity over a gradient of reefs. Camille completed her PhD in Biology at UCLA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with dissertation research on the environmental changes and factors that promote algal proliferation. Camille is also a part of the leadership team for Black in Marine Science an organization run by Black Marine Scientists focused on uplifting the next generation of scientific thought leaders.

Dr. Vincent Pieribone is Vice Chairman of OceanX, an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies, Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory in New Haven. His research is directed at discovering and engineering methods to monitor brain activity using a combination of light and proteins found in the ocean. Over the past 20 years, he has conducted ocean research expeditions across the globe. He also serves as a Research Associate for The American Museum of Natural History and on the Scientific Board of Directors of the Mystic Aquarium. Dr. Peribone completed his PhD in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology at NYU and currently conducts his scientific research at the Pierce Laboratory.

Janna Levin is the Director of Sciences and Chair of the Science Studios at Pioneer Works. She is also the Claire Tow Professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. A Guggenheim Fellow, Janna has contributed to an understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, and gravitational waves in the shape of spacetime. She is the presenter of the NOVA feature Black Hole Apocalypse, aired on PBS—the first female presenter for NOVA in 35 years. Janna also won a PEN prize for a first work of fiction. Her latest book is Black Hole Survival Guide.

In accordance with the New York City mandate, Key to NYC, visitors (age 12+) must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter Pioneer Works. Please review our updated Health and Safety Policy here.

This project is supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.