Special
Events
STRI special events,
October / November 2023
BCI 100-year celebration at the Panama Canal Museum, Visit of the Changuinola Labor Institute, New Resilience Initiative Program Coordinator, Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week and more
BCI 100-year celebration at the Panama Canal Museum
On October 7, the Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum hosted a BCI Day to celebrate the 100 years of Barro Colorado Island within the framework of the temporary exhibition about BCI at the Museum. STRI guest experts shared their research with the audience and delved deeper into the exhibit’s content with visitors.
Visit of the Changuinola Labor Institute
On October 13, a group of 20 young adults seeking to complete their secondary studies from the Changuinola Labor Institute visited STRI’s Bocas del Toro Research Station. During this educational visit, students participated in a tour of the facilities and engaged in educational activities and experiments related to the study of water.
Welcome to our New Resilience Initiative Program Coordinator
Dayana Agudo joins the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, with over 15 years of experience in project management, biogeochemical analyses, and lab management. As part of the team , Dayana will coordinate, organize, and track all Initiative activities that will ensure the successful establishment of a Resilience and Sustainability Center at STRI, and support the Director in ensuring there is successful engagement with relevant partners and collaborators within STRI and SI. Welcome, Dayana!
Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week
The Government of Panama hosted the Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week 2023, a regional event to engage stakeholders on discussing climate solutions. STRI Director Joshua Tewksbury, and STRI staff scientist and Adrienne Arsht Community Based Resilience Solutions Initiative Director Ana Spalding participated during panels and discussions and met with global stakeholders. STRI Manager for Scientific Affairs and Operations Juan Maté took part in a science diplomacy program training for policymakers in Panama, organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and sponsored by the National Secretariart of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT).
STRI at the 7th International Otolith Symposium
STRI research technician Brigida De Gracia and STRI postdoctoral fellow Jessica Lueders-Dumont gave talks during the 7th International Otolith Symposium that took place in Viña del Mar, Chile. Brigida presented "Paleoichthyology on the Isthmus of Panama” to a packed room and wowed the audience with the rich fossil fish record while her traditional Ngäbe dress, demonstrating the importance of indigenous voices in international scientific platforms like this.
Photos courtesy of Jessica Lueders-Dumont
STRI at the XIV Central American Anthropology Congress
The event was coordinated by STRI archaeologists Nicole Smith and Ashley Sharpe and dedicated to the memory of former STRI archaeologist Richard Cooke with a series of roundtables focused on “Multidisciplinary contributions to the advancement of Panamanian archaeology”. Yahaira Núñez (STRI Tupper postdoc) presented a talk at the inaugural event titled "Sobre hombros de gigantes: perspectivas sobre la arqueología del sur de América Central," (On the shoulders of giants: perspectives on the archaeology of southern Central America) in which she talked about the importance of Olga Linares, Richard and Dolores Piperno’s research and the future directions of the field. Nicole and Ashley also hosted several colleagues during a visit to the STRI archaeology labs, including a large group of archaeologists from the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.
Visit from the Museum Network
Members of the Museum Network visited the Punta Culebra Nature Center to meet with the center’s Aquarist, Renier Vargas and learn about the technical side of how aquaria systems work and support the marine and fresh water collections at the Punta Culebra. Renier is an avid expert in aquaria exhibits and its systems, with more than 30 years of experience in the field, reason why many local organizations have asked for his advice on the matter.
Film Festival Awards
Former Tupper postdoctoral fellow and paleobotanist Monica Carvalho received two awards for her film What happened in the tropics during the last great extinction? One in the Ekotopfilm festival, in the youth category and the other one in the Raw Science Film Festival in the category amateur animation under 40 minutes.
STRI scientist retreat
Recently Smithsonian in Panama's leadership and staff scientists met to participate in workshops, talks about researchers, fellows and interns’ well-being and safety, budget and STRI’s present and future.
Punta Culebra reopens
After several weeks of being closed, Punta Culebra reopened to celebrate November, Panama’s month. On Tuesday, November 28th, visitors were greeted by guides dressed in traditional Panamanian attire celebrating Panama's Independence Day from Spain.
