The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Outreach Program received a check for $36,000 to purchase a Science on a Sphere system during the Women & Philanthropy’s annual awards dinner. Science on a Sphere technology was developed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve science outreach. The Center will purchase a system that can be used within the facility and also transported to programs off campus. As a generator of large data sets for both polar regions, the Center will now be able to contribute Arctic and Antarctic educational content to the international community of institutions with Science on a Sphere systems.

The Byrd Center’s Outreach Program is consistently looking for innovative ways to clearly communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences in both formal and informal learning environments. Outreach staff have learned that high-resolution digital visualizations, based on real datasets which can be easily manipulated, greatly enhance audience understanding. Likewise, a Science on a Sphere system has the potential to excite undergraduate and graduate students about science communication and improve their understanding of audience needs.

Ohio State’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and associated State Climatology Office of Ohio (SCOO) serve at the forefront of education within the state on Earth’s climate system. Over the past year, more than 11,900 individuals were reached by the Byrd Center’s 182 programs directed at audiences ranging from 3^rd grade to senior citizens. The Center tailors programs to meet the needs of each particular audience.

Women & Philanthropy at The Ohio State University is dedicated to educating its members about areas of extraordinary excellence at Ohio State, involving them in the vibrant life of the university, and helping them to realize and celebrate their personal philanthropic abilities. Women & Philanthropy members change the world by investing together in the people of Ohio State and the work they do.