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Cleveland Public Library & NASA Glenn - Hidden Figures

Blog Date
Author(s)
Julie Smith
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
Tags
Cleveland
NASA
Library
Technology

From Hidden to Modern Figures

We were really excited when we saw the Cleveland Foundation Center's (@FCCleveland) tweet announcing that the Cleveland Public Library (@Cleveland_PL) and NASA Glenn Research Center (@NASAglenn) would be sponsoring the program NASA From Hidden Figures to Modern Figures on Saturday, January 14, 2017. Having attended and having written previous blog posts about tech events at the Cleveland Public Library and about NASA Glenn Research Center, we knew we needed to clear our calendars to attend this event.

From Hidden to Modern Figures
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Here is the official notice about the Cleveland Public Library Hidden Figures special event:

Hidden Figures Movie

Hidden Figures
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More than half a century ago, three brilliant African American women crossed all gender and race barriers to launch John Glenn and the United States into space.  Their untold story is now being told in the feature film Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe. Join NASA and the Cleveland Public Library in celebrating the stellar achievements that allowed America to shoot for the moon and beyond. Enjoy video presentations and a discussion panel featuring female leaders in the field: Dr. Christine Darden, Dr. Carolyn Williams, and Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis. Visitors will also have opportunities to meet NASA subject matter experts and enjoy exciting exhibits, a photo booth and activities for the whole family.

Saturday, January 14 • 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Main Library, Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium, Lower Level and Learning Commons, 2nd floor

NASA

The Movie: Hidden Figures

We had already heard excellent feedback via social media about the movie Hidden Figures (@HiddenFigures), and we decided to see it before the library's Hidden Figures event.

It was interesting to hear the reaction of other people at the theater where we saw the movie. The film was very engaging. People were moved to clap and cheer for the characters during different parts of the movie.

 

Engaging Students

NASA Glenn Research Center Employees
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We arrived early for some activities before the panel discussion, since a business associate of Stuart's had sent us a more detailed schedule than was provided on the library website. We want to commend the Cleveland Public Library and NASA Glenn Research Center on how they engaged students, both college and high school, by having them hear from NASA (@NASA) employees about their roles within the agency. The NASA Glenn Research Center staff did an excellent job by not only talking about science and engineering positions, but also made a point of suggesting other fields of study, such as accounting and human resources.

NASA Internships, Scholarships, and Fellowships
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The NASA Glenn Research Center staff emphasized the importance of the their internship program as a means to learn more about NASA, and potentially lead to employment. See these web pages for internship information:

Here is a NASA Glenn Careers video:

 

It was great that the library held this part of the event specifically for students. Very impressive!

 

NASA Hidden Figures Leadership Panel

NASA Hidden Figures Leadership Panel
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The NASA Hidden Figures Leadership Panel was moderated by Dr. Carolyn Williams, and consisted Dr. Christine Darden, Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis, and Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, Jr. It was interesting to hear their personal stories about the contributions of women of color working at NASA.

Please click on the image below to read the From Hidden To Modern Figures panel program:

Please read the From Hidden To Modern Figures panel program PDF
Click To Open PDF

 

As part of the panel discussion, we learned about the new From Hidden to Modern Figures section of the NASA website, which includes many interesting videos.

 

Photos

Here are our photos from the Saturday, January 14, 2017, NASA and Cleveland Public Library Hidden Figures event.

If your device does not support Flickr.com photos/videos,
please view them here.

Tweets & Retweets

Here are our @sos_jr 63 tweets and retweets sharing our experience at the Hidden Figures event. Please share any photos and videos that you find interesting by retweeting.

Related Blog Posts

Please learn more by reading our related blog posts about NASA and tech events at the Cleveland Public Library:

Here are events we wrote about in which NASA participated:

Also, here are some blog posts we wrote about tech events at other area libraries. We are very fortunate to have these resources in our community.

Thank You!

Cleveland Public Library & NASA Glenn Hidden Figures Event
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We want to thank organizers and speakers of Hidden Figures event. We look forward to attending more NASA events and Cleveland Public Library tech events.

Tom Kunsman sharing his knowledge with others
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We also want to give a special thanks to Tom Kunsman (@tkunsman) for sending us a link to the upcoming NASA Glenn Tours. Stuart has been following @tkunsman on Twitter since seeing the great information Tom shared at the NASA Glenn Research Center 75th Anniversary Open House and other events. We were glad to finally meet him in person at the library event, and to learn that he now volunteers for NASA Glenn Research Center, sharing his knowledge with others. We recommend following @tkunsman on Twitter.