Meet a Researcher: Dr. Erik Vandegriff
Baltimore resident Dr. Erik Vandegriff (he/they) is a space physicist doing postdoctoral research at the NASA Goddard Space Flight center. where he works on modeling Earth's magnetic field and predicting how the Sun affects life and technology on Earth and in space. [conversation lightly edited for clarity]
How long have you lived in Baltimore, and what is your favorite thing about the city?
I have lived in Baltimore for a year now. I grew up in Maryland, but left after high school. I moved back after I finished my doctorate. My favorite thing about Baltimore is all the parks! You don't have to drive far to get to nature and that's not the case with a lot of cities.
Can you briefly describe your area of research for our readers ?
I study space weather, which I like to describe as "weather, but higher up!" Besides providing us with light, seasons, and sunburns, the sun is also constantly bombarding us with what we call "solar wind", which is a combination of the sun's magnetic field and the energetic particles that move along with it. Earth's magnetic field does its best to keep the solar wind at bay, but it gets distorted and allows particles through, especially with heavy solar activity. Space weather scientists study the variations in Earth's magnetic field using spacecraft data and computer models in order to predict and prepare for solar storms, which can shut down the power grid, damage spacecraft, and harm astronauts.
What is the one book, podcast, or documentary you would recommend to non-scientists who are interested in learning more about your field ?
If you want to get excited about space, the 2008 documentary "Journey to the Edge of the Universe" was a fun one for me growing up. It's old but it's a classic and puts in perspective just how big space really is.
Can you tell us about your favorite finding in your field, or a recent finding that you are excited about?
On the weekend of May 11th of this year, a large solar storm hit Earth, and throughout the weekend space weather scientists worked tirelessly to monitor the conditions in space and provide predictions about the safety levels in order to protect astronauts, satellites, and the power grid. Since then we've already been working on studying the storm in detail, running models and analyzing satellite data. Most of the storms I study are past ones, so it's really cool to watch a big storm happen live. And the best part is, as far as we know there were no power grid failures, thanks to the advance warning we were able to give and the mitigation efforts of the power industry professionals.
We’re interviewing you during Pride month, and just ahead of Baltimore trans Pride - do you have a message for queer kids who are interested in science ?
If you're a queer kid who is curious about science - follow that curiosity! You don't need an advanced degree to do good science. Being curious will take you far, and putting in the work to answer questions and build your knowledge of the world around you will take you the rest of the way. There's not always great queer representation in science, but don't feel discouraged, even if you feel like you're not the "smartest" or the "best" person to be a scientist. No one is! Do it anyway! Science is about being wrong over and over again until we figure something out.
Science in the City: A Quarterly Calendar of Events
All events are located in Baltimore City. Events are free of charge unless otherwise noted. * we now have a google calendar! subscribe here*
↺ = recurring event, check location website for the most up to date schedule
✎= Registration required.
Kids & Families: Bubble Bonanza!
Tuesday, Jul 02, 11:00 AM
Pratt Library Govans Branch, 5714 Bellona Avenue
Let’s get outside and explore! Mix your own bubble mix and try different tools for blowing bubbles.
Summer Science Experiments ↺
Tuesday, Jul 09, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Pratt Library Brooklyn Branch, 300 E. Patapsco Ave. Bubbles, slime, magnets, and more! Join us for a cool new science activity every month.
Animal Antics with Wildlife Adventures
Thursday, Jul 11, 10:30 AM
Pratt Library Patterson Park Branch, 158 N. Linwood Avenue
Get ready for a wild adventure at the library! Join us for a hands-on experience with our 'Animal Antics' program.
Afternoon Slime Lab
Thursday, Jul 11, 3:00 PM-4:30 PM
Pratt Library Wallbrook Branch, 3203 W. North Avenue
Come invent your own slime recipe at the library! All materials will be provided. Caregiver supervision required for children age 5 & under.
Kitchen Science
Monday, Jul 15, 3:00 PM
Pratt Library LIght Street Branch, 1251 Light Street
Celebrate National Ice Cream Month! learn how to make ice cream in a bag. STEAM Adventure with the Science Guys!
Tuesday, Jul 16, 11:00 AM
Enoch Pratt Central Library 400 Cathedral Street
Sock Hedgehog
Tuesday, Aug 13, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Pratt Library Patterson Park Branch, 158 N. Linwood Avenue
Make a hedgehog out of a sock, fill it with dirt and seeds, and see what grows.
Science Heroes Junior: Adventure of the Lost Treasure
Thursday, Aug 15, 10:30 AM-11:00 AM
Pratt Library Waverly Branch, 400 E. 33rd Street
For preschool age kids
Science Heroes: Adventure of the Lost Treasure
Thursday, Aug 15, 1:00 PM-1:45 PM
Pratt Library Wallbrook Branch, 3203 W. North Avenue
Science and stories collide in this all new, interactive STEM show for Summer Reading ’24! Join us on a treasure-hunting adventure deep within the jungle!
This image was created by Dr. Erik Vandegriff, a postdoctoral researcher at the NASA Goddard Space Flight center. It is a snapshot of single time step of a computer simulation of Earth's magnetic field. It captures a side-view slice of the magnetic field lines surrounding Earth during a solar storm. The x-axis (horizontal) and z-axis (vertical) are defined by a coordinate system where positive x points toward the sun, and positive z points north. The white semicircle also indicates the side of the Earth that is pointed toward the sun. The larger grey circle shows the limits of this region of the simulation - closer to Earth, the dynamics change and we use different equations to simulate it. Each unit of x and z is equal to Earth’s radius (RE), so this particular graphic shows magnetic field lines out to 50 Earth radii in the direction that the solar wind is blowing.
(You can read our interview with Dr. Vandegriff on page 3 of this zine . calendar of events continues on Page 6)
Calendar of Events Cont.
Nature for Kids✎
Saturday, Jul 20, 10:00 AM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Nature/Volunteering:
Container Polinator Gardening
Saturday June 29, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Come prepared with water and sunscreen
Family Nature Walk *
Saturday, June 29, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Carrie Murray Nature Center, 1901 Ridgetop Road
Come prepared with comfortable shoes for uneven terrain
Community Shoreline Cleanup ✎ ↺
Saturday, Jul 13, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Kids under 18 are welcome with an accompanying adult
Water Quality/Climate Change Science (A Citizen Science Opportunity) ✎ ↺
Saturday, Jul 27, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Guided Nature Walk ✎
Saturday, Aug 03, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Community Shoreline Cleanup ✎ ↺
Saturday, Aug 10, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Masonville Cove , 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Kids under 18 are welcome with an accompanying adult Water Quality/Climate Change Science (A Citizen Science Opportunity) ✎ ↺
Saturday, Jul 27, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Masonville Cove, 1000 Frankfurst Ave
Drop-in Activity: Ask a Gardener about Integrated Pest Management
Saturday, Jul 06, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Cylburn Arboretum,4915 Greenspring Ave
Herring Run Bug Hunt ✎ ↺
Saturday, Jul 13, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Herring Run Park, 2219 Chesterfield Ave
Join Blue Water Baltimore staff to explore a local stream, search for and identify benthic macroinvertebrates (AKA waterbugs), and learn about types of pollution that can affect their — and our– environment.
Carroll Watkins and Gwynn Oak Park Bug Blitz ✎ ↺
Saturday, Aug 24, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Carroll Watkins Park, 5830 Flannery Ln
Join Blue Water Baltimore staff to explore a local stream, search for and identify benthic macroinvertebrates (AKA waterbugs), and learn about types of pollution that can affect their — and our– environment.
Guided Tours of HP Rawlings Conservatory
Saturday, Jul 13, 2:30 PM-3:30 PM
HP Rawlings Conservatory, 3100 Swann Drive
Tour the biomes with naturalist Molly
Botanical Art Workshops at Cylburn and the Conservatory
Sunday, Jul 14, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Wednesday, Jul 31, 1:00 PM-6:00 PM
Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 greenspring ave
$5. Outdoor Workshop. Art Supplies provided. Contact Molly (molly.hoopes@baltimorecity.gov ) for more info
Botanical Art Workshops at Cylburn and the Conservatory
Wednesday, Aug 07, 12:30 PM-2:45 PM
Saturday, Aug 10, 11:00 AM-3:45 PM
HP Rawlings Conservatory, 3100 Swann Drive
$5. Outdoor Workshop. Art Supplies provided. Contact Molly (molly.hoopes@baltimorecity.gov ) for more info
*call the Carrie Murray Nature Center at (410) 396-0808 for more info & help registering
Front Cover :
This image is provided by Mira Swartzlander, a PhD student in Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s department of neuroscience. It shows cells collected from the vaginal canal of a mouse.
In many animals, ovulation - the release of an oocyte, or egg cell, from the ovaries, where it is produced, to the oviduct, where it is ready to be fertilized - occurs at regular intervals. In most female mammals (with a few exceptions, including both humans and several species of bats), this takes place in the context of the estrous cycle, a series of physical and behavioral changes that prepare the animal to mate.
There are 4 stages of the mouse estrus cycle (proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and metestrus), each lasting one to two days. During each stage, different kinds of cells are found in the vaginal lining. By collecting and looking at the cells under a microscope, scientists can identify what stage of the cycle a mouse is currently in. Based on the abundant nucleated epithelial cells observed in this sample, we know that it was collected during the mouse’s proestrus stage. During proestrus, estrogen levels rise in preparation for ovulation and the animal becomes more willing to mate.
Throughout the estrous cycle, dramatic changes to synaptic plasticity - flexibility of the connections between neurons - can occur as well. While these changes likely affect some aspects of behavior, such as willingness to mate, animal behavior remains otherwise mostly stable across stages of the cycle. Monitoring how the brain changes during different stages of the estrous cycle can help us better understand how dramatic synaptic plasticity is balanced with relative stability of general brain function.
