When people think about learning at Michigan State University, they often imagine lecture halls and classrooms. This month, however, the Town & Gown Series is offering community members a chance to experience something much more immersive.
On Friday, July 17, community members can participate in a special Town & Gown session featuring Science on a Sphere at the MSU Museum. Led by MSU Museum educator and Science on a Sphere coordinator Carrie Wicker, the program will allow attendees to explore Earth systems, climate trends and global data through interactive technology.
The Town & Gown Series, an MSU AgeAlive program created in partnership with campus and community organizations, was developed to strengthen connections between the university and the surrounding community through learning and discussion. Since launching in fall 2020, the series has primarily served senior citizens throughout the Greater Lansing community, offering opportunities to engage with MSU faculty, researchers and educational experiences in an accessible, welcoming environment.
When people think about learning at Michigan State University, they often imagine lecture halls and classrooms. This month, however, the series is offering community members a chance to experience something much more immersive.
According to John Waller, a founding member of Town & Gown and director of MSU’s Social Science Scholars Program, the program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring academic knowledge beyond campus boundaries.
“So it’s called Town and Gown because there was a bit of separation between the gown, which is obviously the university, and the town (community),” Waller said. “The idea was to strengthen the academic ties between university and community.” He added that universities often have important research and ideas that do not always reach local communities. “There’s a great deal to be proud of and fascinated by what goes on within departments,” Waller said. “I think it’s a really good way for the university to show how relevant it can be.”
Over time, the series has grown into a regular program featuring faculty experts from many disciplines while creating opportunities for community members to interact directly with researchers and educators.
“It’s striking just how often presenters will say at the end what a pleasure it was for them,” Waller said. “These are dream audiences for somebody who is a faculty member,” adding that these are groups faculty don’t often get to interact with.
This month’s session offers a different experience from a traditional lecture. Rather than listening to a presentation in a classroom, attendees will step into the MSU Museum and explore Science on a Sphere, a technology developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that projects scientific data onto a suspended globe.
As Science on a Sphere coordinator, Wicker serves as a guide to the technology while helping faculty and students create educational experiences around it. “My role is really just to be the expert at the possibilities with the technology and help facilitate people to use it,” Wicker said.
The sphere can display hundreds of different datasets, from climate patterns and earthquakes to space science and custom projects developed by MSU students and researchers. Wicker said one of the most exciting aspects of Science on a Sphere is that every experience can look different.
“Because there are hundreds and hundreds of datasets on the sphere, no one experiences the exhibit in the same way,” Wicker said. “It really lets people pick what they think is interesting.”
She hopes visitors walk away with a memorable experience and discover something unexpected. “I hope everyone can just learn or experience something on the sphere that they think is interesting,” Wicker said. “It’s going to be different for everybody, and that’s what I like about it.”
Wicker also believes the technology allows people to understand information in ways that are difficult to experience through traditional methods. “One of the cool benefits is that you’re looking at things in a much more accurate size perspective,” Wicker said. “I’ve had people walk into the room and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize Africa was so big.’”
For Waller, the upcoming session also reflects one of Town & Gown’s broader goals: exposing audiences to new ideas and helping them understand how technology can be used as a tool for learning. “One valuable thing that Town & Gown can do is expose audiences to what technology allows us to do,” Waller said.
For those who have never attended a Town & Gown event, Waller said the opportunity extends beyond simply listening to a presentation. “It’s a good opportunity to meet people,” Waller said. “Above all else, opportunities are rare to hear an expert talk about an important direction of research and then have the opportunity to ask questions.”
The July Town & Gown session will take place Friday, July 17 at noon at the Science on a Sphere Gallery in the MSU Museum. Attendance is free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the MSU lots.
For attendees, the event offers more than just a lesson in science or technology. It offers a chance to connect with people, ideas, and discoveries that extend beyond the classroom and into the community. To learn more, and sign up, visit: Town & Gown Tour: Science On a Sphere at the MSU Museum – AgeAlive.