OSUExtension@COSI – the link to OSU and COSI collaboration

OSU COSI Research Symposium 2014-03-21

Photo credit:
Ohio State @ COSI Symposium Album
(flickr.com 5/15/2014)

What do you get when you partner The Ohio State University and COSI (the large science center in Columbus)? A complex and far-reaching relationship involving a variety of unique endeavors.

Take, for example, the OSUExtension@COSI office. This is a collaborative effort that better informs the field of museums and cultural institutions in how they do their work.

Another one of the current efforts involves celebrating the many ways that the University and COSI collaborate. The first of these events, held on March 21, was a symposium on the research conducted by OSU researchers at COSI. The symposium shared insights from researchers involved in a wide array of research efforts such as:  Labs in Life (research labs behind clear glass walls where real studies are being conducted using COSI visitors), hallway data collection, and using COSI for recruiting participants. OSUE’s unique embedded researcher/outreach specialist role was also presented. Click here to view photos from the first research symposium and poster reception.

Future symposia include various aspects of communication of science to the public efforts, public media and collaborations between formal and informal institutions.

(Submitted by Joe Heimlich, Professor and Extension Specialist, OSUExtension@COSI)