Borough Wide
Let’s give these two high fives. This summer, Brooklyn’s Bryan Lopez of Bay Ridge and Jacob Sullivan of Bedford-Stuyvesant have been guiding visitors through the halls of the American Museum of Natural History as part of the 20th class of the Museum Education and Employment Program.
Bryan and Jacob are among 30 college-aged students that design and conduct creative, themed tours for the more then 500 camp groups that visit the museum each summer.
Bryan is studying biology at Hunter College and his tour educates campers about the evolutionary transition from fins to flight. The sophomore’s tour ranges through the Halls of Vertebrate Origins and Saurischian Dinosaurs, stopping at cornerstone fossils that illustrate key steps in the history of vertebrate life on our planet. An evolution buff from a young age, Bryan plans to continue his biology studies after graduation.
Jacob is an aspiring primatologist at New York University and teaches visitors about the surprisingly human habits of our primate relatives. The senior teaches visitors to the Hall of Primates and Akeley Hall of African Mammals about animals like gossiping monkeys and the only known poisonous member of the primate family. He plans on pursuing a doctorate in primatology.
When the boys are not giving tours they are stationed at one of 11 rolling carts with exhibit-related artifacts that visitors can touch and ask questions about.
The pair also facilitated in the new interactive exhibits MicroRangers and CSN: Crime Scene Neanderthal, two augmented-reality adventures that combine the museum’s iconic dioramas with mobile gaming to create a 21st-century learning experience. (Way better than Pokémon Go!)
Standing O is giving our Brooklyn sons a thumbs-up, high five, and of course, a Standing O.
The American Museum of Natural History [Central Park West and 79th Street in Manhattan, (212) 769–5100].
Boerum Hill
CoFab
Shane Barbanel, the chief executive officer and founder of CoLab-Factory a co-working space — let Standing O know that Amanda Zamurs (inset) has been appointed as the new community manager.
“Amanda’s marketing and startup expertise is a tremendous asset,” he said, adding that Amanda will take on digital and social media marketing projects, as well as coordinating events, such as educational seminars, hackathons, art exhibits, and musical performances at the company. “She has a phenomenal skill set in developing a one-of-a-kind community experience that educates members and drives innovative business conversations.”
Before moving on up to the big time, Amanda was an associate at Techstars. She brings a wealth of experience promoting the importance of education from previous roles as the event and community manager at Founders4Schools, and as the marketing and community manager for BlikBook, a platform that connects students and lecturers around course content.
Amanda couldn’t be happier on the new gig.
“It’s incredible to join the CoLab-Factory, which, as a new player in the co-working space, is already making an impact,” she said.
Standing O says, “Good luck, and welcome to the community.”
CoLab-Factory [14 Dekalb Ave. at Bond Street in Boerum Hill, (347) 389–3318].
