What: The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold a webinar on September 20 to provide an open forum to answer questions and hear suggestions related to the National Nanotechnology Initiative's (NNI) public website, Nano.gov. Serving as the primary mechanism for public engagement, Nano.gov was redesigned in April 2011. The NNCO is seeking public comment and recommendations on potential updates to, improvements on, and opportunities for public engagement through Nano.gov. The webinar will be streamed live online with an NNCO moderator, four expert panelists, and you - the audience and members of the public.
Who/The Public's Role: Audience participation is vital to the success of this event. In an effort to serve our various communities of interest and stakeholder groups, the NNCO has chosen to host this webinar. You, as a viewer and Nano.gov user, can help improve Nano.gov by addressing the following questions:
- How is Nano.gov useful to you and your stakeholders/colleagues/peers?
- What do you like on Nano.gov? Which pages are most useful to you? Why?
- What would you like to see improved? Are there pages you don't understand? Confusing information? Poor layout? Difficult to use?
- Are there pages that you feel are missing from Nano.gov? What other types of pages would you like to see? What information would you like to find on Nano.gov that isn't currently there?
- Are there similar websites that present information in a way that you find more useful, exciting, attractive or user-friendly?
How: After brief comments by the panelists, we will begin the public Q&A segment of the webinar. The NNCO will begin accepting questions and comments via email ([email protected]) and Twitter (@NNInanonews) 24 hours prior to the event, until the close of the webinar at 1pm on September 20. These will be read and addressed during the live event. The NNCO reserves the right to group similar questions and to address only those questions and comments germane to the topic.
When: The webinar will be live on Thursday, September 20, 2012 from 12:15pm-1pm.
Where: To register for and participate in the webinar, please visit http://nano.gov/node/873.
Who Else/The Panelists: The four panelists and the moderator chosen for the webinar are subject matter experts on different areas of public engagement and web design. They are:
Moderator:
Marlowe Epstein-Newman, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) Marlowe is the Communications Director at NNCO and was the Project Manager for the first Nano.gov redesign in 2011. She manages the content on Nano.gov as well as the NNI's social media presence.
Panelists:
Carl Batt, Cornell University - Carl is a Food Science professor with ties to the National Science Foundation as a regularly consulted expert. Carl recently collaborated with the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network and Walt Disney World to create a permanent nanotechnology exhibit at Epcot Center.
Josh Chamot, National Science Foundation (NSF) - Josh is a public affairs specialist for NSF's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. As a seasoned public affairs professional, he provides a unique perspective on media, public relations, and outreach tactics from a Federal Government perspective. Josh works in a variety of media to bring science stories to the public.
Mary Ann Latko, American Industrial Hygiene Association - Mary Ann is a Managing Director at AIHA. She represents workers across manufacturing sectors and is well-versed in environment, health, and safety (EHS) and regulatory issues, often working closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Nazhin Beiramee, OMNI Studios - Nazhin is a web designer who has worked on Nano.gov as well as other .govs including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Cancer Institute.