Our March 2 Science Salon was a unique collaboration with Theater in the Round featuring a performance of Legacy of Light followed by a discussion with physicists Dr. Robyn Wangberg and Dr. Jolene Johnson. This event explored the intersection of science and life through the lens of motherhood, love, and intellectual discovery.
Dr. Jolene Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Physics at University of Wisconsin River Falls. Her PhD in physics is from the University of Minnesota where she developed a method to quantify the number of structural proteins in viruses such as HIV using fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy and microfluidics. She has worked at many different educational institutions teaching everything from eighth grade physical science to graduate level classes. Her current research includes working with undergraduates on a fluorescence microscope project, supporting teachers implementing the STEP-UP curriculum to encourage women in physics, and supporting physics teachers through the Physics of Living Systems Teacher Network (PoLS-T) run through Harvard. Dr. Johnson lives in North Minneapolis with her husband, two children and her dog Millie.
Dr. Robyn Wangberg is an Associate Professor of Physics at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Her PhD background includes utilizing and developing computer simulations for studying the imaging properties of negative index of refraction materials. More recently, she has turned her focus to physics education and was part of the NSF-funded Raising Physics to the Surface project. Dr. Wangberg enjoys trying new activities and techniques in the classroom, focusing on creating an active-learning environment. She lives in Winona with her husband and three children.
Legacy of Light
Written by Karen Zacarias
Two female scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art and science. Written by Karen Zacarías (The Book Club Play), Legacy of Light juxtaposes the true story of Émilie du Châtelet, a mathematician, scientist, and lover of the philosopher Voltaire, who became unexpectedly pregnant at 42, and that of a fictional 21st-century physicist trying to conceive a child. Quirky humor, joyful intellectualism, a fascinating true story, and poignant fiction all collide in this beautifully surreal comedy that asks “What is the science of love?”
