March This-N-That

Hundreds Of Local Girls Empowered To Explore Careers In STEM Fields

The American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, brought Go Red for Women®’s STEM Goes Red to Northeast Ohio on Monday, December 9 at The NEW Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown. STEM Goes Red addresses the underrepresentation of women in STEM and inspires young women to pursue rewarding careers in STEM fields.

Northeast Ohio’s STEM Goes Red, sponsored by FirstEnergy, brought to life stimulating and impactful careers in STEM and gave more than 220 students from two dozen schools access to leading employers, local experts, and an insider look at what a career in STEM could entail.

Of 100 female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only three will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation, leading to persistent disparities in women’s health. By equipping and inspiring young women to pursue STEM careers, we can ensure women are represented in critical sectors that impact health and well-being such as healthcare, research, and technology.

The American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red launched in 2017 as part of the Go Red for Women® movement. For more than 20 years, Go Red for Women has served as a catalyst for change, improving women’s lives by advancing equitable research and care, advocating for inclusive health policies, and raising awareness of women’s No. 1 health threat—cardiovascular disease.

During the four-hour hands-on program, students interacted with a cadaver heart in a laboratory lesson led by Dr. Dascenzo, participated in a natural gas and oil energy education session by the Ohio Natural Energy Institute, and attended a vendor fair where they learned CPR, used virtual reality goggles provided by the Youngstown Business Incubator, and more. The event culminated with a live panel Q&A.

Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by FirstEnergy, Dinesol Plastics, Family Drug and Village Pharmacies, Hill Barth and King, SenSource, and the Ohio Natural Energy Institute.

For more information, please visit GoRedforWomen.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721).

USGS Investigates Ghost Forests

Have you ever walked through a forest and felt a little spooked? Well, that’s definitely the vibe of ghost forests!

These eerie forests, filled with standing dead trees, tell a story about the effects of sea level rise and extreme flooding. And scientists with the USGS are investigating!

When coastal forests are inundated with salt water or frequently flooded, trees can be stressed to levels they can’t withstand. If trees don’t survive, coastal forests can transform into different types of settings such as marshes or open water, creating ghost forests and leaving behind remnants of the ecosystems that once were.

What The USGS Knows…

Coastal ghost forests typically occur in low-lying areas, and USGS scientists are studying how and where these shifts are happening across the nation. The USGS and partners are also working to forecast what areas might be impacted in the future, considering various sea level rise scenarios.

Changes can lead to potentially positive or negative impacts. Healthy coastal forests provide numerous benefits such as supporting wildlife habitat, filtering pollutants, and offering flood protection along coastlines, while marshes also provide species habitat, improve water quality, and absorb floodwaters, among many other purposes.

USGS science can be used by decision-makers such as land and wildlife managers as they consider the costs and benefits of conservation and restoration.

Credits: Kyle Derby, USGS (left), Melinda Martinez (Right)

An Example: The Chesapeake Bay

The eastern U.S. is a particular concern, as these transitions are taking place up and down the Atlantic coast. The USGS has projects in several areas, including, for example, ongoing research in the DelMarVa Peninsula within the Chesapeake Bay. This region consists of several low-sloped landscapes, which allows for rapid change to occur.

Drilling Into The Trees

Here’s where it gets even more interesting! The USGS and partners recently drilled into trees to see what’s inside. Why? To understand the role of ghost forests in greenhouse gas fluxes.

Trees are known to naturally absorb and release gases, but there’s limited research on whether and how that process changes when coastal forests die. A recent study finds that standing dead trees in ghost forests have tiny organisms that actually convert methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to carbon dioxide, which is less potent.

This insight is another piece of the puzzle as officials consider the trade-offs for how to manage these landscapes.

The USGS is a co author on that study, which was led by Hollins University.

LAMILUX Sunsation® Receives International Trailer Award 2025 In The “Components” Category

The innovative Gelcoat technology LAMILUX Sunstation® has won the International Trailer Award in the “Components” category for its product LAMILUX Sunsation®. The award was presented by an independent jury consisting of 14 industry journalists and representatives of renowned commercial vehicle magazines. LAMILUX Sunsation® impressed with its advanced technology and exceptional benefits for the commercial vehicle and bus industry.

"This award not only underscores LAMILUX’s innovative strength but also our focus on developing cutting-edge and efficient solutions for the commercial vehicle and bus industry," says Markus Bächer, marketing manager at LAMILUX Composites. "Our products offer real added value by reducing our customers' total operating costs while ensuring the vehicles' visual quality in the long term."

The International Trailer Award is presented annually and is one of the most prestigious awards in the commercial vehicle industry. The award ceremony took place during the IAA Transportation in Hanover.

With this award, LAMILUX Composites strengthens its position as a market leader in high-quality composite materials and sets new standards for the commercial vehicle and bus industry.

For more information about LAMILUX Sunsation® and the brand’s other products, please visit www.lamilux.com.

California Sports Surfaces® Supports Playground Resurface Project In Senegal

For California Sports Surfaces and its parent organization, ICP Group, making a positive community impact is a top priority. That is why the organization recently supported a playground resurfacing project in Senegal, using its Rebound Ace® range of products.

The project was a collaboration with AV Syntec, a German sports surfaces distribution partner of California Sports Surfaces Rebound Ace®, and several community partners. Rebound Ace® products were chosen for the surface of this project due to their superior UV resistance and longevity on hard courts in harsh climates.

The paved substrate was a difficult canvas to turn into a usable court. Rebound Ace® Sports & Rec was chosen as the basecoat for its superior adhesion qualities. This was followed with an acrylic filler coat to level out the playing surface and finished with Rebound Ace® Synpave as the topcoat, giving an aesthetically pleasing finish in the colors of Senegal as well as a fantastic surface to play on.

“This was an amazing project, and we jumped at the opportunity to participate,” says Caroline Field, Vice President and General Manager, Australia and Asia Pacific, California Sports Surfaces. “Our representatives who supplied and installed the Rebound Ace® system were able to witness the joy of the children using their new playground—and that’s the kind of impact we hope to have in communities around the world.”

California Sports Surfaces is a part of the ICP Group, a leading purveyor of high-performance building products for every part of residential and commercial construction and renovation. ICP is dedicated to elevating the construction industry with a complete suite of tools that help contractors complete jobs efficiently, effectively, and professionally.

To learn more about California Sports Surfaces, visit www.CaliforniaSportsSurfaces.com. To learn more about ICP Group, visit www.ICPGroup.com.

Field Notes

The East Bay Regional Park District Board (EBRPD) General Manager Sabrina Landreth announced the hiring of Allyson Cook as Deputy General Manager.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced Sarah Fisher as its national director of Fire and Aviation Management.

Allyson Cook (left), Sarah Fisher (right)

Bill Hemann, executive vice president of Hospeco Brands Group, retired on Dec. 31, 2024, ending a remarkable 48-year career.

At the Festival del Rio Anacostia (in September 2024), Chesapeake Conservancy honored Defensores de la Cuenca Co-Founder and Executive Director Abel Olivo as a 2024 Champion of the Chesapeake, the organization’s most prestigious honor recognizing extraordinary leaders from across the Chesapeake.

Bill Hemann (left), Abel Olivo & Chesapeake Conservancy (right)

Calendar

March

3-7 Seed Your Future Green Career Week; https://www.seedyourfuture.org/green-career-week

4-5 Block Promoter’s Conference, St. Louis, Mo.—Live by Loews (Ballpark Village); https://www.masonryandhardscapes.org/block-promoters-conference/

16-19 PRPS Conference & Expo, Hershey, Penn.—Hershey Lodge; https://prps.org/events/2024/25winter-4

20 Arizona Surf Park Development Tour, Mesa, Ariz.—Cannon Beach-Revel Surf; https://www.thesurfparksummit.com/arizona-development-tour/

21-23 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, Fort Worth, Texas—Lake Ray Roberts; https://www.bassmaster.com/tournament/2025-bassmaster-classic/

April

7-10 Nevada Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference, North Las Vegas, N.V.—Aliante Hotel & Casino; https://nevadarecreationampparksociety.wildapricot.org/page-18319

10-11 Monroe Country Economic Development & Tourism Spring Conference, Warrens, Wis.—Three Bears Resort; https://exploremonroecounty.org/conference/

25-26 2025 Executive Fire Officer and Leadership Symposium, Emmitsburg, Md.—National Fire Academy

29 2025 OPRA Women In Leadership, Dublin, Ohio—Dublin Community Recreation Center; https://www.opraonline.org/opra