BIO

Elizabeth Schutte is a junior at Florida State and is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is pursuing a dual degree in Public Relations and Spanish with minors in Retail Operations and Hospitality Management, and her goal is to one day own a public relations firm with international clientele, particularly focusing on Spanish-speaking countries. Elizabeth currently owns and operates a public relations and digital marketing business, and her intent is to turn this into a full-time endeavor upon graduating from FSU. Elizabeth became involved with research during her freshman year at Florida State through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, when she began serving as the public relations officer for the Penguineering research team. She has continued serving in this role throughout the past three years, and her work with the research team has led her to unique experiences such as hosting a large-scale outreach event in Tallahassee, Florida, presenting research through a temporary exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. and conducting interviews for press purposes at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her previous research funding includes FSU's IDEA Grant and the ICRA Science Communication Award.

Penguineering Communications: Sharing Robotics and Semiaquatics with the World

Abstract

During the 2020-2021 academic year, I completed research through FSU's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. As a public relations student working with a mechanical engineering research team, I investigated the following hypothesis: A hands-on approach to children’s conservation education will result in the highest level of engagement from audiences at outreach events. Upon finding support for the hypothesis that children learn best from hands-on teaching methods, I received funding through FSU's IDEA Grant to host a large-scale educational event for children and families, in conjunction with the Penguineering Team, a research team that studies penguin gaits to improve walking robotic technology. The successful event, "Penguin Palooza," allowed me to gather primary data in support of my hypothesis regarding hands-on learning. In addition to currently managing communications and applying for funding on behalf of the Penguineering Team, I am furthering my own research of effective educational tactics. In the spring of 2022, I represented Florida State along with the Penguineering Team at the ACCelerate Festival in Washington D.C., where we presented research at the Smithsonian Museum. Here, there were abundant opportunities to teach children through hands-on methods, further confirming my hypothesis. Currently, I am in the process of working with the Penguineering Team, now based out of New York University, to create an even larger-scale version of Penguin Palooza to be held in New York City. This event will include the most successful elements of the initial iteration of Penguin Palooza while also testing new hands-on teaching methods.

Keywords: outreach, robotics, communication, teaching, learning