Meet Rebekah Brubaker of RealTimeSTEAM in Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebekah Brubaker.

Rebekah, before we jump into specific questions about the organization, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
About eight years ago myself and my two colleagues Lev Horodyskjy and Brian Johnson were asked by square-egg (which owns Phoenix Fan Fusion formerly Phoenix Comic Con) if we could bring science to the con but in a fun non lecturing way. We immediately agreed. Our vision was to break down this idea scientists were in “ivory towers” and no one knew a scientist, along with all scientists were old white males.

Our first year we did such panels as ‘can we build the Ironman Suit?’ ‘the science of Masseffects’ a game show panel called ‘Biohazard’ where the audience were newly minted CDC employees and had to walk their way through a “breakout” of a disease.

Every panel was either at capacity, or over. This allowed us to form an independent track the next year and have our room for the whole event. By year three we had three rooms and took the education track under our programming. By year five I fought for hands on space and got area in the 3rd floor hall of heroes to bring in other NPOs within the state to demo their awesome STEAM programs. Such as the natural history museum, Lowell observatory, VR for good, and AIAA. 

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oddly enough my challenges came mainly from ASU. When Lev stepped down from being the science track manager due to work issues, he asked me to take the reigns mid-year. I was covering for him for a while as I knew what was going on. Joe and my fellow programming producers felt I should be given the position, however PFF felt to be fair they should post the job as they do for everyone, I agreed as it was fair.

I was asked to layout a 3/5 year plan for the science track. I knew of one person from ASU that was going going to apply, he refused to work with me on the previous year’s event, took me off of the email chain repeatedly when working out the guest/movie rights issues (educational NPO so cost is lower) Joe kept adding me back on. When the guest ultimately said no, he backed out of all the panels.

He hated the way we set up science and was very vocal about it. When he didn’t get the job, he tweeted about how PFF just did these interviews “knowing it was going to (me) wasting his time as a researcher” Which I thought was funny because his boss at his institute saw that and that’s how he found me, and now presents at PFF and other events I help run throughout the year.

ASU has done: Brought cameras/media to PFF without my knowledge or PFF knowledge and a press badge but used one of their exhibitor badges claimed that ASU is responsible for all of the science and education at PFF. Interviewed Dr. David Williams about it but didn’t bother to find his Twitter handle so when RTS found it and tagged him, David thanked us… ASU deleted our reply. David redid it and told them to keep it or delete my interview.

ASU SESE decided not to follow the rules and took six more badges than allowed and told me to f-off because I’m a nobody which in turn caused one of my other groups to have to purchase their badges.

March of science PHX wanted me to just hand over my contacts and classroom materials. When I said no but we can collaborate she got mad then decided to email her listserve that RTS is not to be trusted, I replied to her saying she should probably check her email addresses before she sends something out like that. But in all fairness, I did “poach” half her staff. 🙂 I knew I was going to run into some of these issues, I’ve been in the STEM/STEAM NPO world for 18 years, some of these groups/people have a reputation spanning several years.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
We are known for the science and education track at PFF. But we also do science communication, both for the public and on the flip side for our scientists. By having our scientists focusing more on engagement and less on lecture they are learning how to use pop culture as a common ground tool for really complex scientific concepts. So they can break them down for groups from kindergartners to retirement homes. Our tag line is from K to adult. We got you covered. One of my favorite activities is the chemical comic book superhero. Where we teach the kids a element as a superhero but as an element say iron (Fe) he/she’s vilian would be oxygen (O) because it rusts iron so they would have to research iron to figure out who iron’s side kick would have to be to beat oxygen. Then create a comic book around it.

I know we are making an impact because we survey Con each year and the comments are amazing. I’m paraphrasing here but they are such as: I was able to talk with your panelists and get a summer internship. My six years old tweeted the female geologist all the way home to Sierra Vista, now she wants to be a geologist when she grows up… Hope you’re ready to be bugged all day by her. 😆

I am ASVD LVL 2 so college was out of reach for me but thanks to your track I’m able to continue learning about my favorite things, get book and paper recommendations, please never stop. I’m beyond career change but though your track I convinced my son to go back to school and get his degree in engineering. And so many more I can show you.

What were you like growing up?
I was such a logical kid. Drove my mom nuts, Dad figured it out quick. I just went to the Grinch dinner at the founder and I remembered this story: I was like 8 watching the Grinch probably like the 10th time (favorite Xmas movie till the end) and I turn to my Dad and ask him “wait daddy if his heart grew two sizes wouldn’t that kill him?” And my Dad without skipping a beat goes “well yes if he was a human, but you must remember, he’s a who-vian and whatever a Grinch is genetical. So perhaps they can sustain having their hearts grow and shrink.” I believe that is the moment I can say I was destined to become the bio scientist I became along with creating the science and education track at PFF. I need the logical answer to things, Dad had me watching Star Trek than Star Wars and reading sci-fi and fantasy and pondering just how could we do it in real life. I never could accept the “because I said so” answer.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.realtimesteam.org
• Email: Information@realtimesteam.org
• Instagram: RealTimeSTEAM
• Facebook: RealTimeSTEAM
• Twitter: RealTimeSTEAM

Image Credit:
All images were taken and provided by Eileen Kane

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