Megan Arnett, PhD

Project manager, content developer and grant writer
Science Buddies Alumni

Dr. Megan Arnett was Grant Manager for Science Buddies. Megan shared her passion for using technology to facilitate STEM education at Science Buddies, working as a project manager, content developer and grant writer. In each role, Megan enjoyed sharing her love of science with the makers and creators of the next generation.

Megan received a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University, and a PhD in Neuroscience from University of Southern California, where she studied the biological processes that regulate perceptual learning and memory. While pursuing her PhD, Megan dedicated three days each week to working in a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) classroom as part of a National Science Foundation fellowship. In this role she created weekly lesson plans drawing on her expertise in social and biological sciences. Once the fellowship was complete Megan continued to work with LAUSD teachers as a curriculum consultant and classroom speaker.

Recent Projects

Scentsational Memories

STEM Activity

Did you know that approximately 2 million people in the United States have no sense of smell? Lack of smell is a disorder known as anosmia, and can be caused by damage to the nerves that transmit information from your nose to your brain. Our sense of smell serves an important purpose, we use it to distinguish between edible and inedible items in our lives, including fresh or rotten foods, and even particular toxins that have strong, unpleasant smells. In this activity you will test the scent… Read more

How Many Colors in a Rainbow?

STEM Activity

50 reviews

Have you seen a rainbow in the sky after a rain shower? How many colors were there? A rainbow is often described as having seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, but you might spot a rainbow and see fewer colors. Or you might see more than seven! It can be tricky to count the colors in a rainbow, because they all blend together so seamlessly. Want to see for yourself? In this activity you will explore the physics of light and create your own mini-rainbows. How many… Read more

Don’t Forget! Test and Trick Your Short Term Memory!

STEM Activity

1 review

If someone tells you to remember a phone number or address, it can feel like an easy task at first. You repeat the numbers to yourself, either aloud or in your mind. But after just a few seconds, you may find yourself starting to doubt your own memory. Was it 5-7 or 7-5? Our minds are always seeking new and useful information, and as a result, it will try to ‘throw away’ information that seems old or irrelevant, such as a random string of numbers or an address. However, there are… Read more

Paper Squawker

STEM Activity

9 reviews

Did you know that not all animals use their ears to ‘hear’ sounds? Snakes, for example, perceive sound waves through their jaw bones! And many insects perceive sound waves through their antennae. While these methods of detecting sound might be different, they all respond to the same thing that our ears do, which is sound waves in the environment. In this activity you will generate some impressive sound waves from very simple materials, and observe how these sound waves are… Read more

Create a Marshmallow Map of Your Microwave Oven!

STEM Activity

Have you ever bitten into a microwave burrito, and the first bite is scalding hot, whereas the second bite is still frozen? If you’ve experienced this, then you know that microwaves have hot and cold spots, which is why they usually have a rotating tray to ensure that your food is evening cooked. In this activity, you’ll use marshmallows to map out where the hot and cold spots are in your microwave. Get ready to heat things up! Read more

Freeze Your Fruit With Science!

STEM Activity

7 reviews

Pop Science Quiz: What happens to water when it reaches 0°C (32°F)? Answer: It freezes! But does water always freeze when it reaches 0°C (32°F)? Believe it or not, water can sometimes be cooled to temperatures below its freezing point and still remain liquid. In this state the water is supercool. How can this happen? In this activity you will create your own supercool water, and initiate its transition from liquid to solid. All while making a tasty snack! Read more

Hanging Around with Sound: Make Your Own Secret Bell!

STEM Activity

6 reviews

Have you ever tried making "walkie-talkies" using a long piece of string and two tin cans? If you have, you know that they work surprisingly well—at longer distances you can hear people better through the cans and string than you can through the air! In this activity we're going to use the same concepts to build a personal bell, one that makes sounds that only you can hear! Read more

VOILa! Experimenting with Light Refraction

STEM Activity

50 reviews

If you pour water into a clear glass, what color is it? It’s clear, right? But what happens if you try to look through it to see the world on the other side of the glass? It looks a little distorted, maybe a little fuzzier and uneven. If water is clear, why can’t we see through it clearly? The answer has to do with how light moves through water, glass, and other transparent materials. Just like when you try to run in a swimming pool, when light tries to move through water or glass,… Read more

Unlocking the Secrets of the Pinecone

STEM Activity

6 reviews

Depending on where you live, this time of year the ground might be covered in snow, ice, and most importantly – pinecones! We see pinecones everywhere during the winter, in wreaths, on trees, and in our yards, but did you know that pinecones have a vital job – they keep pine tree seeds safe, and protect them from the freezing temperatures during the winter! To protect their precious seeds, pinecones can close their ‘scales’ tightly, keeping out cold temperatures, winds,… Read more

Pass the Cranberry….Volcano!

STEM Activity

5 reviews

While you might enjoy cranberry sauce, if you’ve ever tasted a real cranberry you were probably surprised by the taste – definitely not as sweet as the sauce! Cranberries and cranberry juice are very tart to eat, but they can be delicious when combined with other ingredients (such as orange zest and sugar, or cranberry muffins!). Cranberries add tartness to these foods because they are acidic, similar to lemons or limes. Foods that are acidic will usually taste sour or tart,… Read more

More projects by Megan Arnett

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