A Day of Science rally takes place downtown Saturday

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Everyone is a scientist. Just ask the folks at Rochester NY March for Science Inc.

“Kids hypothesize, ‘Is this food?’ Testing, they put it in their mouth. Conclusion, no, it’s not. And then repeat that,” explained Joey Lawson, a director of the local nonprofit that Saturday will hold its second annual A Day of Science event.

The annual event was started last year when Stephanie Gallant, who now serves as president of the local organization, posted on Facebook that she would like to mimic the national March for Science by rallying and marching here. With just two months of planning, Gallant had assembled 1,700 people to participate.

“We did it very last minute and it turned out really well,” Lawson recalled.

Lawson said the event, which begins with a rally at Martin Luther King Jr. Park and ends with a science expo at Rochester Riverside Hotel, is in response to a growing “anti-expert” trend.

“We want people to be able to trust scientists and we also want scientists to be able to be actively engaged in society,” he said. “It’s a very valuable aspect of our democracy.”

Many dollars are spent on scientific programs to develop knowledge, which is then transferred into things that better society through developments in health care and technology, Lawson offered. Those scientific advancements lead to new jobs and a better economy, he added.

“A better understanding of the world around us … improves society in so many ways,” Lawson said. “And we want people to really understand and celebrate that.”

The rally, which begins at noon April 14, will feature speakers such as Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren; state Assemblyman Harry Bronson, D-Rochester; City Council Vice President Adam McFadden; and Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at University of Rochester, among others.

Lawson said the group hopes to get as many marchers as last year and has some 60 vendors or booths set up at the expo. The event will include an exhibit on nuclear fusion that’s being developed here, as well as virtual reality exhibits, 3D printing, lasers and optics and satellite technology. Harris Corp. will be on hand recruiting for dozens of engineering jobs it hopes to fill.

March for Science sought to make the event friendly for all ages and has included playground science activities at the rally site and a scavenger hunt and other things at the expo.

Lawson said the group will continue to focus events on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) throughout the year. The group’s intent is to connect and engage scientists with the community.

“We want to be able to help the communication,” Lawson said. “We want to make it accessible to the wider public.”

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