Leonardo DaVinci once said, “To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science” - to him, the two were intricately intertwined and informed and enhanced the other. Two disciplines that are normally treated as the antithesis of each other, we at ‘Inside Biotech’ were ready to take a deep dive into this matter - we had the great pleasure to sit down with Rita Blaik, Director of Education at CNSI at UCLA, to learn about how she is taking taking Da Vinci’s words to heart. Come along with us on a colorful journey on the second episode of BCLA’s Inside Biotech, Series 3: the A in STEAM, Art and Design in Biotech.
Rita Blaik is a multidisciplinary scientist and artist based in Los Angeles, California. Her life's goal is to find new and innovative ways of communicating science to people through interactive discussions, art, and other media. Since 2009 she has been an instructor for the Sci|Art Nanolab and from 2011-2012, was the Art|Sci Center Networking Outreach Coordinator. She had her first solo exhibition at the Art|Sci Center, Altered States, in Fall 2012. Rita received her PhD in Materials Science & Engineering at UCLA. She is a proud fellow of the NSF IGERT Clean Energy for Green Industry fellowship and works with Professor Bruce Dunn on biological fuel cell systems and architectures. You can learn more about her incredible work here: https://ritablaik.com