The Force Behind 'WaveLengths'
Pamela K. White is a content producer for Arizona Public Media.
A greater public awareness about the field of science is increasingly important given the increased focus on science across the nation at a time of decreased federal funding supporting the sciences.
That is the opinion of Pamela K. White, a veteran reporter with Arizona Public Media, the media organization operated by The University of Arizona.
White is the producer of the organization’s new television series, "WaveLengths,” which investigates issues related to skin cancer, the growth of rice, mosquito control and space exploration, among other topics.
The show premieres on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on KUAT Channel 6.
“I hope it’s the first of many to come,” said White, a content producer for Arizona Public Media, formerly known as KUAT, who has worked for the organization for more than 15 years.
“These are huge issues,” she added, saying that she chose the title for the series because it seemed most in tune with the underlying message of communication and scientific research.
As a student at the UA, White studied radio and television and, in 1981, earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. A former television reporter and producer in Tucson, she has spent her years with the UA’s media group reporting on topics related to health and science, including planetary science, astronomy, agriculture, optical sciences and health sciences. She won a Rocky Mountain Emmy Award in the 1990s for “When the Dust Settles," a documentary about the life of female rodeo photographer Louise Serpa.
Her new show is intended to give the public a better understanding not only about the world around them, but of the science borne out of the UA that, in many cases, influences their lives. At its core, each segment in the series is about how UA research is making positive and important impacts locally and around the world.
“There is so much going on in our backyard and a lot of it is making headlines in The New York Times, but a lot of people living here in Tucson aren’t aware of the cutting-edge work that is going on,” White said.
The half-hour television series will air through the rest of the summer.
Vicki Chandler, a planetary sciences professor and the BIO5 Institute director, hosts the series and narrates each of the science specials during the first episode. They are:
- “Super Green Rice” with plant scientist Rod Wing, who is a BIO5 Institute member and is working with Chinese experts to develop a “super” rice, ensuring that generating food for people is compatible with the environment.
- “Hubble’s Successor” talks to astronomer Marcia Reike, who is working to develop an infrared camera that will be the eyes for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
- “Mosquito Control” features molecular biophysicist Roger Miesfeld, also a BIO5 Institute member, who talks about malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases and unique approaches in controlling the insects.
- Elaine and Myron Jacobson, a husband and wife research team who are both BIO5 Institute members, talk about the drug they are working to develop to prevent skin cancer in the segment titled “Skin Cancer Prevention.” Elaine Jacobson is a pharmacology and toxicology professor. Myron Jacobson is a professor of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology and also an Arizona Cancer Center researcher.
- In “Valley Fever Cure,” John Galgiani, The Valley Fever Center for Excellence director and a BIO5 Institute member, talks about his research on the potentially fatal disease and reasons why he believes a cure may be close.
- “The Genographic Project” is a major scientific effort to look at the migratory history of humans by analyzing DNA samples of hundreds of thousands of people. The Genographic Project is a collaborative effort between the National Geographic Society and IBM, of which the University of Arizona’s Human Origins Genotyping Laboratory provides all public testing services and all are invited can participate. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/genographic.
White produced the program along with Daniel Duncan, a videographer, director and producer.
She said that since she and Duncan filmed and edited the segments, many of the issues in the series have become increasingly significant, which is the case with the skin cancer and rice research research. White also noted that Tucson is only second to Perth, Australia, in the rate of skin cancer.
“People have to vote, and they have to decide where these research dollars are going to go,” White said.
“Our future is in solving some of these problems,” she added. “The better informed, the better people will be able to make some of these decisions and prioritize what we need to do in order to sustain the planet, ourselves and our survival.”