Partner Webinar: Leading Safe Science Programs: From Intention to Infrastructure (Flinn Scientific)

Platinum Level Partner: Flinn Scientific 

Webinar Description

Hands-on science is essential for student learning, yet it carries hidden risks that individual judgment alone cannot manage. This webinar, featuring Dr. Mike Marvel, explores why "feeling safe" is often a dangerous illusion.

Participants will learn to move beyond informal protocols toward a shared, district-wide safety infrastructure that reduces liability and prevents catastrophic lab incidents. Join us to transform your science program from a collection of individual habits into a documented, reliable system of care.

Key Takeaways

• Systems Over Habits: Replace inconsistent individual judgment with a shared hazard-analysis framework to ensure safety remains constant regardless of who is teaching.
• The Illusion of Safety: Recognize that years of incident-free labs do not guarantee future safety; formal systems are required to manage rare, high-impact risks.
• Structural Accountability: Effective safety is a managed system requiring named ownership, documented expectations, and regular reinforcement

Presenter Bio

Dr. Mike Marvel leads the science team at Flinn Scientific, where he oversees the development of laboratory manuals, online courseware, and professional development programs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Connecticut College and a Ph.D. in inorganic and solid-state chemistry from Northwestern University.

Prior to his role at Flinn, Mike served as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Aurora University, leading undergraduate research funded by the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society. He has authored 13 peer-reviewed manuscripts on topics ranging from science lab pedagogy to solid-state metal oxides. Mike is dedicated to strengthening safety protocols through explicit hazard analysis and a "safety by design" philosophy.