Daina Bouquin (Geneseo ’11), data operations and research manager for the National Parks Conservation Association and formerly Head Librarian for Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics will deliver the 2024 Phi Beta Kappa Lecture on Thursday, April 4, 3:30–4:30 p.m., in Newton 202. Admission is free and open to the public.

Metadata is a crucial foundation for the future and legacy of scientific research, enriching our understanding by providing necessary context. Without this context, many contributions and people risk being forgotten, their significance lost to history.

As we anticipate the upcoming eclipse, this talk encourages us to think about the unseen digital frameworks that allow us to comprehend the cosmos. It also reminds us that metadata carries weight—it is not neutral.

Through a blend of historical and contemporary case studies, this lecture will highlight the use of metadata to elevate the work of 19th and early 20th-century women astronomers and the development of citation practices for research software in modern astronomy. These examples demonstrate how robust, intentional metadata practices can reveal hidden narratives and ensure that credit is given where credit is due.