UB is on spring break March 16-20, but don’t expect campus to be quiet — especially on March 18.

That’s the day nearly 850 high school students from across Western New York will be on the North Campus for the 33rd annual Science Exploration Day, a daylong program of workshops, demonstrations and laboratory tours.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at sites across campus.

Science Exploration Day brings scientists, engineers and health care professionals to campus to offer students a real-world glimpse at how science can impact the world. Presentations, tours and activities are led by UB science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) researchers, as well as representatives from local organizations, including New York State Sea Grant, SUNY Erie, National Grid, AECOM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The National Weather Service and Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center.

“It’s an honor to share the depth of UB’s STEMM resources with students from across the region who are beginning to imagine their own futures,” says Allison Brashear, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “By opening our labs and classrooms for this hands-on day of exploration, we hope to spark curiosity and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and health care professionals.”

The seminars are designed for a hands-on, accessible experience on popular science topics, including:

• Robotics.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Working with microorganisms.
• Touring UB chemistry, biology and engineering labs.
• Exploring fluorescent minerals.
• Exploring gross anatomy.
• Flower dissection to study evolutionary biology.
• Studying human genetics through a pedigree chart.
• Studying lake effect beyond winter snow.

Founded over 30 years ago by the late Rod Doran, a professor emeritus in the Graduate School of Education, Science Exploration Day promotes interest and thoughtful engagement in science, engineering and medicine fields among high school students.

Sponsors include, Hospice Buffalo, the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences, Business and Entrepreneur Partnership’s Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics; M&T Bank; and the office of Outreach and Community Engagement in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.