March 5, 2026
Photos by Ben Stewart
Six hundred people engaged with University of Missouri faculty, staff and students on Feb. 28 during the Columbia Young Scientists Fair and Expo.
This is the seventh year for the popular event, which connects K-12 youth and families with science and technology research found on the Mizzou campus and science from community partners. It is a signature program of The Connector, a department in both the Division of Research, Innovation and Impact and MU Extension.
"We host the Expo to connect Missouri families to the University of Missouri and is researchers through authentic hands-on STEM learning experiences," said Christal Huber, senior programming coordinator. "As a result, we also provide a resource for faculty and students to practice communicating their research with the public."
This year's event was held on two floors of Memorial Union and included 30 stations with demonstrations, experiments and fun activities. Children learned about Missouri mammals, physics, archaeology, disease detection, chromatography, fossils, water, the brain, plant ecology, insects, maps, engineering with liquid-like solids and so much more.
The Expo also included a Lego learning lab, an area with design challenges created in partnership with The Magic House St. Louis Children's Museum and a manipulator arm model from the MU Research Reactor. Scroll to see more photos and a list of faculty, staff and student organizers who participated this year.
Primary organizers of hands-on learning activities:
- Rachel Alvarez, biological science technician, Columbia Environmental Research Center
- Casey Bennett, graduate student, geological sciences
- Luke Bowles, doctoral student, biological sciences
- Taylor Brown, scientist, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing
- Jeff Chalfant, assistant teaching professor and 4H state specialist in STEM
- Melanie Cohen, research assistant and graduate student, School of Natural Resources
- Marissa Contreras, animal sciences student and member of the campus Herpetological Society
- Madeline Cox, community education assistant, Missouri Department of Conservation
- Rebecca deGraffenried, assistant professor, geological sciences
- Robin Dianics, associate director, research administration, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center
- Whitney Goodwin, adjunct research associate in anthropology and senior research specialist Archaeometry Laboratory MU Research Reactor
- Anthony Griffiths, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology and director, Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research
- Aída Guhlincozzi, assistant professor, geography
- Nisha Handa, assistant teaching professor, chemistry
- Gerhard Hildebrandt, professor of medicine Nellie B. Smith Endowed Chair of Oncology and Division Chief Hematology and Medical Oncology School of Medicine
- Casey Holliday, associate professor, pathology and anatomical sciences
- Sarah Jacquet, assistant professor, geological sciences
- Lily Landre, research assistant Althoff Lab and graduate student, plant insect and microbial sciences
- Chloe Lukasik, research specialist, psychological sciences
- Victoria Mesz, undergraduate, mechanical engineering
- Cadence Mitchell, electrical engineering student
- Christopher O’Bryan, assistant professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering
- Uriah L. Orland, director of communications, MU Research Reactor
- Caitlyn Pallas, doctoral candidate, archaeology
- Smita Saxena, professor, physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Pam Smith, business support specialist II, physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Sarah Smith, manager, MU Aquatic Ecology Lab, School of Natural Resources
- Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen, associate professor, human development and family science
- Alese Thompson, director, College of Health Sciences programs in medical laboratory science and clinical and diagnostic sciences
- Fang Wang, associate teaching professor and director of undergraduate studies, College of Engineering
- Ryan Watson, director of outreach and logistics, Missouri Biotechnology Association MOBIO
- Yun Zhang, teaching professor, physics and astronomy
- Peifen Zhu, assistant professor, electrical engineering and computer science