Saturday Morning Science

Mizzou's popular Saturday Morning Science events aren't your typical science lectures. Expect to be entertained, see demonstrations, learn a lot – and best of all – you'll want to come back for more. 

Saturday Morning Science is free and open to the public. No science background is required, and all ages are welcome. 

All events are held on campus at 10 a.m. in Room 171, Bond Life Sciences Center.

Cancellations due to inclement weather will be posted here and on our Facebook page.
 

Fall 2025 Schedule

September 20

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Fast times on the high seas: Tracking the world’s fastest shark

Dr. Michael Byrne 
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology, MU School of Natural Resources

Shortfin mako sharks are the fastest shark in the world. Professor Byrne will talk about how they track highly migratory sharks in the open ocean, conservation issues facing the species, and what they have learned about where these sharks do (and do not) travel.

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About the Speaker: 
Michael Byrne is a wildlife biologist that studies a broad range of critters, from wolves and wild turkeys to raptors and sharks. His primary research interests are animal movements and habitat use. Much of his lab’s research involves tagging animals and tracking their movements, whether that be within a patch of woods or across the Pacific Ocean. He teaches wildlife management and ornithology at Mizzou, but when not researching or teaching, he can be found visiting the ocean, listening to punk rock, or bird watching.
 

October 4

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Herptile Hotspot: Discovering Herpetofauna in Missouri

Claire Hanstein
Mizzou Herpetology Club

Missouri is home to 118 known species of reptiles and amphibians but threats continue to face these animals nationally. Presenter Claire Hanstein will provide guidance on how easy habits can lead to a thriving natural environment. An opportunity for all ages to interact hands-on with an ambassador rosy boa will be provided.

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About the Speaker: 
Claire Hanstein is an undergraduate student at Mizzou majoring in biology with a minor in captive wild animal management and plans to continue on the pre-veterinary track. She currently works in the MU Stress Physiology lab as a research assistant and hopes to study native Missouri herpetofauna. She has a strong passion for educating communities about the benefits of native species and the holistic approach to conservation.
 

November 8

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Water Quality and Watersheds 

Crystal Rein, Tabitha Gatts-Hendricks, and Garrett Frandson, Missouri Department of Natural Resources 

Join us as we answer questions like, “what is water quality?”, “What is a watershed?” and “Why is it important that we keep our watersheds healthy?”

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About the Speakers: 
Crystal Rein graduated from Columbia College with a BA in General Studies, Concentration in Education and Psychology. After several years of leading an elementary classroom, her career meandered into managing staff and volunteers at the local Columbia Farmers Market to the Research Specialist at the University of Missouri Limnology Lab. After deeply contemplating her love for the outdoors and her desire to protect Missouri waterways, Crystal decided to return to undergraduate life by receiving an Environmental Science - Water degree at the University of Missouri in 2023. Having joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in July of 2024, Crystal learns something new about Missouri waterways each and every day. Her hobbies include canoeing, hiking, traveling, overlanding and growing her skills at fly fishing. 
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Tabitha Gatts-Hendricks grew up in Moberly, Missouri, with 3 siblings and they would spend many weekends at state parks camping, boating, fishing, and 4-wheeling. She came from a home-schooling family that taught her the beauty of self-guided learning and creating her own at-home science experiments.  

Continuing the path of learning and the outdoors, she graduated from the University of Missouri with her degree in Environmental Science and then worked for the MU Limnology Lab as a field and lab technician. She spent many hours on lakes and streams sampling for physical and chemical parameters and macroinvertebrates, and in the lab analyzing for nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations. This experience taught her the great value of the water resources that we as humanity get to steward and protect. She works for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources assisting the Missouri Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring (VWQM) program by helping process and review VWQM data and develop and teach workshops.
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Garrett Frandson earned a B.S. from the University of Central Arkansas in Applied Mathematics & Physics and an M.S. from the University of Missouri in Water Resources. That same question, in addition to formative experiences conducting research in stream ecology labs and field work with the Flathead Lake Biological Station in Montana and Northern Arizona University in Alaska, influenced his change of career paths from astrophysics to stream ecology. 

Garrett joined Missouri DNR in 2021, focusing on monitoring streams, data analysis, and water quality assessments.

Parking

Although parking isn't available next to the Bond Life Sciences Center, there is nearby metered parking: 

• Along Hitt Street (pink lines).
• In lot behind the MU Student Center.
• In Virginia Avenue Parking Garage (not pictured).

For a more details, visit the Mizzou Campus Map.

Questions? 

Please contact us for more information about Saturday Morning Science.