NDSU graduate students will host an event to give local high school students and the community the opportunity to learn science concepts and see the breadth of scientific disciplines and career opportunities. 
 
The graduate students will lead interactive activities to show how science affects our lives and how science can solve problems, ranging from cleaning dirty clothes to feeding the world. 
 
The inaugural Avenues of Scientific Discovery is scheduled for Thursday, April 9.  Approximately 150 students from local high schools will participate in a morning session. The event will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Plains Room.
 
Activities will include using household materials to extract genetic material from a strawberry, tracking an infectious disease to identify the source, tasting common foods that need microorganisms to exist and many more.
 
“In order to engage students who are just starting to explore potential career opportunities, we’ve developed an interactive experience that showcases the impact of science in our lives and the different science paths that can be taken,” said Breanne Steffan, director of Avenues of Scientific Discovery and a doctoral student in the Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences. “This will be a fun and curiosity-driven experience for everyone who attends.”
 
Steffan and co-directors Kaitlin Dailey, a doctoral student in chemistry and biochemistry, and Elliott Welker, a doctoral student in genomics and bioinformatics, initiated and planned the event in partnership with NDSU’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education. 
 
NDSU students pursuing graduate degrees in animal sciences, biological sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, physics, public health, and veterinary and microbiological sciences will lead the activities. 
 
As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.