On National STEM Day this Thursday, Nov. 8, Dr. Adriana D. Briscoe will be posting on Twitter about butterflies – their colors, their visual systems and more.
As a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, the distinguished scientist will join other students, faculty and campus leaders from the nation’s colleges and universities who will be participating in the celebratory initiative aimed at inspiring individuals to explore and pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Across the higher education landscape, the day will feature events such as STEM symposiums, trainings and community activities that engage a variety of groups, including minorities and women.
“It’s important to me to provide a platform that allows our students to highlight the research they’ve been doing in their fields of interest,” said Dr. Heidi DiFrancesca, associate professor of biology at the University of Mary Harden-Baylor and event organizer for the university’s third annual National STEM Day Symposium. “It’s important to me to showcase our STEM disciplines.”
Opportunities like symposiums can serve as motivation for students and their peers to engage and explore more in the STEM areas that interest them, DiFrancesca said, adding that access to STEM opportunities can generate excitement and drive student retention and success in the fields.
Similarly, Briscoe sends her students out to science meetings and conferences to expose them to new scientific discoveries and also expand their awareness of the possibilities in the discipline.
“I think it’s really important for them to get out and get exposed to science from as many sources as possible,” she said. “Science isn’t just what’s going on in our labs.”
