Minnesota STEM News and Events, April 2021

Minnesota STEM News
Environmental Science: 'Forever chemicals' discovered in groundwater at numerous Minnesota landfills.

Physiology: Researchers at UMN Medical School study role of disease-driving B cells in the development of fatty liver disease.

Limnology: Duluth's Natural Resources Research Institute scientist studies genomics of algal blooms to asses their potential for toxin production.

Meteorology: Researchers predict that warmer winters will likely result in continuing low ice years on Lake Superior.

Wildlife Biology: Scientists use GPS to track wolf's journey from Isle Royal through northern Minnesota and southern Ontario.

Biomedical Engineering: UMN-Twin Cities researchers develop heart valves that can grow with the recipient.

Invasive Species: February cold snap may have aided Minnesota's fight against emerald ash borer.

Climate Change: MPR podcast summarizes how climate change may affect walleye.

Public Health: UMN-Twin Cities professor measures the impact of structural racism in Minnesota communities.

Earth Science: UMN-Duluth researcher analyzes the primary cause of changes in Atlantic hurricane patterns.

Over 300 Students Compete in State Science Fair
Students from 55 schools across Minnesota competed in the 84th annual State Science & Engineering Fair (SSEF) from March 23-30. Forty companies and organizations, including Seagate, Ecolab, and the Broadcom Foundation awarded nearly $23,000 in cash prizes as well as other valuable awards. “If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us, it is how critically important science is. When students participate in the SSEF, they are gaining real-world experience in developing questions and researching solutions to important problems in their communities,” noted MAS Executive Director Lara Maupin.
SSEF Recap

Dr. Jim Maher to Deliver Winchell Keynote
Undergraduate students and judges at the upcoming Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium (WURS) will hear Dr. Jim Maher deliver a keynote address focusing on mitochondria titled 'The Dangers of Driving with a Broken Engine.' Dr. Maher is the Professor Bernard Pollack Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Director at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Six Students Advance to National JSHS
Of more than eighty total participants, six students from North Dakota and Minnesota will represent our region in the virtual 2021 National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS). This year, JSHS students researched engineering cost-effective ventilators, detecting astronomical dwarfs, and breaking down plastic. “We are extremely proud of the students who participated in JSHS this year for showing extraordinary commitment to their research projects,” said program director Sara Gomez. “We would also like to commend their teachers and parents for encouraging engagement in STEM during such a challenging school year.”
JSHS Recap

MAS Debuts Minnesota STEM Map
The Minnesota STEM map offers information about a variety of statewide institutions, including museums, zoos, wildlife centers, nature centers and state parks. The map is intended to inform the public about STEM institutions with services available in their communities. The map provides detailed information about the types of institutions, hours, admission cost, target audience and more, as well as contact information and website links for users to easily access further information. Thanks to our amazing intern, Joey Kyle Stickels, from Hamline University for creating this fantastic resource!

Seagate Rising Star Awards
Judges at the State Science and Engineering Fair awarded two Rochester students prestigious Seagate Rising Star Awards. Christine Song, a sophomore at Mayo High School, won the high school award for her project, Cure of Breast Cancer - Year 4: First Discovery of New Target Therapy for Aggressive Hormonal Breast Cancer using Clinical Database and 3D Model. Annika Bartucz, an eighth-grader at Kellogg Middle School, won the middle school award for her project, Airfoil Efficiency. Seagate representative Nikki Shaffer announced the winners at the live March 30 award ceremony, remarking “we need the best and brightest students, students like you, to help shape the future of this country.”

2021 MAS Annual Meeting
Minnesota Academy of Science members and the public are invited to our virtual Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 24 from 12-12:45 pm. The annual meeting will feature a talk on STEM in K-12 Education from Minnesota Department of Education science specialists and MAS updates from executive director Lara Maupin. Participants are invited to attend the concurrent virtual Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium featuring a keynote address by Professor Jim Maher of the Mayo Clinic. Members may attend these events free of charge (tickets are available for $50 to the general public), please register by April 17. If you haven't joined yet, become a member today - until June 30, 2021 MAS volunteers can become members for only $40!

Summer STEM Fun and Learning!
Attention students - there's still time to find a great Minnesota summer STEM program! Check out the Innovation Camp or Renewable Energy Camp at Hamline University. Many organizations are still enrolling for both virtual and in-person summer camps.

MN STEM Spotlight: Pesky Plant Tracker
Pesky Plant Trackers invites citizen scientists to make consistent, repeated observations of either wild parsnip or Japanese knotweed. First, explore resources to find out if wild parsnip or Japanese knotweed grow in your area. After locating a wild parsnip or Japanese knotweed plant that's convenient for you to observe, make observations using Nature's Notebook. Free training is available.

Upcoming STEM Events
'On Water' Exhibit, Rochester Art Center, ongoing until June 6

Virtual Educator Forum, STEM Forward, April 14

Minnesota's Bison Conservation Program at Oxbow Park, Friends of Whitewater State Park, April 14

University-Tribal Partnerships to Support Sovereignty and Environmental Justice, Bell Museum, April 14

Monarch Hour with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of the Minnesota Valley Refuge, April 15

Computer Science for Every Student, Code.org, April 15

Rewilding Lakeshores in Minnesota, UMN Extension, April 15

Disparities in COVID-19 — Social Justice, Policy, and Ethical Considerations in Vaccinating the U.S. Population, UMN School of Public Health, April 16

Spring Conference, Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics, April 16-17

My Mighty Journey Book Reading with Author John Coy, Wilderness Inquiry, April 17

Signs of Spring, Carpenter Nature Center, April 17

A Conversation with Climate Scientist Dr. Terry Root, Bell Museum, April 19