This past Saturday, members of the Department of Integrative Immunobiology volunteered at the 36th annual North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair (NCSEF). The event was organized by the IIB Volunteer Committee, headed up by grad students Miranda Lumbreras and Skye Tracey.
The science fair saw hundreds of elementary, middle, and high school students from across the state compete with their science projects. The event aimed to foster student engagement with the scientific process.
First year graduate students Yu-Ming Li and Alex Ditmar served as elementary and junior judges, respectively. They interviewed students, evaluated dozens of scientific projects, and eventually selected winners.
Shinohara Lab Manager Emily Wert helped sell t-shirts, hand out lunch tickets, answer parents' questions, and input awards data for the final ceremony.
Miranda (co-chair) and Skye (co-chair) were determined to revive the committee this year (it had regrettably dissolved during the pandemic), as they both share a deep passion for fostering community through collective action. At the start of the year, they researched local volunteer opportunities and made an academic year plan on what events they wanted to participate in. Other members include Alex Dittmar and Yu-Ming.
If your organization is interested in working with the IIB Volunteer Committee, you can contact Miranda Lumbreras via email.