Media Advisory: Hawk Creek animals and Guiding Eyes pet join the legendary ‘frozen banana’ as ‘Cool Science’ returns to UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Newcomers including animal ambassadors from Hawk Creek Wildlife Center and tales of the return of wolves in Yellowstone National Park join the ever-popular “cryogenic banana” at this year’s Science Exploration Day, the University at Buffalo’s “Cool Science” festival.

When: Students register beginning at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 18. The sessions begin at 9:15 a.m. and continue throughout the day until 1:05 p.m.

Where: The lower level of Capen Hall, on UB’s North Campus, is where the students and teachers “check in.”  All the “Cool Science” festivities take place in nearby buildings.

What: The annual Science Exploration Day, with its offbeat and hands-on demonstrations, offers eye-catching photo opportunities or animated video possibilities. More than 1,200 of the most-promising high school science students from the more than 40 local schools that have signed up to attend.

Best Bets: The familiar frozen bananas always attract a crowd. But the also-traditional and unapologetic “gross anatomy” class is sure to elicit reactions.  Other attention-attracting exhibits include animal guests from Hawk Creek Wildlife Center (along with a flight simulation to illustrate the abilities of birds of prey), visits to the UB Earthquake Simulation Laboratory, a driving simulator and the opportunity to crawl inside a portable STAR LAB planetarium.

The schedule also features hands-on programs on the coral reef ecosystem, how scientists use Luiminol to solve crimes , a presentation on sexually transmitted diseases called “The Gift That Keeps Giving” and a Guiding Eyes Dog to help teach students how to care for four-legged friends.

Traffic-controlling teachers in Capen and the hallways will direct students to the right building and room for their assigned sessions.

Why: This is the 29th year students will travel as far as two hours each way to UB for an up-close-and-personal experience with weird and wonderful science research. Many of the most promising and imaginative students in local high schools attend will attend.

Careers for many of these students will involve skills and concepts from the STEM world – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  On this day, the students will get to see and listen to current professionals as they share what employs and excites them.

“This year’s lineup is just as exciting as ever,” said Rodney Doran, professor emeritus in the Department of Learning and Instruction in UB’s Graduate School of Education, who has been on the organizing committee since the event began in the mid-1980s.

“The eager and enthusiastic students make all of us excited.  The core of presenters is a fine reflection on the high level of science professionals in Western New York and at UB.  The enrollment this year is an all-time high.”

See full details of this year’s event at: http://www.scienceexplorationday.com/files/documents/SED_Booklet_15-F.pdf.