Undergraduate Science Showcase

Not all COVID is Equal: Racial Disparities and Long COVID

Audience:  Families
Grades: 6+
Duration: 3 minutes

January 21, 2024 marks four years since the first reported COVID case in the United States. While vaccines and other medical advances have allowed many to move on, nine million Americans are still suffering with COVID-related health problems. Scientists are still learning about the condition called “Long COVID,” but one thing is certain: health disparities among racial minorities means Long COVID impacts people of color differently. Join U-M undergraduate Samantha Dell'Imperio—a research assistant at Michigan Medicine's Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center—to learn how Black adults have been impacted by Long COVID.

Samantha created this video as a part of the Science Engagement, Communication, and Outreach for Numerous Disciplines (SECOND) program, a partnership between UMMNH and MCDB.

Holding on For Love: How Frogs Embrace Amplexus to Claim a Mate

Audience: Teens and Adults (with a bonus for kids)
Grades: 9+
Duration: ~10 minutes

They say that "love is a battlefield" and in the animal kingdom the winner of that battle is usually the one who can hold on the longest. In frogs, the opportunity to reproduce goes to whomever can quite literally hold on to their mates. This "frog hug" is called amplexus and it can last for days or months in some species! Learn more about amplexus in this infographic designed by U-M undergraduates. 

Want to share the love? Check out the last page for a kid’s craft that you can do with a little one.

U-M students Ellie Ackerman, Gia Borely, Conner Jenkins, and Rachel Deacons created this infographic as part of Project MORPH!, a collaboration between the museum and Dr. Alison Davis Rabosky's herpetology class. Visit the new Research Highlights exhibit in the museum's Nature Investigate Lab to see more student projects and learn about the amazing things CT scans can teach us about reptiles and amphibians.

Tuatara and Their Third Eye

Audience:  Teens and Adults
Grades: 6+
Duration: 6 minutes

Perhaps you've heard of the "third eye" as a window to higher consciousness? But did you know that some reptiles have an actual third eye? You just can't see it because it is covered by skin or scales! That is, unless you have a CT scan of the reptile's head. In this video, herpetology student Zackery Faszczewski takes us into the fascinating world of New Zealand's tuatara.

Zackery Faszczewski created this video as part of Project MORPH! a collaboration between the museum and Dr. Alison Davis Rabosky's herpetology class in the U-M Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Visit the new Research Highlights exhibit in the museum's Nature Investigate Lab to see more student projects and learn about the amazing things CT scans can teach us about reptiles and amphibians.

Resistance: Cancer Meets Choreography

Audience:  Children, Family
Grades: 3+
Duration: 4 minutes

Samba, ballet, kabuki, salsa.....dance is a universal art form that can convey countless emotions. But what about dance and science? Science and art collide in undergraduate researcher Ritu Somayaji's project titled "Resistance." Ritu incorporates Indian classical dance and spoken word into a video about her research on cancer stem cells.

Ritu Somayaji is a rising junior studying Biochemistry. She is part of the Nör Lab and her research investigates cancer stem cells and their role in chemotherapy resistance. She loves to dance and has been dancing since the age of 6 in a style of Indian classical dance known as Bharatanatyam. Ritu shot and edited this video as part of the UROP-Research Scholars program.

A College Student's Guide to Sleep

Audience:  Teens, Adults
Grades: 9+
Duration: 5 minutes

We've all heard that sleep is important, especially for college students. But exactly how sleep deprived are we? And what can we do to make sleep a priority? Join Sara Spillman, U-M design student, for a data-driven sleep debrief featuring guidance from Michigan Medicine.

Sara Spillman ‘22, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, works across many mediums: photography, digital design, drawing, and sculpture. Sara created this infographic as part of ALA 270: Science Communication, a course taught by museum staff.

Delving into Fossils

Audience: Children, Family
Grades: 5+
Duration: 5 minutes 

Did you know not every fossil is completely removed from its surrounding rock? How do paleontologists still learn what lies beneath? Janel LaPalm teaches us about what techniques are used to explore fossilized remains.

Janel LaPalm is a third year student in the U-M Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. She is an avid hiker and outdoors person. She is interested in the Great Lakes and paleontology. Janel created this video as part of ALA 270: Science Communication, a course taught by museum staff.

Too Many Dam Problems

Audience: Teens, Adults
Grades: 9+
Duration: 4 minutes 

Growing up in the shadow of California's Matilija Dam, Luke Creger spent most of his life accepting dams as a part of the landscape. Inspired by the 2014 documentary DamNation, he set out to learn about the history of hydropower in the U.S. In this short video, Luke explains the environmental damage that dams do to endemic fish species, and how each of us can take action to restore ecosystems.

Luke Creger ‘21, BS, University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, is an avid fisherman who aspires to merge his interests to build a business that furthers sustainability and creates cleaner rivers. He created this video as part of ALA 270: Science Communication, a course taught by museum staff.

Acid Mine Drainage

Audience:  Teens, Adults
Grades: 9+
Duration: ~10 minutes

Hundreds of geese dead in the water? Rivers running orange? If this sounds like the premise of a horror movie, think again! These are just a few of the environmental impacts of poorly managed mining operations. Mining is necessary to power the modern world, but it can also have shocking consequences. Uncover the chemistry of acid mine drainage and learn what you can do to advocate for responsible mining.

Caleb Jelsma-Cale is a second-year student in the University of Michigan Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He is also a project lead for Woven Wind of BLUElab, a U-M student organization that designs and constructs wind turbines while also teaching about sustainability and renewable wind energy. Caleb first learned of acid mine drainage in his coursework and drew the connection between mining impacts and public policy.

Asthma and the Immune System

Ages: Children and Family
Grades: K-2, 3-5
Duration: ~15 minutes
Materials: Ruler, Exacto knife, Pop bottle w/ cap, drill, bendable straw, tape, hot glue, pipe cleaners, two water balloons, one regular balloon, scissors

Discovering new science can be like a breath of fresh air! But if you have asthma, taking a breath can be quite the challenge. Undergraduate researcher Molly Shea takes us on a deep dive into the science behind asthma. Whether you prefer to learn by doing a craft, listening to an expert, or playing an online game, Molly has something for you!

- Molly Shea is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and a researcher in the Lundy Lab.

El Fascinante Código del ADN

Ages: Children and Family
Grades: 3-5, 6-8
Duration: ~10 minutes
Materials: Twizzlers, gumdrops, toothpicks

Desde su descubrimiento en 1953, la estructura de doble hélice del ADN se ha vuelto icónica. Esa estructura es lo que permite que el ADN funcione. ¡Daria, una estudiante de biología en U-M, explica en español! Bono: ¡Hay dulces! 

Translation

The Fascinating DNA Code

Since its discovery in 1953, the double helix structure of DNA has become iconic. That structure is what allows DNA to function. U-M biology student Daria explains in Spanish! Bonus: There's candy involved! English subtitles.

- Daria Pyrozhenko is a senior in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology and Spanish (Dept. of Romance Languages and Literatures) and a researcher in the Dlugosz Lab.

Avoid Pain, Protect Your Brain

Neuroscience student Roksolana Sudyk works in a lab that studies the brain. Her clever comic will help you explore the role of special membranes that protect your brain. It’s eggcelent!

-Roksolana Sudyk: Junior in Neuroscience & Psychology and undergraduate researcher in the Parent Laboratory

Proteins and Their Structures

No paparazzi, please! Why does U-M biology student Benjamin Moy take so many pictures of proteins? Learn about proteins and the tools scientists use to capture their close-ups.

-Benjamin Moy: Graduating Senior in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and undergraduate researcher in the Nandakumar Lab and incoming medical school student.

Science in the Dark

Do science in the dark! Learn about fluorescence from biology student Emily Rozich and make your flowers glow.

-Emily Rozich: Senior in Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Science and undergraduate researcher in the Buttitta Lab

Did you know teeth can talk?

If teeth could talk, what would they say? Would they tell everyone what you ate for lunch? They might. But teeth can tell us much, much more - especially in the fossil record.

Allison Lacy and Ashleigh Kilgore created this infographic for BIO 173, an introductory biology lab class at the University of Michigan. Using UMMNH exhibits as inspiration, BIO 173 students created comics and infographics to share foundational concepts in evolution with museum audiences.

The Life of a Superworm: FMO-1 as a regulator of lifespan in C. elegans

We all want to live a longer life, but how do our diets and genes play a role in longevity? Tiny worms called C. elegans might hold the answer. Join U-M undergraduate researcher Moyang Xu from the Leiser Lab in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology as she shares what she has learned from her small but mighty friends.

Moyang created this video as a part of the Science Engagement, Communication, and Outreach for Numerous Disciplines (SECOND) program in science communication.

The Case of Convergence

Audience: Children, Family
Grades: 3-5
Duration: 7 minutes

Bats, dragonflies, and pterosaurs, oh my! While these animals are very different, they all share a common feature: wings. Do you ever wonder how that happened? The answer is convergence! This infographic explains how different species that are not closely related end up sharing similar traits.

Tanvi Ravi, Michelle Tong, and Lily Scaife created this infographic for BIO 173, an introductory biology lab class. Using UMMNH exhibits as inspiration, BIO 173 students created comics and infographics to share foundational concepts in evolution with museum audiences.

Laws of Succession

Audience: Children and Family
Grades: 3-5 +
Duration: 5-minute readWhat can pizza teach us about the study of evolution? Sit down with a slice and find out in this infographic about the Law of Succession.

James Schultz, Nikita Khanna, and Hannah Willingham created this infographic in BIO 173, an undergraduate biology lab at the University of Michigan. Using UMMNH exhibits as inspiration, BIO 173 students created comics and infographics to share foundational concepts in evolution with museum audiences.

Sexual Dimorphism for Kids!

Audience: Children, Family
Grades: K-2+
Duration: 2 minutes

Why do some peacocks have a colorful display, while others are simply brown and gray? Who are the lions with bushy manes? Why don't males and females always look the same? Find out with this fun infographic about sexual dimorphism, an important concept in natural selection that helps a species mate and survive in its environment.

Kaitlyn Ziegele, Emma Suh, and Indira Sankaran created this infographic for BIO 173, an introductory biology lab class. Using UMMNH exhibits as inspiration, BIO 173 students created comics and infographics to share foundational concepts in evolution with museum audiences.

Beyond Battery Basics

Audience:  Teens and Adults
Grades: 9+
Duration: ~5 minutes

Plugging in your phone or laptop to charge is just part of the daily routine for most of us. But how does the battery in your device actually work? Join undergraduate researcher Charlie Cappelletti for some battery basics and learn about the chemistry behind this common, but fascinating everyday object.

Charlie Cappelletti is a second-year student majoring in Industrial & Operations Engineering. His research focuses on nanopowder materials and lithium-ion battery cells. Charlie is passionate about working on sustainable technologies and systems that can empower us to decelerate human contributions to global warming. He created this video as part of a summer science communication workshop run by museum staff, MCDB Horizons, and Michigan Research and Discovery Scholars programs.

Navigating Your Neurons: A Look Inside a Neuroscience Research Lab

Audience:  Teens and Adults
Grades: 6-8, 9-12+
Duration: 10-minute watch

Recent graduate Monica E. Mesecar works in the Jenkins Lab at the U-M Department of Pharmacology. In this video you can go behind the scenes! Meet Monica, tour her research lab, and learn about the groundbreaking work that happens there. She created this video as a part of the Science Engagement, Communication, and Outreach for Numerous Disciplines (SECOND) program, a partnership between UMMNH and MCDB.