Texas, USA (CU)_ It was just a few hundred feet away from the busy Lexington traffic, but it felt like a world apart as students searched for biodiversity throughout the University of Kentucky’s landscape. Students were participating in this activity as part of an Introduction to Biotechnology session. The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment seminar delves into lesser-known career options in the sciences as well as tells why science is so enjoyable.
Nick Teets, associate professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky who led the outdoor workout, expressed his interest towards biology. He said, “I’m a lab scientist and spend most of my time in the lab. It’s really good to get outside, so I can be reminded why I got interested in biology in the first place”.
Teets works along with his co-workers namely, Lou Hirsch, an associate professor of plant pathology, and Kendall Corbin, a horticulture assistant professor. The class is completely composed of freshers studying agricultural and medical biotechnology. The professors wish the class to be an effective means to provide students with practical experiences in science and introduce them to guest lecturers from various scientific fields from around campus.
McKenna Walker, a Lexington freshman remarked, “We had a talk on contagions. In another class, Dr. Hirsch discussed edible fungi, and we got to eat some things in class. It was really yummy. We have also done some cohort activities with our peers, and it has made it seem like you are a lot less alone.”
Teets’ tiny bioblitz aimed to increase students’ awareness of their environmental surroundings. Students discovered bees, moths, minnows, spiders, flies, wasps, and fruit throughout the practice. They returned a few of the critters to the classroom to examine them more carefully using a microscope that was connected to a giant screen. Teets spoke about practical learning. He said, “We want the students to touch, smell, see and hold things our guest speakers are talking about as opposed to just sitting in their chairs and listening to a lecture. There is a whole other world out there that students don’t always think about or see as they breeze past on their way to class.”
Each student demonstrates a strong interest in science. Most of them wish to pursue careers in medicine or as research scientists. Yanna White, a freshman from Indianapolis who plans to major in fungal biology, entomology, or seed development, expressed his desire to study bio courses. He said, “I have always been interested in engineering and bettering the environment and making more sustainable agriculture, so ABT was the perfect program for me”. He added, “I believe with the things I’m learning in this class that I really do have a step up compared to other people that didn’t come to UK and take the ABT program.”
