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Throughout the week of Nov. 18, students across Maine eagerly participated in the 9th annual Maine Bioscience Day, a statewide initiative organized by the Bioscience Association of Maine. Volunteers from the ����ֱ��, including faculty, professional staff, and students, were key contributors to this year’s activities at Saco Middle School.

The event aims to ignite excitement for life sciences among students and raise awareness about the career opportunities available in Maine’s vibrant bioscience industry. ������’s participation exemplified its commitment to fostering a love for science and inspiring the next generation of researchers.

������’s volunteers included Ben Harrison, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in ������’s College of Osteopathic Medicine; Sarah Porter, Becker lab technician; Talia Lizotte, B.S., Becker lab manager; Katelyn Wadland, M.S., In Vitro Analytical Core manager; and Eliz Bean, Cao Laboratory manager. 

They were joined by ����ֱ�� students Mo Peters (Neuroscience, ’25), Dalton Canonico (D.O., ’27), and Olivia Dunleavy (Laboratory Sciences, ’27). The group presented interactive activities designed to engage seventh-grade students with concepts in neuroscience and sensory adaptation.

������’s Center for Excellence in the Neuroscience also provided materials for the visit.

Activities included “supertaster” tests, where students discovered if they had heightened sensitivity to certain bitter compounds, and visual-motor adaptation challenges using goggles that flipped or shifted their vision. These exercises allowed the middle schoolers to explore how their brains and senses adapt to changing environments.

Several ����ֱ�� volunteers shared how their own passion for science was ignited during middle school. Porter and Harrison recounted similar events from their youth and expressed gratitude for the chance to "pass on the torch" to a new generation.

Bean, who managed ������’s volunteer efforts, highlighted the importance of outreach programs like Maine Bioscience Day. 

“I was glad that ����ֱ�� had the opportunity to help support science in the local school system and give the students a chance to try out some fun science activities that are not normally in the seventh-grade curriculum,” Bean said. “We hope that these students will see that science can be really fun and more interesting than what they might have expected.”

Dunleavy echoed Bean’s sentiment.

“It was great to see that the kids were trying to learn how things worked as we showed them the activities. They all seemed interested in learning more about how their senses work and adjust to different situations,” she said.

Beyond engaging the students, the ����ֱ�� participants found the event to be a meaningful experience. For Bean, seeing the ����ֱ�� students step into the role of “experts” showcased their ability to tackle social and medical issues and make a difference in the world.

“I think (the event) really underscored how (our students) are preparing to become scientists who will impact peoples’ lives, and this was a great opportunity for them to realize that,” she said.