{"id":35150,"date":"2026-02-27T12:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T17:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=35150"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:42:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T21:42:33","slug":"college-of-sciences-inspires-curiosity-at-spark-stem-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/college-of-sciences-inspires-curiosity-at-spark-stem-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"College of Sciences Inspires Curiosity\u00a0at\u00a0Spark STEM Fest\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Through&nbsp;hands-on&nbsp;activities&nbsp;and demos, the College of Sciences connected its research with the Central Florida Community.&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Written by: Ryan Fox | Published:&nbsp;February&nbsp;27,&nbsp;2026&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455-1024x683.png\" alt=\"A dinosaur skeleton holds a &quot;Spark STEM Fest&quot; sign in its mouth inside an exhibition space with blue lighting.\" class=\"wp-image-35151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455-299x199.png 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03455.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Innovation met curiosity as the College of Sciences (COS) engaged future scientists, alumni, and the Central Florida community at Spark STEM Fest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Presented by the UCF Office of&nbsp;Research,&nbsp;Spark STEM Fest is an annual celebration&nbsp;of technology&nbsp;and innovation&nbsp;held at&nbsp;the Orlando Science Center&nbsp;to inspire&nbsp;future generations&nbsp;of&nbsp;scientists.&nbsp;The event brings together researchers, students and community members for hands-on exhibits and demonstrations designed to showcase real-world discovery and inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. Through these experiences, attendees explored a variety of scientific fields and gained a deeper understanding of how research shapes the world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COS&nbsp;brought seven different&nbsp;exhibits over the&nbsp;three-day&nbsp;event,&nbsp;showcasing&nbsp;research&nbsp;across both physical and social&nbsp;sciences.&nbsp;This&nbsp;variety of exhibits&nbsp;demonstrated&nbsp;that science comes in many different forms while still being fun and engaging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kicking off the weekend was Associate Professor Dr. Mihai Vaida from the Department of Physics with his exhibit, \u201c<em>Watch Energy in Motion: Discover How Energy is Converted and Stored<\/em>.\u201d Through a variety of interactive displays, Vaida and his team demonstrated how different types of energy can be transformed and stored in everyday systems,&nbsp;from batteries and motors to renewable energy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy focusing on interactive and visually engaging experiments, the exhibit allows young audiences to explore STEM principles actively, ask questions, and see science in action,\u201d he&nbsp;says.&nbsp;\u201cThis approach sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and encourages excitement about science and engineering in a meaningful and memorable way.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Two women converse at a science exhibit table with informational displays, science-themed items, and a large skeleton model in the background. One woman uses a wheelchair.\" class=\"wp-image-35170\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7747191579799615;width:562px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-2048x1153.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-299x168.jpg 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_202606-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Left) Tracey Olaez, assistant director of alumni engagement for the College of Sciences, talks with guests about degrees and opportunities offered by the college. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In the afternoon, visitors stepped into a virtual tour of the UCF Arboretum with <em>\u201cWild Florida: A VR Experience of Virtual Nature,\u201d<\/em> presented by Dr. Maria Harrington, associate professor in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her exhibit immersed&nbsp;attendees in Florida&#8217;s natural landscapes,&nbsp;showcasing real plants and ecosystems.&nbsp;Each plant was modeled for botanical accuracy, and the ecosystem was populated with species in a way that reflects&nbsp;its natural&nbsp;environment, giving participants the most&nbsp;accurate&nbsp;representation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt its core, the exhibit is about connecting people to nature through immersive learning,\u201d Harrington&nbsp;says. \u201cMy biggest hope is that they leave with a sense of awe and wonder. If a child says, \u2018Wow, I&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;know nature was this cool!\u2019 then I\u2019ve done my job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the evening, the Department of Biology invited visitors to explore the tiny organisms around us through their demo, <em>\u201cThe Bugverse: Heroes and Villains,\u201d<\/em> presented during Science Night Live, an adults-only event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Three display cases with various insect and butterfly specimens are arranged on a table next to a microscope, with a University of Central Florida banner in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-35171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-2048x1153.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-299x168.jpg 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260214_185703-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A glimpse of <em>\u201cThe Bugverse: Heroes and Villains,\u201d<\/em> display, where guests could get an up close look at the pest insects in UCF&#8217;s Bug Closet. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Through microscopes and display cases, attendees explored a variety of familiar pest insects and their natural enemies, including parasitoid wasps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on her favorite moments presenting this type of exhibit to the public, Dr. Barbara Sharanowski, professor of biology, says she loves seeing the surprise and curiosity in people\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sunday started with a look at our not-so-distant&nbsp;celestial neighbor with the&nbsp;Department of&nbsp;Physics\u2019s&nbsp;presentation,&nbsp;\u201c<em>UCF at the Moon!<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;led by&nbsp;Associate Professor of Physics&nbsp;Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people interact at an educational booth in a museum, with a large dinosaur skeleton displayed in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-35153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-299x199.jpg 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/DSC03497-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kerri Donaldson Hanna (second from left) interacts with a family who stopped by her demo <em>\u201cUCF at the Moon!\u201d.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Visitors got a detailed look at the moon with a lunar globe and familiarized themselves with&nbsp;the types of rocks and minerals&nbsp;found&nbsp;on the lunar surface using representative samples. They also&nbsp;gained insight into&nbsp;how scientists can learn about the&nbsp;materials&nbsp;present on distant stellar bodies using a field spectrometer&nbsp;to see&nbsp;how each material reflects sunlight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She says she&nbsp;wanted visitors to&nbsp;see that there are things around us on Earth that remind us of other planetary surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe rocks that we have here today are from Earth, but they are similar to those that we would find on the moon,\u201d&nbsp;Donaldson&nbsp;Hanna&nbsp;says.&nbsp;\u201cBy&nbsp;linking the two, visitors have a&nbsp;little reminder about things they could see in space in their everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the afternoon, Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Rachel Greenspan tested visitors on different aspects of human memory through her demo, \u201c<em>Memory Myths: The Science of Remembering People<\/em>.\u201d Through three interactive games, attendees tested different aspects of human memory, including the ability to distinguish real faces from AI-generated ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people gathers around a table with science displays, while a presenter explains something to them in an indoor event setting.\" class=\"wp-image-35169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-2048x1153.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-299x168.jpg 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/20260215_135513-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the next table, associate professor of chemistry Dr. Yulia Gerasimova and her team&nbsp;set up a large, colorful DNA exhibit, &#8220;<em>Visualizing DNA<\/em>.&#8221; Visitors enhanced their understanding of DNA by folding origami or extracting&nbsp;DNA from a strawberry using dyes.&nbsp;Visitors could also take home their experiment in a souvenir necklace to remember the experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gerasimova says it\u2019s important for visitors to see that STEM isn\u2019t intimidating or out of reach, and that engaging with it can be fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have so many talented young&nbsp;people,&nbsp;but they are stigmatized by the perceived difficulty of STEM,\u201d she&nbsp;says,&nbsp;\u201cbut it\u2019s not as challenging as they think; they can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The final day of Spark STEM Fest started with the return of \u201c<em>UCF to the Moon<\/em>\u201d and ended with a presentation&nbsp;from the Department of Biology called \u201c<em>Where Art Meets Marine Biology<\/em>,\u201d which focused on the ecosystem of the Indian River Lagoon, an estuary on the East Coast of Florida.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visitors contributed to a large board representing the lagoon by coloring cutouts of its plants and animals. They also decorated oyster shell necklaces to take home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"Five people stand behind and beside a display table with educational materials and specimens at an indoor event; a blue curtain and large skeleton are visible in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-35155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-299x224.jpeg 299w, https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/02\/Image-14-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Biology students pose for a picture together with their presentation \u201c<em>Where Art Meets Marine Biology<\/em>,\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPictures say a lot more than words can,\u201d\u00a0says\u00a0Meagan Pack,\u00a0a biology student. \u201cHaving kids work together to make one big picture of the community within the Indian River Lagoon can help them understand what kind of life is found there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through hands-on activities and interactive exhibits, the College of Sciences showed curious minds of all ages that STEM can be both engaging and approachable. Events like Spark STEM Fest help bridge the gap between the perceived difficulty of STEM and the reality of how accessible it is, giving future scientists the confidence to explore and experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Through&nbsp;hands-on&nbsp;activities&nbsp;and demos, the College of Sciences connected its research with the Central Florida Community.&nbsp; Written by: Ryan Fox | Published:&nbsp;February&nbsp;27,&nbsp;2026&nbsp; Innovation met curiosity as the College of Sciences (COS) engaged future scientists, alumni, and the Central Florida community at Spark STEM Fest. Presented by the UCF Office of&nbsp;Research,&nbsp;Spark STEM Fest is an annual celebration&nbsp;of technology&nbsp;and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":250,"featured_media":35151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[33,34,35,38,6,39,40,13,14,27,28,30],"tags":[305,437,629,736,1209,2686,2783,6538],"class_list":["post-35150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arboretum","category-biology-departments","category-chemistry-departments","category-breaking-news","category-events","category-faculty-news","category-graduate-student-news","category-news","category-physics-departments","category-stem","category-top-news","category-undergraduate-student-news","tag-arboretum-2","tag-biology","tag-chemistry","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-events-2","tag-physics","tag-psychology","tag-spark-stem-fest"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>College of Sciences Inspires Curiosity\u00a0at\u00a0Spark STEM Fest\u00a0 - College of Sciences News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/college-of-sciences-inspires-curiosity-at-spark-stem-fest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"College of Sciences Inspires Curiosity\u00a0at\u00a0Spark STEM Fest\u00a0 - College of Sciences News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Through&nbsp;hands-on&nbsp;activities&nbsp;and demos, the College of Sciences connected its research with the Central Florida Community.&nbsp; Written by: Ryan Fox | Published:&nbsp;February&nbsp;27,&nbsp;2026&nbsp; Innovation met curiosity as the College of Sciences (COS) engaged future scientists, alumni, and the Central Florida community at Spark STEM Fest. 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