Vandal Science Day

A feature image portrait of Molly Murphy a medical sciences student doing research in COS

An exciting event to do science

Vandal Science Day is a free and open-to-the-public annual event hosted by University of Idaho's College of Science. This engaging day of discovery features hands-on workshops, presentations and interactive learning experiences led by College of Science faculty members and students. Participants of all ages are invited to explore various scientific fields and see science come to life.
 

Event details

Date: Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Integrated Research and Innovation Center (IRIC)
Audience: Open to all ages, with a focus on high school students and their families
Cost: Free

Questions? Contact Amy Kingston at amykingston@uidaho.edu.

Experience science firsthand

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

  • Participate in science activities and demonstrations
  • Engage with faculty and students leading innovative projects
  • Explore various scientific disciplines through interactive exhibits
  • Gain insight into real-world applications of scientific research

Register Now

Reserve your spot for Vandal Science Day. 

Register for Vandal Science Day

Event schedule

9:30-10:30 a.m. – Featured talk: Jason Barnes, NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Titan
Learn about the Vandal partnership with NASA that will send an octocopter to Titan in 2028 to explore the possibility of life on Saturn’s largest moon.

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Hands-on science activities and demos
Explore over 25 tables featuring hands-on science activities and demos. 

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Idaho Museum of Natural History, northern branch
Explore the new northern branch of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, featuring hands-on demonstrations and activities. Located on campus and free of charge.

12:30-1:15 p.m. – Pizza lunch with DIY ice cream station
Enjoy a free pizza lunch, followed by a demonstration using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. Add your own toppings and enjoy a sweet treat!

1:15-1:30 p.m. – Wrap up and prize announcements
Gather to find out who won prizes based on games and challenges offered at different activity stations throughout the event.

Sample hands-on activity stations include:

  • Chip pieces off fossil slabs from Clarkia, Idaho, to find your own fossils
  • Discover the statistical popularity of your name over time using computer models
  • Explore a groundwater flow model using dye to identify flow paths
  • Learn about wind movement on Earth using a Hoberman sphere, Coriolis effect demos and seed dispersion demonstrations
  • See a seismometer in action and explore how it responds to your movements
  • Use a groundwater simulator to visualize how human activities impact the water cycle
  • Learn about our archaeo-chemistry lab, where students help identify unknown objects dug up during archaeological digs
  • Find out how tree ring samples help us better understand climate science and create rubbings of tree rings from past research projects
  • Look at fluorescent zebrafish cells and embryos in a dark room, under microscopes
  • Challenge your friends to head-to-head games of Operation.  Are your hands steady enough for the field of medical sciences?
  • Watch a 10-minute excerpt of the Snail Hunter documentary about research in the Galapagos islands