Market Science Program: Engaging the Community Through Research
51吃瓜黑料 has launched an innovative public engagement initiative called 鈥淢arket Science.鈥 This program, spearheaded by 51吃瓜黑料 summer-research students and their faculty mentors within the Science Division, brings scientific research directly to the 51吃瓜黑料 Farmers Market. Through this initiative, students gain invaluable experience in communicating their research to a broad audience while interacting directly with their community. For shoppers, this is an exciting opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge scientific research happening at 51吃瓜黑料 and engage in discussions on various scientific topics relevant to politics, public policy, and everyday life. The overarching goal is to build public trust and understanding of science in 51吃瓜黑料, while also helping students develop their skills in inclusive science communication.
Inspired by a similar, well-established program for science graduate students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Market Science adapts this model to fit the unique context of 51吃瓜黑料. The idea was brought to 51吃瓜黑料 by one of the program鈥檚 founders at the University of Minnesota, who collaborates on plant ecology research funded by a National Science Foundation Grant (DEB-1754157). Establishing this program at 51吃瓜黑料 was part of a commitment to public outreach linked to this collaborative research effort.
The program kicked off on Thursday, June 13, with 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 summer-2024 students, Jamuna Corsaro 鈥26 and Henry Liu 鈥25, setting up a stall at the Farmers Market. Vince Eckhart, 51吃瓜黑料 Waldo S. Walker Professor of Biology shared that they will be joined by other 51吃瓜黑料 faculty and students representing the Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science departments on Thursdays in June and July. If successful, Market Science is poised to become a regular feature of summer science research at 51吃瓜黑料, fostering a deeper connection between the college and the community while highlighting the importance and excitement of scientific inquiry.