Today members of the recently formed Tick Task Force, including PI Meuti, participated in a largescale outreach event at the first ever Science Festival at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio. At the event, we handed out tick ID card, showed people how to properly remove ticks using large models and showed people what real ticks look like using microscopes and 3D printed models.
Highest kuddos go to Dr. Sarah Short for leading the task force and for developing the cards and designing the tick models.
Best of all, we had some special visitors drop by the booth (after all, it was May the 4th).
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Two weeks before the event, members of the Tick Taskforce collected ticks in central Ohio. Rich Shaffer (IDI), Megan Meuti, Tim McDermott (OSU Extension) and Sarah Short (our fearless leader)
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Members of the Tick Taskforce by our booth
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The booth set up
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Darth Vader inspecting Luke Skywalker for ticks
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Darth Vader examining the backward-pointing teeth on tick mouthparts that allow it to stick so well in our skin.
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Luke Skywalker attempting to remove a tick model with The Force. For the rest of us, we recommend using pointy tweezers and pulling straight up.
Today Graduate Student Caitlin Peffers (left) and PI Meuti (right) visited Medina Middle School, a Columbus public school serving diverse and immigrant students. We first shared some information on how we became interested in entomology, our educational and career paths, and job opportunities in entomology and other STEM fields. Then we passed around some really cool insects and other arthropods, asked and answered questions about their biology. Best of all, students got to touch and hold them. As you can see, it was quite a hit!
