In June, more than 250 middle school students visited the UNL campus as part of the Lincoln Public Schools Summer School Enrichment Program, coordinated by Bailey Feit, LPS/CASNR Early College and Career Pathways Coordinator. The Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) played a major role in this immersive STEM experience, delivering hands-on learning through a variety of engaging, engineering-focused stations.
Each day, students rotated through multiple activity stations—several of which were led by BSE faculty, staff, and students. Aaron Mittelstet and his team hosted a water-focused experience that included a rainfall simulator, a demonstration of how crop residue affects water quality, the use of the Enviroscape watershed model to simulate runoff and pollution, and an introduction to floating treatment wetlands.
Troy Gilmore guided students through a hands-on groundwater model activity, helping them visualize how water moves underground and why aquifer protection is critical. John Hay led a wind turbine engineering activity, giving students a hands-on introduction to renewable energy design. Deepak Keshwani engaged students in a variable rate irrigation activity, demonstrating how precision agriculture can conserve water and improve productivity.
BSE undergraduate and graduate students played a key role in facilitating the sessions—making science approachable, fun, and inspiring for the next generation of engineers and environmental problem-solvers.
