POCATELLO — Idaho State University’s College of Science and Engineering hosted its annual Bengal STEM Day last week, welcoming more than 450 middle school and high school students.

The event features activities designed to inspire interest in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — fields of study, according to a news release from ISU. The event included demonstrations and workshops presented by ISU students, faculty and local STEM professionals.

Students who attended this year had the chance to build catapults, identify minerals, extract DNA from strawberries, build roller coasters and look at microbes through a microscope.

“We had so much fun exploring minerals with the students, teaching them actual techniques that we use to identify these important building blocks,” Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, an ISU professor of geosciences, said in the news release. “The kids got really into it, too, with teams racing to figure out the most minerals.”

Katie Lewis, vice president and director of administration for the Pocatello engineering and technical services firm Salas O’Brien — formerly FA Engineering before a March 2025 merger — hosted the roller coaster building activity.

She said in the news release that she is happy to support Bengal STEM Day and the chance to give students early exposure to engineering.

“We know that sparking STEM interest early and often helps increase the types and numbers of amazing individuals interested in the profession of engineering,” Lewis said in the news release. “This event is an asset to our community, our businesses and the students who get to participate.”

Over the past four years, more than 1,700 students and teachers have attended the event. ISU expressed gratitude for everyone who came together to make this year’s Bengal STEM Day possible.

“Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who make Bengal STEM Day possible and help to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,” Logan McDougall, executive director of college relations for the College of Science and Engineering and lead organizer of Bengal STEM Day, said in the news release.

More information about ISU’s College of Science and Engineering can be found at isu.edu/cose.