Oobleck pool!

Science Rendezvous is hosted by the UM Faculty of Science along with our campus and community partners. But the stars of the show are the more than 400 fantastic volunteers who make the event possible. We cannot wait to welcome you back for an exciting day filled with engaging science shows and booths. This is Winnipeg’s biggest and most remarkable science outreach event of the year!

Giant bubble trap!

Ready to get your hands dirty? Trap a person inside a giant bubble made of soap, water and glycerin. Run fast over our popular oobleck pool and don’t stop, or you will sink (up to your ankles)! Use plastic spoons to catch and release various critters from Oak Hammock Marsh.

Need a less messy activity? Visit us at the “Atomic Curiosities” booth to learn about radioactivity. Explore the “Math Mania” booth for brain-boosting math puzzles and games no matter how old you are. Or join us for a calm space to look at jaw-dropping rocks and fossils!

Look at the sun through the telescope!

This year’s theme is Wonder! We invite you to fuel your curiosity and look through our telescopes to view the sun. Learn more about polar bears at the “Polar Bears on Thin Ice” booth. Challenge yourself to code and move a pre-built robot arm. Or use small solar panels to light up little lights and sound buzzers!

Chemistry show!

With more than 50 science booths, our volunteers are excited to show kids the magic of science. But they are also secretly hoping to see the spark of curiosity and delight on adults’ faces, too. Whether you are bringing kids or coming on your own, we have something for you, and we are excited to see you there!

This event is FREE to attend, and no sign-ups are necessary except for science shows. To learn more, visit our website.

We sat down with them to talk about the importance of undergraduate lab experience, research commercialization and learning new skills by going out of one’s comfort zone.

Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel.

The symposium will include a series of short talks from the computer science department faculty and researchers, as well as a job fair to connect the near-graduation students with the broader tech community in Winnipeg. There will be food and drinks while the attendees network with each other and build connections. 

This is a paid event and registration is required to join the event. You can register now through the Faculty of Science Eventbrite.

The 2024 Science Spark 3K Pitch Competition presented by BAM is happening on April 8th, 1:00 p.m. in Marshall McLuhan Hall (204 UMSU University Centre) as 9 teams of science students pitch their innovative ideas and compete for a chance to win a $3,000 cash prize! The event is free but registration is required.

Register now!

A record 35 schools attended SET Day, including 14 rural schools with some traveling for more than seven hours to attend the program. Among them were students and teachers from Oscar Lathlin Collegiate in Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

“We are trying to create interest in science for our students, and the hands-on experiences at SET Day provided a unique opportunity to understand what a career in science is all about,” Thompson Okolu, High School Science and Math Teacher at Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, told UM Today.

In all, 13 UM research labs opened their doors to host hands-on experiences for SET Day including SERFing on Sea Ice at the Centre for Earth Observation Science, Wheels for Mars and Measuring with Lasers at the Price Faculty of Engineering, to name a few.

“We loved the laser workshop which demonstrated the use of modern laser equipment, along with various types of drones that civil engineers use in their field of work,” said Crystal Constant, Teacher and Career Guidance Counselor at Oscar Lathlin Collegiate.

Students and Teachers from Oscar Lathlin Collegiate take in the Measuring with Lasers activity at Price Faculty of Engineering

“This type of information is what teachers and students take away from sessions like today, which can then be integrated into various curriculum subject outcomes that teachers can use with their students. Indigenous land-based teachings would tie in nicely with land and waterway management discussions and what possible planning can begin for the future our First Nation communities. Today’s experiences for Mr. Okolu and I will help influence high school subject scheduling and planning for our next school year,” Constant said.

Anessa Bighetty and Matt Monias, students from Oscar Lathlin, also commented about their excellent experiences. “It’s exciting being here, I’m really interested in science and now I want to get more into engineering,” said Anessa.

“Before coming I didn’t know too much about research, and this experience has been informative about how the university works. I feel inspired,” said Matt.

“This marked a wonderful return to in-person SET Day activities, which had been interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Hans-Joachim Wieden, Associate Vice-President (Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation). “The overwhelming interest and engagement shown by students and teachers alike, demonstrates a bright future for science engineering and technology in Manitoba.”

Leigh McKinnon, community and outreach lead at the Faculty of Science says, “Science Rendezvous is an incredible example of what can happen when different departments and faculties come together. A university campus can be intimidating to many people, especially to those who have never attended a post-secondary institution or may not see attending one in the future.” She goes on to explain how hundreds of volunteers transformed this space with accessible and fun experiments, activities and shows that could inspire the next generation. “The event could never have been successful without those students, staff, faculty members and community partners who donated their time and expertise to create an amazing event.”

Science Rendezvous 2023 – A volunteer demonstrating experiments.

Science Rendezvous is an event made possible by volunteers. Thummim Iyasere, a 2023 Executive Committee member was inspired by witnessing what it took to make huge events like Science Rendezvous happen. “There’s nothing like seeing the big picture of the ideas your team spent time planning and dreaming up, you get that with Science Rendezvous.”  Iyasere goes on to say, “It is a leadership experience catered for students because the events happen in your hallways and classrooms, and on your campus, spaces you are already familiar with, you get to take pride in transforming regular spaces into a place to educate kids.”

1. How to ensure 5G network security with AI – An interview with rising talent Azadeh Tabiban, assistant professor, department of computer science.

2. The dinosaur in the coal mine – Will Bugg received a 2023 University of Manitoba Distinguished Dissertation award for his PhD research in Biological Sciences.

3. CBC Sudbury: ‘Hunting highways’: How human infrastructure changed the relationship between wolves and deer – Wolves Voyageurs Project led by Sean Johnson-Bice, PhD candidate at the department of biological sciences.

4. As you lichen: UM research receives NSERC Alliance International Collaboration Grant – (Watch the exclusive interview with John Sorenson, professor, associate head undergraduate at the department of chemistry).

5. On being appointed as a Distinguished Professor – Can-Ming Hu’s journey in science, professor at the department of physics and astronomy.

6. Discovery of two potential polar ring galaxies – New research suggests these stunning rare clusters might be more common than previously believed. Learn more about Jayanne English’s prominent role in this collaboration who is an associate professor at the department of physics and astronomy, an expert in astronomy image-making and has recently been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.

7. Microbes, not chemicals: Reducing GHGs through sustainable fertilizer alternatives (Watch the exclusive interview with Ivan Oresnik, professor at the department of microbiology, co-leading the $6 million crop production research project).

8. Four new Royal Society of Canada scholars named at UM (Watch the exclusive interview with David Herbert, professor at the department of chemistry, Faculty of Science Research Chair in Fundamental Sciences (Physical Sciences), elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars).

9. Preventing the evolutionary escape of viruses – Fabian Rohden, PhD student in the Faculty of Science, was named as Vanier Scholar for his microbiology research at UM.

10. Can we improve antibiotics against superbugs? Exploring New Strategies for Burkholderia cepacia Complex Infections – An interview with Silvia Cardona, professor and associate head graduate at the department of microbiology.

11. Cancer treatment – One big step closer – Jörg Stetefeld, professor, (Tier 1) Canada Research Chair in Structural Biology and Biophysics, and his team at the Faculty of Science are pushing the boundaries of knowledge when it comes to cancer treatment.

12. UM scientists recognized by Canadian Bioscience Award for promoting inclusion – Ute Kothe, professor and department head at the department of chemistry.

13. Nature News and Views article: on the visualization of a magnetic field using X-rays in a stellar graveyard (or pulsar wind nebula) authored by Samar Safi-Harb, professor at the department of physics and astronomy and Canada Research Chair in Extreme Astrophysics, Tier 1, Indigenous Initiative Committee Chair.

The Faculty encouraged its students, faculty and staff to participate in the Teach-In for Reconciliation talk that took place on September 29th from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This event was hosted by the Nursing Students’ Association in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous), the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the Centre for Human Rights Research, the University of Manitoba’s Student Union, PINE (Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education) and the Indigenous Students’ Association. This talk highlighted the need for learning the truth of what has happened to Indigenous peoples in Canada and provided attendees with some of the history and where they could learn more. 

In the afternoon, the Faculty of Science organized a “Join the Conversation” event where students, faculty and staff were invited to share their thoughts answering the question ‘What resonates with you when you encounter the words “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”’. Thoughts were shared either through an online word cloud or by writing them on Orange Shirt-shaped papers. Attendees were also invited to create their own Orange Shirt pin and were provided with vital mental health support resources. 

The Faculty of Science continued the conversation and learning about the truth in the following week, from Kaila Johnston from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation who provided a special seminar on October 6th. Her talk, “In the Pursuit of Science: A Look at the Mistreatment of Indigenous Communities,” shed light on the negative impacts of scientific pursuits on Indigenous communities and discussed the path to reconciliation. 

The Faculty of Science is committed to fostering awareness, understanding and promoting dialogue and empathy towards truth and reconciliation. 

This National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Faculty of Science invites you to join the conversation. What resonates with you when you encounter the words “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”? Share your thoughts through our word cloud.

Visit us at our booth and create your own Orange Shirt pin

On September 29th, visit our booth at the SSA lounge, 209E Armes building between 12-3 PM. Engage by writing on our orange shirt-shaped papers, create your own Orange Shirt pins, and discover vital mental health support resources. We hope to see you there!

Watch the “What if?” video and learn about the University of Manitoba-wide response