On Saturday, October 25th, almost 60 campus groups and community partners gathered on OSU west campus to provide family-friendly hands-on STEM activities for the Columbus community as part of the 2025 WestFest Science and Sustainability Festival. This year’s event featured more than 55 activity booths and 1 behind-the-scenes tour. People from around Columbus attended the event, a huge success!

Molecular Genetics ran several activities centered on “FUNdamentals of Genetics”, including Punnett square games, microscopy of pollen, zebrafish embryos and fish, fly and worm larvae, virus biology, and DNA decoding. Wonderful volunteers helped throughout the day: undergrads Madeline Arbuckle, Celenia Bauzo, Kirti Chopra, Theone Egyankor, Laynie Kraus, Ella Mattes, and Anika Saladi, graduate student Nels O’Connell, postdocs Chris Benson, Madhura Yapa, staff member Sarah Reeder, and faculty Sharon Amacher, David Bisaro, Susan Cole, and Anna Dobritsa, and Jian-Qiu Wu. We appreciate them sharing their love of science with our broader community!