The University of Central Arkansas will present the Seventh Annual Girl Power in STEM on Friday, April 26, on the UCA campus.

Girl Power in STEM allows eighth-grade Arkansas girls to experience hands-on learning opportunities related to careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Participants will spend the day learning from female professionals and UCA students.

This year’s featured speaker for the event is Dr. Maureen Donnelly, whose research focuses on the ecology and evolutionary biology of neotropical amphibians and reptiles with a focus on species from Central and South America. She explores the factors associated with faunal decline in northeastern Costa Rica, the effects of fragmentation on population genetic structure, and how animals survive in plantation systems. 

Around 300 Arkansas girls are expected to participate in this program designed to provide participants with a “college day” experience and encourage academic excellence in their high school and college years.

Girl Power in STEM, which is supported through grants and corporate sponsorships, is free and open to the public. For more information, visit uca.edu/cnsm/gps.