The University of Iowa Department of Biology's "Hawkeyes at the Microscope" traveling science outreach exhibit was at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, August 21, 2016, with the University of Iowa's STEM Outreach group. The last day of the Iowa State Fair was designated as STEM Day. Increasing interest in STEM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is critical to regaining Iowa's historic legacy as a leader in education and workforce development. The "Hawkeyes at the Microscope" traveling science exhibit, which features a Leica stereomicroscope with a camera connected to a monitor capable of viewing various model organisms, was on display in the Varied Industries Building as part of the overall University of Iowa booth. We also had a junior microscope with various slides for kids to view and a K'NEX Education Kit for children to building their own organisms at the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council booth.

A special thanks to these University of Iowa students (Tim Fuqua, Cara Larson, Taylor Milefchik, Cassie Poulos, and Apoorva Raikwar) for volunteering to help with the Hawkeyes at the Microscope exhibit at the Iowa State Fair along with Lori Adams and Steve Kehoe from the Department of Biology.