Outreach & Public Engagement The Gills Club Members of the ZoMBiE lab serve as proud mentors of The Gills Club, a signature action by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Getting to work with young girls and encourage their passion for shark biology reignites our own passion for the field. The Gills Club harnesses girls' passion for sharks, nature and the environment by giving them the opportunity to engage in projects focused on making a significant impact on the way sharks are perceived by the public.  Photo credit: The Gills Club Recently, Dr. Yopak traveled to the New England Aquarium for the Gills Club Symposium: Women Making Waves. This two-day symposium included panel discussions, hands on dissections, and public seminars. If you missed it, you can check out the live stream here: Shark Tales: Women Making WavesPosted by Atlantic White Shark Conservancy on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 UNCW MarineQuest We also volunteer our time to work with UNCW Marine Quest, particularly the programs “Shark Trek” and the Seam GEMS MarineQuest is the official marine science outreach program for the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Watson College of Education, and the Center for Marine Science providing young people with opportunities to explore, discover and value our marine habitats. Dr. Yopak and other ZoMBiE lab members love to work with MarineQuest to bring comparative neuroanatomy to the scientists of tomorrow. Check out our Events page for any upcoming programs we're contributing to. Interested in learning more? Head to their website to check out their programs! You can also follow them on Facebook and search the hashtag is #uncwmarinequest. NC Aquarium We work closely with the NC Aquarium to help get our brain research out of the lab and into the hands of the public. We've participated in several events, including International Shark Awareness Day at NC Aquarium Roanoke and the Women in Science Day at NC Aquarium Fort Fisher. Want to check out the good work they do? Check them out here! Women in Science Day, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 4 May 2019 Summer Ventures in Science & Mathematics (SVSM) We work closely with the Summer Ventures in Science & Mathematics (SVSM) program at UNCW. SVSM is a cost-free, state-funded program for academically talented students who may pursue careers based in science and mathematics. The program brings rising juniors and seniors together for four weeks of intensive study on university campuses including UNC Wilmington. Dr. Yopak has had the chance to speak with these promising students, giving a lecture and sharking it up! Dr. Yopak gave a talk to the SVSM students, sharing her career path and how exactly someone gets "into" shark brains.