Outreach: What we do
Our laboratory is part of a strong and vibrant public institution: the Department of Biology at the University of Oklahoma. We are proud to be a part of this state university and we stand ready to share our curiosity, expertise, and passion for knowledge with the community and local schools. Toward this end, we offer a range of services and resources designed to enrich education and scientific literacy.
The Electric Fish Roadshow
The centerpiece of our outreach efforts is our Electric Fish Roadshow, a program and interactive demonstration that we can bring to schools, museums, and community organizations. We have developed versions of the roadshow for elementary and middle school students, as well as a general version for community organizations and high schools . For groups of 5-25 participants, we first make a brief age-appropriate presentation about electric fish and what we can learn from them then have participants engage in interactive stations that include listening to the “sound” of different electric fish, seeing what the electric signal waveform looks like on an oscilloscope, listening to the signals of fish at different stages of development, and viewing through a microscope embryonic fish from our breeding colony. Many more photos that show the excitement and energy of this project can be found on the page for our recent and upcoming outreach events.
For more information or to inquire about scheduling a visit by the roadshow, please contact us.
Speaker's Series Presentations
Dr. Markham participates in the OU Faculty Speakers Service. The Speakers Service serves businesses, civic, educational and service organizations throughout the state of Oklahoma by offering a list of speakers and topics that can be presented to any of these groups at no cost. The Speakers Service is administered by the OU Faculty Senate and all of the speakers' travel expenses are provided by the OU Foundation. Dr. Markham's program is entitled "Shocking tales of electric fish tell us how the heart works." Scheduling information is available at the Speakers Service website.
Visits to our Laboratory
We are happy to have small-groups of students visit our laboratory to see our colony of electric fish, and learn more about our work and the operation of a university research laboratory. We have hosted groups of junior high school students as well as members of a local community organization. To schedule a visit, please contact us.
We are happy to have small-groups of students visit our laboratory to see our colony of electric fish, and learn more about our work and the operation of a university research laboratory. We have hosted groups of junior high school students, elementary summer camps, as well as members of local community organizations. To schedule a visit, please contact us.