UMC Instructor Dr. Harouna Maiga looks on as his students Candice Daniels (left) and Dana Gruenhagen (right) teach Roseau High School students Bethany Lisell, Jared Curry and Robert Mattson about the reproductive tracts of livestock animals.

These Roseau students, along with the rest of their biology class, visited UMC as part of an off campus laboratory coordinated with the assistance of UMC's Ardell Knudsvig. UMC students from Maiga's animal reproduction class taught this portion of the lab through a service-learning component. In service-learning, students take what they have learned in class and apply it to a real-life situation to increase their learning as well as benefit others. Instructor Terril Bradford also assisted with the lab.

Another portion of the learning at the University Teaching and Outreach Center (UTOC) involved Associate Professor Lyle Westrom, who taught the students about biotechnology and the freezing and thawing of sperm. While working on micro-analysis the students discussed the advantages of artificial insemination and its effects on breeding and genetics, which brought up questions about bioethics with animals and breeding.

During their visit the Roseau High School students also visited UMC's Controlled Environmental Science Building (CESB) where they worked side by side with Sue Jacobson, Roger Wagner and Michelle Holman on biotechnology concepts in plant breeding, including cloning, grafting, and vegetative reproduction using stems, roots or leaves. Wendell Johnson demonstrated the use of a new technology called plant tissue culturing of birch trees which is currently being done at UMC.

Nikki McBlair
Ag/NatR and Service Learning