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Science communication and outreach are essential for training the next generation of scientists and raising public awareness for science. Providing effective science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational outreach to students in classrooms is challenging because of the need to form partnerships with teachers, the time commitment required for the presenting scientist, and the limited class time allotted for presentations. In our Present Your Ph.D. Thesis to a 12-Year Old outreach project, our novel solution to this problem is hosting a youth science workshop (YSW) on our university campus. The YSW is an interpersonal science communication and outreach experience in which graduate students from diverse scientific disciplines introduce middle and high school students to their cutting-edge research and mentor them to develop a white-board presentation to communicate the research to the workshop audience. Our assessment of the YSW indicated that participating young students expressed significantly more positive attitudes toward science and increased motivation to work in a STEM career after attending the workshop. Qualitative follow-up interviews with participating graduate students' show that even with minimal time commitment, an impactful science communication training experience can be achieved. The YSW is a low-cost, high-reward educational outreach event amenable to all disciplines of science. It enhances interest and support of basic science research while providing opportunities for graduate students to engage with the public, improve their science communication skills, and enhance public understanding of science. This YSW model can be easily implemented at other higher education institutions to globally enhance science outreach initiatives.

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) coupled with tissue, or vascular, specific contrast agent has emerged as a powerful tool for detecting and monitoring tumor growth in the liver of murine animals. Intravenous injections of contrast agents can be technically challenging and lead to errors that can considerably influence the outcome of a preclinical study, prompting an alternative method. Here we assessed the effectiveness of intraperitoneal injections of polyiodinated triglycerides emulsions (Fenestra LC) in micro-CT imaging of young SCID (8 weeks) and old BALB/c (48 weeks) mice with xenograft or carcinogen-induced liver tumors, respectively, and determined an optimal acquisition time. Utilizing an intraperitoneal injection is a viable alternative administration route for using Fenestra in detection and quantification of murine liver tumor burden.