College of the Canyons will host a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Speaker Series on Friday, Nov. 22 in an effort to engage, inform and inspire students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. in Aliso Hall, Room 108 on the College of the Canyons Valencia Campus, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.

Dr. Jessi Vannatta, an environmental scientist for California State Parks and an adjunct COC professor, will deliver the keynote speech “All Things Bats!”

Vannatta started working with bats during graduate school and has been working with them for nearly a decade.

“We are very excited to hear about Dr. Vannatta’s research on bats and why these flying mammals are so fascinating and important,” said Amy Foote, MESA program director at the college and one of the event’s organizers.

The event will also feature poster presentations by COC biology students Marina Nasr and Marlene Hannalla who will be discussing the effects caffeine has on the body and the findings of a campus arthropod biodiversity study.

Zhanequa Davis, a S-STEM Scholar and computer science major at COC, will be the event’s student speaker.

The college’s S-STEM Scholars program enhances the financial, academic, social and cultural capital for STEM students.

Davis will share her personal journey as an S-STEM Scholar, including insights from research experiences and the impact of STEM on her academic path. She will also discuss her commitment to expanding STEM access for underrepresented youth, highlighting goals for community outreach and fostering diversity in science and technology fields.

For more information about the Stem Speaker Series, please email amy.foote@canyons.edu.