Hundreds of Des Moines-area high school and college students will dive into science through a series of fun and educational activities that culminate in a free lecture by Bill Nye the Science Guy at Drake on Thursday, April 14.

The series of activities, all of which are free and open to the public, include the Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS), featuring a keynote speech by an expert in baseball statistics; an interactive STEM festival for K-8 youth; and an art gallery inspired by the sciences. Nye’s evening lecture is the 36th installment in the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series.

• 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. DUCURS; Olmsted Center
• 4:30–6:30 p.m. Drake/Metro Area STEM Fesival; Bell Center
• 7 p.m. Bucksbaum Lecture—An Evening with Bill Nye the Science Guy; Knapp Center
• All day: “Planet(s)” art exhibit; Weeks Gallery

For more information, visit the Drake Newsroom.