About 65 students from southern and central Ontario will be at the 2014 event Scientifically Yours this Thursday and Friday.

High schools students from throughout Ontario will be doing hands-on science this week as Scientifically Yours — Brock University’s popular two-day adventure —returns for a 24th year to encourage young women to pursue studies and careers in science.

About 65 students from southern and central Ontario will be at the 2014 event this Thursday and Friday, participating in projects that include the ecology of the Niagara Escarpment, factors influencing heart and bone health, and how to use fossil preparation tools and techniques employed by paleontologists and museum curators.

“The Yeast Crime”, an oenology and viticulture project where students determine which yeast has infected wine and left it with a foul odour, is typical of the programs that engage and excite the Grade 11 participants. Other areas to be explored include physics, computer science, psychology, mathematics and biology.

Every year the participants are also inspired by guest speakers, including women in careers ranging from heart surgeon to investment specialist to assistant deputy minister.

This year’s plenary speaker — entrepreneur, consultant and electrical engineer Alice Rueda — has worked in high-tech for more than 20 years, specializing in domain analysis and system design. Rueda holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, and a master of science in electrical engineering and computer engineering from the University of Manitoba. Her talk takes place Thursday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m., in Thistle 325.

On Friday, scientific mentors — all women working in science-related fields — will attend a dinner with the participants. Here they will speak about their experiences in careers such as naturopathic medicine, nursing, risk modelling analysis, consumer insight and water conservation among others.