STEM Steps welcomes students, equine vet

High school sophomores and juniors will be at The Ohio State University at Lima from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday, March 10, 2025, for the annual STEM Steps, an enriching and exciting day filled with hands-on activities in various STEM fields to encourage and stimulate an interest in science. The event empowers young women to achieve success in STEM fields by instilling self-confidence and a can-do attitude. Students will also learn the role of women in STEM fields and see how they can impact the world with STEM education.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Alison Gardner, DVM, associate professor, Equine Emergency and Critical Care, College of Veterinary Medicine. 

The day begins and ends in the G. Gilbert Cloyd Commons on the lower level of Galvin Hall and activities will be held in the Science Building labs 312 (computer science/engineering), 321 (chemistry), 370 (biology) and 380 (engineering). STEM Steps is made possible with support from INEOS. 

More about the speaker

Dr. Alison Gardner developed a love and respect for horses at a young age by participating in an equine therapy program for at-risk youth. She attended Colorado State for her bachelor’s and master’s programs and then joined the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine of 2011 at CSU. An internship at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center led to a surgery residency at Ohio State, followed by an emergency and critical care fellowship. She became an assistant professor at Ohio State in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2022, and was appointed to her dual-appointment clinical skills educator role in 2023. She received the John Lyman Award for Clinical Teaching Excellence in 2020 and the Zoetis Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2024.

At Ohio State, Dr. Gardner works as an attending on the equine and critical care service and as a clinical skills educator in Ohio State's top-ranked Clinical Skills Center. She is passionate about teaching and has been involved in curricular design and admissions.