On Saturday, October 24, 2026, IDI staff and IDI Trainee Association (IDI-TA) leaders participated in WestFest 2026, the annual West Campus Science & Sustainability Festival that brings together university departments, research groups, student organizations, and community partners to share hands-on science and discovery with the public.
IDI Staff and IDI-TA Leaders Partner for WestFest 2026
Left to right: Tony Stabile (IDI-TA undergraduate student representative); Rick Shafer (IDI business manager): Christoph Weigel, PhD (IDI-TA president); Diana Wendelin (IDI-GEMS lab technician) at the IDI WestFest booth.
Hosted on Ohio State's West Campus, WestFest showcases advances in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, sustainability, and outreach through interactive exhibits designed to engage learners of all ages. This year's event was the largest WestFest to date, attracting approximately 775 attendees and featuring 57 program partners, including 37 Ohio State units, eight student organizations, and 12 community partners.
As part of the event, IDI staff and trainees engaged community members through an interactive exhibit focused on tick identification, prevention, and proper tick removal techniques. Visitors learned about Ohio's tick species, the diseases they can transmit, and practical ways to protect themselves, their families, and their pets. The exhibit also showcased the IDI's Buckeye Tick Test, launched in spring 2025, which supports public health and research efforts through tick identification, pathogen testing, and surveillance activities that help track tick distribution and tick-borne disease risk across the United States. Through hands-on activities and direct conversations with IDI personnel and trainees, attendees gained a greater appreciation for the role of research and surveillance in protecting public health.
In addition to the tick-focused exhibit, Kush Yadav, DVM, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences within Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and a faculty co-advisor for the IDI Trainee Association (IDI-TA), led an interactive booth titled "Be a Poultry Patho-Man, Protect U.S. Poultry." The exhibit highlighted the importance of poultry health and disease prevention through a variety of hands-on activities focused on personal protective equipment (PPE), poultry pathogens, and vaccination. Visitors decorated balloons representing poultry and disease-causing pathogens to demonstrate the role of PPE in disease control, participated in coloring activities featuring poultry and pathogens, and explored an antibody-pathogen binding activity illustrating how vaccines help protect poultry flocks from infectious diseases.
Left to right: Abhijith Anil (IDI-TA networking and professional development officer); Dr. Kush Yadev (IDI-TA faculty co-advisor); Biswash Ghimire (PhD student). Brutus Buckeye stopped by to help champion poultry health at WestFest 2026.
“This year’s WestFest event was outstanding. Partnering with the IDI Trainee Association created a valuable opportunity for trainees to engage with the community and share information about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Connecting science with the public is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work at Ohio State.”
The event marked another year of IDI participation in community science outreach efforts and provided an opportunity for trainees to strengthen their science communication skills while engaging directly with members of the community. By partnering with events such as WestFest, the IDI continues its commitment to increasing public awareness of infectious diseases and inspiring the next generation of scientists, healthcare professionals, and public health leaders.