Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research - CAESER

🎉 Halfway through 2026, and we’re celebrating BIG accomplishments at CAESER’s Education & Outreach team!

In just the first six months, we’ve completed 51 visits:

🏫 40 schools
🌎 9 public events
🎤 2 conferences

That means 4,172 students, educators, and community members across the Mid-South have connected with hands-on STEM and environmental learning. Every visit helps spark curiosity, build STEM skills, and encourage environmental stewardship in our communities.

Huge shoutout to our partners and sponsors for making it all possible:

✅ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
✅ Mitsubishi Chemical
✅ Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW)
✅ Shelby County Government
✅ Memphis River Parks Partnership
✅ Memphis-Shelby County Schools - MSCS
✅ City of Memphis
✅ City of Germantown, Tennessee Government
✅ Town of Collierville
✅ City of Bartlett
✅ Millington, TN - Municipal Government

Thanks to these partners, our programs remain free for schools and community groups 🎉

Here’s to an amazing second half of the year! 💚🌿

What if you could taste research? 🌽💧

Big thanks to our amazing partner farmer, Hendrick Shoaf, for opening his field to support Dr. Mary Yaeger’s research. Thanks to his generosity to the community and us, we’re learning more about water usage in farming AND enjoying the freshest, locally grown corn! 🙌

This harvest came from a field with soil moisture sensors as part of our research, so every bite is truly a taste of the Memphis aquifer.

Our students are loving it, too! Melissa Medina shared a delicious Sweet Corn Bread (Pan de Elote) recipe, a nod to her Mexican heritage. She’s also planning to make esquites (street corn salad) with mayo, queso fresco, lime, and chili powder. Yum! 🌶️🧀🍋

Would you try this recipe? Let us know below! Here’s the recipe Melissa used:

🌽 Sweet Corn Bread (Pan de Elote)

INGREDIENTS

• ~3 cups sweet corn kernels (about 4–5 ears)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• ~1⅛ cups rice flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temp

STEPS

1. Grease & flour a 9×5” loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Separate eggs into yolks and whites.
3. Mix rice flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Blend corn with milk until smooth.
5. Beat butter with most of the sugar (save ~2 tbsp).
6. Add yolks one at a time.
7. Gently mix in dry ingredients, then stir in blended corn.
8. Beat egg whites with reserved sugar to soft peaks.
9. Fold egg whites into batter.
10. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool, slice, and enjoy!

It’s amazing to see research, community partnerships, and student creativity come together in such a tasty way.

Thank you again to Hendrick Shoaf for making this possible! 💚

💧 Happy National Hydration Day!

Staying hydrated keeps us healthy, but it also reminds us how much we depend on clean, safe water every single day. In West Tennessee, we’re lucky to have the Memphis aquifer, one of the best natural groundwater sources in the country. Every sip connects us to this amazing (but not unlimited) resource!

Tip: Bring your reusable water bottle and refill it all day long.
Big picture: When we protect our water sources, we make sure everyone can stay hydrated—now and in the future.

How are you staying hydrated today? 💙