West Valley College presented the second annual STEAM’D Fest May 15 through 17, a free, public celebration of graduating students’ work from across the Bill and Leila Cilker School of Art and Design and the School of Science and Math. The three-day, on-campus event, drawing approximately 1,500 attendees, kicked off with a Chamber Music Recital, a student-led Film Festival, and a sold-out Jazz Under the Stars performance in the Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Planetarium.
Set beneath the planetarium dome’s night sky, the live jazz concert epitomized the coming together of art and science championed by STEAM’D Fest. The event name refers to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Organizers, deans Shannon Mirabelli- Lopez of SoAD and Mel Vaughn of the School of Science and Math, launched the event in 2024 to reinforce a WVC culture of collaborative interdisciplinary connection in solving real world problems.
Popular with attendees, “The Silent Hunters” program brought to campus four owl species native to California from Morgan Hill-based Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, including Western Screech and Great Horned owls. Participants learned about the birds’ natural habitat and examined hands-on specimens such as talons, wings, and skulls. The program promotes greater understanding of the owls’ natural history and behavior to encourage peaceful coexistence with wildlife.
STEAM’D Fest also featured over 50 student posters showcasing classroom and field research, including a prize-winning drought-stressed Redwoods study by biology faculty Michelle Geary and her students. Moderated by a WVC STEM student, a Stanford Graduate Student Panel, featuring Ph.D. candidates — including a WVC alumnus — offered insights into STEM career paths.