Steak is always good, but it’s better with some sizzle. So said Kedar Narayan, Ph.D., in preparation for his keynote address at the 2024 Fort Detrick Spring Research Festival. Like a chef preparing a meal, he aimed for his lecture to offer the audience something particularly enticing.

If last year was any indicator, plenty of kids will be eager to participate in NCI Frederick’s Take Your Child to Work Day this summer. Last year’s event, the first since the pandemic began, welcomed more than 120 children. Volunteering to sponsor a program or hub activity will help guarantee this year’s crowd—which is expected to be larger—has a fun-filled and educational day in science.

There are many paths for women to travel to find success in science. That was a crucial theme conveyed by the four panelists at Women in Science Speak 2024. The panel marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and celebrated empowerment and mentorship among women in science.

NCI Frederick has a new chili champion. Dawn Goings, administrative assistant in Environment, Health, and Safety, blazed her way through a heated competition to clinch first place in the 17th Chili Cook-off. The cook-off, a storied lunch-hour tradition at NCI Frederick, returned to campus this year for the first time since 2019, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the pandemic.

The Spring Research Festival, Fort Detrick’s annual scientific showcase, is seeking participants. NCI Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory staff (including those located at the Advanced Technology Research Facility) are encouraged to participate in one or more of the festival’s functions. Registration for participants, namely presenters and judges, is open until April 5.