Students Sink Teeth into New Science Museum Exhibit

A new exhibit opening 1 May 2026 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Science Museum is putting student creativity and innovation on full display.

Built to Bite: How Teeth Reveal Diet is a fully student-driven project, conceived, designed, and built from the ground up by a team of UL Lafayette geology students. Built to Bite invites visitors to step into the role of a scientist. Using 3D-printed teeth models, guests will examine shape and size clues to determine what different animals eat. Through interactive challenges, visitors will guess the animal behind each jaw and uncover whether it was a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore, demonstrating how even a single fossil can tell a powerful story.

Over the course of three months, ten students collaborated to transform classroom learning into a public-facing museum experience. The team gained hands-on experience while creating something lasting for the community. The result is an exhibit that not only teaches science but showcases what students can accomplish when given the opportunity to lead.

“This wasn’t a simulated assignment,” said the course professor and museum director Dr. Jennifer Hargrave. “The students weren’t just learning about science communication in the classroom. They were responsible for creating something the public will engage with. Every decision, from concept to final installation, was theirs. That level of ownership changes how students learn course concepts, as well as what they’re capable of producing.”

The museum invites the public to experience this unique exhibit and celebrate the students whose vision and hard work brought it to life.

The exhibit opens 1 May 2026, and is included with regular museum admission. Museum hours are Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.