I love the idea of shadowing someone in the field. You could also arrange a couple of interviews where he can ask questions over lunch (free lunch is a great motivator).

If you don't know anyone who's working in the area, you could research the professional organizations for relevant fields and reach out to the local branches... they may be able to connect you to mentors to shadow or interview and you might be able to attend one of their meetings as a guest (these can be fun and insightful in an "inside baseball" kind of way).

For STEM research outside of the commercial sector, the local university is probably your best bet.