How Society for Science & the Public is Inspiring Tomorrow’s Scientific Leaders
Meet five inspiring girls from this year’s BROADCOM Masters Competition
The annual Broadcom MASTERS Competition features science projects from young people around the United States. With thousands of young people considered, ultimately only 30 are invited to come to Washington, D.C. to participate in a final challenge to determine the winners in various categories. In 2018, 14 of the 30 finalists were girls. And for the past five years, including 2018, the winners of the top award have been girls.
Maya Ajmera, CEO of Society for Science & the Public, which puts on Broadcom MASTERS Competition, says that while the organization produces several science competitions throughout the year, reaching middle schoolers is crucial.
“We’re really looking at sixth, seventh and eighth grade middle school students because we feel like this is the best time to reach young kids who are at a real transition point socially, academically, physically — and they’re thinking about what do they want to be when they grow up,” she said. “And if we can capture their great interest in STEM now, we believe that takes them through a very positive journey.”
Smart Girls spoke to four of the finalists (including this year’s winner, Georgia Hutchinson) about their projects, competition experience, and plans for the future.
Georgia // Winner of Top Award, the Samueli Foundation Prize // Woodside, California
Project: An efficient and cost-effective solar power system, which relies on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to determine where the sun will be at any date and time.
When did you first become interested in science and what do you like about it?
I love computer programming. In first grade, I used Scratch to animate the lifecycle of a flower. In third grade, I taught my classmates how to make a video game and begged my way into the middle school Python class. Despite being a nine-year-old girl with a bunch of crazy middle school boys, I loved it. The next year, I started the WES Codettes at my school, a younger version of Girls Who Code. I loved coding with all of my friends — we would program sprites that would sing and dance. But I really fell in love with STEM when I started tinkering with a friend’s LEGO Mindstorm, and pretty soon I was building prototypes for new inventions using LEGOs, like trying to make a robot that would do my homework or throw my dirty clothes into the laundry.
“With my prize money I would like to provide STEM classes in local underserved schools.”
Kennedy // Finalist // Douglasville, Georgia
Project: Detecting Concussion Prone Impacts in Youth Sports
What inspired the idea for your project?
What inspired the idea for my project was the growing concern I saw in many communities about concussions in sports. I could not understand why many people were against implementing a solution that would make playing sports safer, particularly with youth. After doing research, I found out that they just didn’t want to change how the game was played. This inspired me to create something that would be beneficial to people on both sides of this controversial issue. It would serve as an early detection device without having to change the game, and as a result, it limits the serious brain damage that can be caused by repeated concussions. I was inspired to use my love of technology to create a solution.
“I like science because it gives me the freedom to explore my curiosities. Science allows me to use my creativity to probe the world around me with the hope of making it better.”
How will what you learned during the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS experience impact your future?
My Broadcom MASTERS experience was amazing! It taught me a lot about collaborating with others to solve real-world problems. I had the opportunity to meet so many like-minded students who shared my love of science. This experience provided a great impact on my future plans to continue my passion in science. It exposed me to ways to apply my creativity and classroom knowledge to solutions that help the world. I will use what I learned and the connections I made from this experience to continue exploring.
Gabriella // 1st Place in the Technology Category // Palatine, IL
Project: Design a Fully Automated Real Time Presence Detection Safety System in a School Environment Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology
What inspired the idea for your project?
In 2018 thus far, firearms have been responsible for 23,865 injuries and 12,237 deaths in the United States. Two thousand nine hundred and forty-four deaths and injuries were children, ages 0–17, many of whom died from mass school shootings. (Source: Gun Violence Archive) It’s so disheartening to see headlines every day about another shooting, tweets and posts mourning over the loss of more innocent individuals. We can’t accept this and let it be a recurring problem in our society, we need to come together and develop a solution.
My goal is to develop and engineer a solution for a practical problem and save lives. With my student tracking system, we can locate missing students in real time and provide their last known locations and medical records to first responders, rescuers and paramedics, even before they arrive on scene. This way, the searching procedure can be planned beforehand, significantly reducing the search and rescue time to ensure necessary medical care as soon as possible.
“No matter what your goals are, especially to future female scientists, don’t let others tell you what you can or can’t do. If you want to do or start something ‘crazy’, don’t let anything scare you away or stop you from pursuing it.”
Jacqueline // Winner of 2018 Marconi/Samueli Award // Mountain House, CA
Project: Bio.fiber.plastic: The effect of Lignocellulosic Fiber in Enhancing the Formation and Tensile Strength of Rice Bioplastic.
What inspired the idea for your project?
I was first inspired by my chore of taking out the garbage. Studying for Science Olympiad has made me aware of environmental problems. As I researched, I found we produce 200 million tons of garbage per year, and that 57% is sent to the landfill each year. At the same time, the plastic problem has been accumulating, creating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and threatening thousands of marine organisms.
I learned that most garbage is organic/plant-based, meaning it contains lignocellulose, the main building block in the cell wall of plants. So, I was inspired to tackle environmental issues by developing bio.fiber.plastic, a fusion between lignocellulosic fibers and broken rice bioplastic.
Upcycling our recovered cellulosic fibers from garbage could enhance the tensile strength of bio.fiber.plastic and also extend their useful life as a new product that could be a viable solution to the landfill and plastic problem.
“I believe that the beauty of science lies within the flaws and mistakes. Embracing them is how we learn, and learning nurtures discoveries.”
Laura // Finalist // San Antonio, Texas
Project: The Role of Tilapia Skin and UV Light on Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing
What inspired the idea for your project?
I am a Girl Scout and volunteer at my local Veterans Hospital on a regular basis. The Veterans suffer from unhealed wounds, intractable burns and amputations. The Veterans inspired me to look for an innovative way to improve tissue regeneration that will improve wound healing. My results showed that tilapia skin and UV light will significantly improve tissue regeneration in a faster way.
How will what you learned during the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS experience impact your future?
The Broadcom MASTERS program has been a life-changing experience for me. I improved my skills in public speaking, managing research data, presenting my results and being able to communicate my findings to different audiences. Participating in this national competition allowed me to work with a very accomplished group of students in different science-related challenges, exposing me to many types of science and teamwork. Teamwork was crucial in finding solutions to real problems. I could not have asked for more, Broadcom was a dream come true!
“As a Latina, I really want girls like me to be passionate about being scientists, to explore and discover new ideas and to know their ideas are powerful. Any girl can make a difference in their community through science!”
Find out more about the Society for Science & the Public and the BROADCOM Masters Competition on their website.
