The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) was proud to support the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair (VPRSF) again this year. The event, held on March 12, brought together more than 200 middle- and high-school students from nearby counties to present 170+ projects at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) in Charlottesville.
Open to students in grades 6 through 12, the fair showcased original projects in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. First, second, third place, and honorable mentions were awarded in each of the 17 categories. An additional 100+ special awards were presented by more than 30 organizations, including the NSF NRAO.
The NSF NRAO was represented by a dedicated team of staff including Terry Lowry, Priyanka Mondal, Sheldon Wasik, Dustin Vaselaar, Rich Bradley, Jeff Mangum, Bang Nhan, and Bert Hawkins. Several members from the NSF NRAO team volunteered as technical advisors for Charlottesville-area students on their projects this year, while others served as judges at the fair. Of the projects mentored by the NSF NRAO staff, two took first place in their categories.
Catherine Hopkins and Elizabeth Whittle, from Charlottesville Catholic School (CCS), took first place in the Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering category for their project, “Burning Rubber: Why did Pirelli Eliminate the C6 Tyre Compound?” They were mentored by Sheldon Wasik from the NSF NRAO. The students also received special awards from AFCEA Data Analytics and the Next Engineer Award.
Nathan Quinn, also from Charlottesville Catholic School, took first place in the Energy and Transportation category for his project, “Rotating the Data – Comparing Simple Motor Efficiency.” He was mentored by Dustin Vaselaar from the NSF NRAO. Nathan also received a special award from the Office of Naval Research.
Also presented at the science fair was the NSF NRAO Award for Achievement in Astronomy and Radio Science, which recognizes “a project that demonstrates outstanding application of scientific or engineering principles in astronomy, radio science, or related fields such as radio-frequency waves, radio antenna and receiver instrumentation, signal detection, or space science.” Bert Hawkins, Assistant Director for the NSF NRAO’s Central Development Laboratory (CDL), presented the NSF NRAO special award to Zepherin Soika, an eighth grader from Charlottesville Catholic School. Zeph’s project, “Can You Hear Me Now? Investigation of a Dipole Antenna Array on Signal to Noise Ratio” also took third place in the Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical category.
A complete listing of all science fair awards is available on the fair’s website. The NSF NRAO appreciates the support and collaboration of VPRSF organizers Adrian Felts and Dan Gioeli.
The NSF NRAO Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team proudly partners with schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations to bring radio astronomy to life and participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) events across the region. If you are interested in partnering with EPO for any of our programs, including science fair mentoring, please contact STEAMEd@nrao.edu for information.
About NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
