STEM News

Derryfield Hosts FIRST Scrimmage

In December, the Derryfield robotics team hosted a FIRST tech challenge. FIRST, based in Manchester, is an international non-profit founded by Dean Kamen. In a tech challenge, “teams design, build, and program robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by android technology, and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming.” The Derryfield team looks forward to partnering with FIRST on other official robotics competitions.

BioTrek Project Pitch

When the seniors in Advanced Topics Biology embarked on their independent senior projects this spring, the two remaining juniors in the class took advantage of a unique research opportunity. Kennedy Amorim and Ashley Hardner participated in a onemonth learning program called BioTrek, sponsored by BioFabUSA.

BioTrek is a “student-led, project-based learning program that exposes students to the science and career opportunities of biofabrication and regenerative medicine. Through the research and work associated with the program, students learn how to approach and solve complex problems and communicate their findings to a variety of audiences—peers, staff, industry leaders.” BioFab partners with the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), a non-profit organization located in Manchester.

Amorim and Hardner collaborated on a project to find a new treatment for peripheral nerve damage. Their presentation included case studies, a detailed discussion of all components of their proposed procedure, as well as a business model. They pitched their project to four judges representing the regulatory, process, lab, and bioprinting divisions at ARMI.

Kathleen Hannabach, Education & Workforce Development Program Coordinator at ARMI, commented, “Ashley and Kennedy were very motivated and self-directed from the start, choosing a problem that was personal and intriguing to them, and designing an extraordinary TEMP that highlights the bold advances of regenerative medicine. Their pitch presentation was as dynamic as they are, and reflected their research and passion.”

Zooming in STEM Professionals

In an effort to give their tenth grade computer science students an idea of STEM employment opportunities, co-teachers Mary Watt and Tom Eng invited STEM professionals from across the country to speak to students about their careers in STEM.

• Mr. Austin Shalit, a software engineer for SpaceX, spoke about his work on the software systems for the Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 is currently the workhorse rocket for SpaceX.

• Capt. Nolan Hedglin (U.S. Army) gave a presentation on cybersecurity and cyber operations. Hedglin is a graduate of the USMA and also holds graduate degrees from Harvard.

• Dr. Ramya Raghavendra, of Facebook, discussed machine learning and artificial intelligence. She is based at Meta/Facebook in NYC.

• Dr. Nicholas Fuller of IBM, who is an expert in semiconductors, presented on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing. Dr. Fuller is also a graduate of an HBCU.

• Mr. Michale Schultz, a software engineer who works for Amazon, talked about his work on search technology.

Eng said of the LEAD speakers, “The guest speaker visits were a great opportunity for the kids to ask industry professionals a wide variety of questions about what it’s like to work in the software / technology industry. The guests also shared insights and information about some of the key issues related to their respective fields.”

Women in Technology

Last winter, senior Abigail Van Dyke had an opportunity to greatly expand her technology knowledge. Van Dyke was one of 24 high school students who were chosen to participate in the 12-week Women in Technology (WiT) program with the BAE Corporation of Merrimack, NH.

The disciplines covered in the WiT program include electrical engineering, microwave/RF engineering, antenna design; digital signal processing, mechanical engineering, and software engineering. Each week a BAE Systems employee “subject matter expert” teaches the participants about an engineering discipline, followed by a hands-on activity. Throughout the program, BAE Systems employees answer questions about college, career paths, and what the day-to-day life of an engineer entails.

When asked what drew her to the WiT program, Van Dyck said, “The main reason I decided to apply to the program was the hands-on experience it offered. You can hear or read about something all you want, but it doesn’t compare to actually doing something in my opinion. My favorite module was the microwave/RF engineering. I had fun setting it up and fiddling with the signal. I couldn’t believe it when the audio started coming through!”