
Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
About 20 of New Mexico’s brightest minds gathered Monday to existing how their exploration could condition the long run. And no, these aren’t researchers from the state’s national labs.
These are learners – elementary by high university – who presented their science tasks to NAIOP New Mexico associates and donors at the Marriott Albuquerque for the commercial serious estate organization’s annual university student showcase. It was NAIOP’s 16th yr supporting area learners, and the corporation has supplied out $180,000 to pupils as a result of member donors.
This yr the organization doled out around $26,940 with the assistance of more than 50 donors, claimed NAIOP NM Govt Director Rhiannon Samuel. Learners who participated in the Central New Mexico STEM Analysis Obstacle – 1 of 5 regional science fairs in the condition – were being judged and awarded money by NAIOP’s science honest committee, headed by Louis Abruzzo and Mary Homan, in March.
Some learners who placed in these regional fairs and also at the condition science truthful hosted by New Mexico Tech are qualified to contend at the International Science and Engineering Truthful hosted in Atlanta future thirty day period. Landon Flemming, a 17-12 months-outdated scholar at Investigate Academy, is one pupil who will be heading to ISEF on May well 7. Flemming made a low-charge artificial pancreas system for his science project.
“It’s just so gratifying,” Abruzzo said of viewing New Mexico’s upcoming era of movers and shakers current their investigate. “These kids are coming out of all varieties of faculties.”
One particular of these pupils is 15-calendar year-aged Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics and Science pupil Sebastian Stoker, who positioned second in the junior division for lifestyle sciences and 1st in earth and environmental sciences in the Central New Mexico STEM Investigate Obstacle in late March – the same fair in which NAIOP associates awarded learners dollars. Stoker most just lately also won a initial position award in the state science fair hosted by New Mexico Tech.
Stoker was awarded additional than $900 from donors for his challenge, he said, and he options to continue with his research ahead of probably finding out pharmaceutics.
For Aimee Linebarger, 16, a pupil at AIMS, her science undertaking took inspiration from close to property. Linebarger, who has been in performs and sings usually at the Countrywide Hispanic Cultural Center, explained the constructing experienced flooded 3 times in the previous three several years. So she designed a undertaking that can detect developing floods utilizing a series of Raspberry Pi computers.
Her venture received 2nd location in senior engineering at the STEM Study Problem and she received $925 that she designs to save for college or university.

Salam Academy scholar Ryhab Jrifat, 13, concentrated on 5 distinct fears for her social sciences undertaking – posing a query about which worry resonated most with center-and-large faculty college students. Soon after accumulating facts and averaging data out, Jrifat claimed her information showed that 16- to 18-calendar year-olds were being most fearful of failure. For Jrifat, who claims she’s not the best at math, the recognition of her function has saved her inspired to continue on on in the STEM industry.
“Even if the math is hard – since the math can be difficult – just stick to it,” said Jrifat, giving words of encouragement for other college students interested in the STEM industry.
Route to a brilliant foreseeable future
The math can be tricky, the do the job put into a task can be demanding on the intellect at situations. But if you just adhere to it, as Jrifat mentioned, the benefits reaped can be higher than what was sowed.
Just talk to Devin Roach, a current graduate of Georgia Tech University. Roach gained his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the university – but he credits his desire in science to the help of NAIOP NM when he was just a substantial faculty student at St. Pius X.
Roach, a large sporting activities supporter by his admission, claimed he made a science challenge that researched the bounce of distinct basketball shoes. By means of his exploration, he found that Shaq basketball footwear – ordinarily found at Walmart – experienced more bounce than some other, additional recognizable sneakers.
His venture at the time awarded him $1,400 from NAIOP donors, led to him having his doctorate, and, now, has led him again property to Albuquerque wherever he’s a post-doctoral scholar at Sandia National Laboratories working in additive manufacturing.
“Getting the recognition from NAIOP and obtaining sort of the means to go discuss in entrance of people, other scientists (and have) people be in to tasks when I was showing my poster board – that form of issue – truly influenced me and reassured me that I was on a fantastic route,” Roach claimed. “It’s just validating.”
