Above: Dean Sebastian van Delden with high school student Angela Mei, who took the top prize at the Lowcountry Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

The 2022 Lowcountry Regional Science and Engineering Fair, held on March 25, 2022, at Trident Technical College, was abuzz with 37 passionate junior high and high school students sharing their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) projects. The participants represented six Lowcountry schools plus schools in Colleton County and Myrtle Beach.

“It has been so exciting seeing all these kids after these past two years,” says Mini Narayanan, director of the Lowcountry Hall of Science and Math at the College of Charleston, which hosted and co-sponsored the fair. “We are seeing future scientists and engineers, and their energy is invigorating.”

“I’m truly impressed by the quality of the science and engineering projects and the students’ presentation skills,” adds Sebastian van Delden, dean of the College of Charleston School of Sciences and Mathematics.

While many students received awards and recognition for their efforts, the top award went to Angela Mei from the Academic Magnet High School for her project MoJoint: A Motion Visualization and Kinematic Analysis Software for the Musculoskeletal System. She will go to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta in May. The all-expense paid trip for Mei and her educator, Katy Metzner-Roop ’90 (M.S. ’93), is sponsored by the Patriots Point Cold War Submarine Memorial Fund.

Narayanan also thanked the new sponsors of the Lowcountry Regional Science and Engineering Fair including Bosch, the Charleston Engineers Joint Council and the Charleston Soil and Water Conservation District, which provided cash awards for students.

Now that schools are reinstating their science fairs, Narayanan looks forward to more participants at the 2023 fair.

“More participants equal more exciting projects, more STEM awareness and more scientists and engineers, which creates a foundation for a better future,” she says.

To help support that better future, the Lowcountry Hall of Science and Math will introduce STEM 360 in July 2022. Targeting high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, this week-long summer program at the College of Charleston offers a glimpse into a range of STEM fields, including astronomy, behavioral science, biology, marine biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics and robotics. All the disciplines will be taught by experts in that field and may include trips to the beach, the College’s marine lab, Stono Preserve and other local organizations.

“We hope all students will join us for our first pre-college program,” says van Delden. “What we are offering is a STEM buffet, so students can get a taste for all things STEM, and with Mini leading the program, STEM 360 is certain to be a program worth attending.”