UTC-hosted Regional Science and Engineering Fair highlights STEM talent

Dozens of students from across the Chattanooga region gathered on Monday, March 9, at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Challenger STEM Learning Center to present their research projects to a panel of judges.

The Chattanooga Regional Science and Engineering Fair has existed for 74 years and attracts both middle and high school students to showcase their projects and compete for the chance to advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. This year’s international fair will be held from May 9-15 in Phoenix.

The Chattanooga event showcased creativity and hard work, with projects ranging from artificial intelligence and animal prosthetics to bacteria detection.

Dr. Stephanie Philipp, the interim director of the STEM Education program at UTC and an associate professor in the School of Education, emphasized the Regional Science and Engineering Fair’s long history.

“Next year will be the 75th,” Philipp said. “We usually get around 40 to 60 high school projects a year. Most are from private schools, but we’re starting to see more public school participation as well.”

Philipp mentioned that some of the student researchers involved in the event reach out to UTC staff or scientists to help gather information.

“That kind of mentorship really helps students explore real-world science,” she said.

Philipps said one of the most beneficial parts of the event is the communication and problem-solving skills students are learning. She described the research process as “messy at times,” with adjustments being made along the way.

“Even if students never become scientists or engineers, they understand persistence and how to see a project through,” she said.

McMinn County High School’s Veera Pathak took a look at the intersection of human memory and artificial intelligence. Her project, titled “False Memories: The Impact of Altered Media on Memory Distortion,” examined how altered images can affect a person’s recollection.

Her research challenged common assumptions.

“The main inspiration was the rise of AI and false media on social media and in the news,” Pathak said. “I expected older adults to be more susceptible to false memories than younger people, but my data showed not too much difference between groups under 18 and over 18.”

Other students examined more hands-on engineering types of research. Seniors Haley Patel and Kenley Petrosino, also from McMinn County High School, drew on personal experience to create sustainable prosthetics for animals.

“My pet goat was born with a wound and missing most of his back half,” Petrosino said. “I also had a pet turkey born without a leg, so we had to make her a prosthetic.”

Patel described seeing all of their hard work become a durable prototype as the most rewarding part.

Ivan Zheng, a junior at Baylor School, developed a bacteria detection system to reduce infections.

“What inspired it was how many health care-associated infections there were,” Zheng said. “One in every 31 patients receives an infection. My system could help prevent doctors from going into procedures without proper sterilization.”

Judges evaluated the projects, considering both creativity and practical application. UTC Professor of Engineering JW Bruce said he looks for solutions to real problems.

“I’m looking for the student’s ability to identify a real problem and come up with a viable design that implements the solution. In engineering, it’s less about theory and more about usability, safety and manufacturability,” said Bruce, who also praised the way students have used advanced technology like drones, machine learning and computer vision.

The middle school projects were judged by UTC STEM students looking to pursue a career in teaching. Mallorie Wooten, a senior majoring in math STEM education, said the experience allows students to apply classroom learning in real research. Senior Paige Poland, also a math STEM education major, described judging the projects as a way to support and encourage curiosity.

Philipp said one of the most exciting parts of the Science and Engineering Fair is the growing diversity in STEM participation.

“I enjoy seeing how many females are involved, not just in biological fields, but also in robotics and engineering. We also see male-female teams, which mirrors real-life collaboration,” she said.

On Tuesday, March 10, the students and their families gathered at the Challenger Center to announce the winners, with the top two projects advancing to the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Special awards were also announced by organizations such as the American Chemical Society and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

Senior Joshua Kim of McCallie School earned first place in the Cellular and Molecular Biology category for his project titled “Ionizable Amphiphilic Janus Dendrimer Optimization: Investigating Dendrimersome Nanoparticles for Enhanced mRNA Transfection in Vitro.”

“It was tremendous. I try to bring my best—the best rigorous scientific research and presentation,” Kim said. “I’m just really glad the judges could see my excitement for the work I did. I’m very grateful for this honor.”

This was the second time that one of Kim’s projects advanced to the international competition. In 2024, he traveled to Los Angeles after his project, “Accelerating Breast Cancer Diagnoses: Leveraging Machine Learning to Accurately Predict Breast Cancer Presence and Growth with Hormonal Data,” placed first in the Biomedical and Health Sciences category.

James McCorkle, a senior from Baylor School, also advanced in the Cellular and Molecular Biology category with his research titled “Using Collagen-19 Expression in C. elegans Development to Further Expand the let-7 microRNA Genetic Interactome.”

McCorkle’s project explores a tumor suppressor gene.

“I am very excited; I have heard a lot about the International Fair, so I’m really looking forward to the networking opportunities,” he said.

McCorkle plans to continue his research and gather additional results as he prepares for the international competition.

Philipp said the event teaches students about the challenges, opportunities and rewards of science and engineering.

“It’s a lot of work, but also fascinating. Once you get involved in a project, you really want to see it through,” she said. “That persistence will help in any future career.”

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