Innovation took center stage as 133 Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) students enrolled in the Governor’s School @ Innovation Park (GS@IP) presented their yearlong research projects at the annual GS@IP Student Research Symposium. Working in teams, students tackled real-world challenges across fields including biomedicine and health sciences, robotics, engineering technology, and more. Held in the Freedom Center Gymnasium on George Mason University’s Science and Technology Campus, the symposium featured rows of student presenters sharing and explaining their projects with visitors.

“Our research symposium is a yearly tradition that allows our students to showcase all their amazing ideas and research projects spanning a wide range of STEM topics. Independent research and project development are a cornerstone of the Gov School experience, and we are very proud of all the growth our students have shown this year,” said Dr. Jason Calhoun, GS@IP Director.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the incredible work students produced:

  • When Your Gut Becomes a Brewery: Proving the Efficiency of Preventative Measures for Auto-Brewery Syndrome by Giana Culberson (Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School), Coco Izumi (Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School), and Alyssa Yoo (Osbourn Park High School)
  • Liquid Metal Cooling in Data Centers by Troy Maurer (Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School), Madeline Ryan (Gainesville High School), and Ian Thomas (Osbourn Park High School)
  • SepsiSense: A Sepsis Detection & Post-Sepsis Health Monitoring Software by Belva Fianko (Osbourn Park High School), Bilal Khan (Osbourn Park High School), and Naman Patel (Osbourn Park High School)
  • Optimizing Black Tea for Food Oils in Biofuel Production by Kei Deomano (Forest Park High School), Jude Donkor (Osbourn Park High School), and Christian Librada (Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School)
  • Developing a Low-Cost, Machine Learning-Based Early Earthquake Detection System by Eliab Melaku (Osbourn Park High School), Nikhil Patil (Osbourn Park High School), and Mahib Rahman (Osbourn Park High School)

The mission of the GS@IP is to engage students in rigorous academic study, challenge them to acquire knowledge, develop understanding, think reflectively, and take intellectual and creative risks in problem-solving for the benefit of the Earth. This two-year shared-day program is offered to 166 gifted and academically motivated students from PWCS, Manassas City Public Schools, and Manassas Park City Public Schools. For more information, visit the GS@IP webpage.