UW Engineering Involved In Statewide Competitions

Two events will bring some of Wyoming’s brightest young minds to the campus of the University of Wyoming in the coming days, and UW’s College of Engineering and Applied Science will fill a supporting role in each event.

MathCounts
The CEAS will host the 2018 Wyoming State MathCounts Competition on March 3. The state competition is a part of the national competition series, a program that provides students the opportunity to compete in live, in-person contests against and alongside their peers. MathCounts provides engaging math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels in order to build confidence and improve attitudes towards math and problem solving.

Highlights for the state competition include tours of the UW campus, the Stable Isotope Facility, the Advanced Research Computing Center, a banquet dinner and awards.

Science Fair
The annual Wyoming State Science Fair will be at UW on March 4-6. Qualified Wyoming students from 42 schools will showcase their original science research, and compete for award monies and chances to advance to further competitions at the national and international levels. Student research may cover areas as diverse as robotics, environmental management, behavioral and social science, computational biology and chemistry.

The public is invited to view the student research displays in the Wyoming Union Ballroom and Family Room during public viewing times Monday, March 5, from 5:30-8 p.m. and Tuesday, March 6, from 7-10:30 a.m. The public also is welcome to attend the awards ceremony at 8 a.m. Tuesday in the UW College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

“Not only will the students receive awards but, this year, teachers will receive awards and recognition for their work as mentors,” says Erin Stoesz, Wyoming State Science Fair coordinator. “Teacher support is often the key to student participation and success. Our students with good ideas rely on the help of mentors to make their scientific ideas and investigations a reality.”

Students competing this year also will participate in enrichment activities and laboratory tours on the UW campus, planetarium shows and an evening learning about the WyoBio Citizen Science Project. All competitors will receive T-shirts and an opportunity to meet fellow competitors, Stoesz says.

Alumni of the Wyoming State Science Fair, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair or the Science Talent Search are invited to attend a celebratory reception Tuesday, March 6, from 7:15-8 a.m. in Room 203 of the Wyoming Union. She adds that alumni who are unable to attend are encouraged to send their “words of wisdom” to wyostatefair@gmail.com so they also can be included on the banner.

Students represented will be from: Arapahoe Middle School; Cheyenne East High School; C.H.I.L.D. Home Schools; Chugwater Middle School; Cody Middle School; Davis Elementary/Cheyenne; Encampment; Homeschool Classical Conversations/Lander campus; Gilchrest Elementary/Cheyenne; Glendo High School; Glendo Middle School; Greybull High School; Greybull Middle School; Hanna-Elk Mountain Junior and Senior High School; Henderson Elementary/Cheyenne; Holy Name Catholic School/Sheridan; Lander Middle School; Lander Valley High School; Laramie High School; Lingle-Fort Laramie High School; and Lingle-Fort Laramie Middle School.

Also, Little Snake River Valley High School/Baggs; Lusk Middle School; McCormick Junior High School/Cheyenne; Meeteetse schools; Natrona County High School/Casper; Newcastle High School; Pinedale High School; Pinedale Middle School; Pioneer Park Elementary School/Cheyenne; Poder Academy Secondary School/Cheyenne; Powell Middle School; Prairie Wind Elementary School/Cheyenne; St. Mary’s Catholic School/Cheyenne; Saratoga Middle-High School; Sheridan Junior High School; Snowy Range Academy/Laramie; Southeast High School/Yoder; Torrington Middle School; Wheatland Middle School; and Wyoming Connections Academy/Cody.