Greybull High School senior Travis Sylvester was among a group of students from across America selected to meet with President Obama earlier this week for the second White House Science Fair.
Representing Wyoming, Sylvester was among students who were chosen to meet with the president after winning a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions held across the country. Obama announced key steps that his administration and its partners are taking to assist more U.S. students in math and science to help them earn degrees in those subjects.
During the White House science fair, the president viewed exhibits of student work, ranging from breakthrough research to new inventions. He followed with remarks to the audience of students, science educators and business leaders on the importance of STEM education to the country's economic future.
Sylvester has won many local, state, national and international awards, including first and second place in the environment category of the International Sustainable World (Engineering, Energy & Environment) Project Olympiad in Houston, Texas; second place in environmental management at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, Calif.; fourth place in environmental management at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, Calif.; and third place at the High School Youth Forum at the Society for Range Management meeting in Denver. He also earned the China Association for Science and Technology award.
Sylvester will display his latest project, "Improving Mine Reclamation through Continuing Innovation," in the environmental management category at the Wyoming State Science Fair March 4-6, at the University of Wyoming.
Last year, President Obama hosted the first White House Science Fair, fulfilling a commitment he made at the launch of his "Educate to Innovate" campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science.
At the time, he told high school science students, "If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. If you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too."
For more information about Sylvester's White House visit, call UW's Beth Cable, Wyoming State Science Fair/STEM Outreach Coordinator, at (307) 766-9863.
