FRIB and Michigan State University announced the winners of the “Distinguished Trailblazers in the Sciences” competition on 1 February. For the competition, pre-college students created video presentations about scientists and engineers who have excelled or contributed to the fields of nuclear science, accelerator science, and accelerator engineering.
There were two categories based on grade level:
- Category one: Grades 5-8
- Category two: Grades 9-12
Students created an original artistic design expression, personalized poem, musical performance (song/rap), video, or poster to highlight their selected “Distinguished Trailblazer in the Sciences.” They then created an original video in which they presented their submission. The winners and their winning videos are:
Category one: Grades 5-8
- First place: Owen Stevenson-Liu (Chippewa Middle School; Okemos, Michigan)
- Second place: Jace Ednalino (Causey Middle School; Mobile, Alabama)
- Third place: Troy Roberts (Causey Middle School; Mobile, Alabama)
Category two: Grades 9-12
- First place: Sahasra Vishwanathan (Menchville High School; Newport News, Virginia)
The competition was developed under the FRIB and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) Student Training and Engagement Program for Undergraduates in Physics (STEP-UP). FRIB/Jefferson Lab STEP-UP Coordinators Chandra Oaks-Garcia and Mornetka Gueye, and Artemis Spyrou, professor of physics at FRIB and in the Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Physics and Astronomy, created and organized “Trailblazers.”
Michigan State University (MSU) operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), with financial support from and furthering the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics.