Fischell Institute community members judge College Park Academy’s 2025 Science Fair

Five members of the Fischell Institute community supported middle school STEM students as judges at College Park Academy’s annual science fair on January 29, 2025.

The judges included Elizabeth Barski, Fischell Institute and MPower Entrepreneurship fellow; Allison Boboltz, a bioengineering Ph.D. candidate, and Shadin Doski, a bioengineering Ph.D. student, both members in Associate Professor and Affiliate Fellow Gregg Duncan’s Respiratory NanoBioengineering lab; Ryan McIlvaine, a bioengineering Ph.D. student in Fischell Institute Professor for Translational Engineering, MPower Professor, and Fischell Institute Fellow Chris Jewell’s research lab; and Esther Olonimoyo, a chemistry Ph.D. candidate in Professor and Affiliate Fellow Akua Asa-Awuku’s Environmental Aerosol lab.

“It’s really amazing what they’re doing at CPA,” Barski said. “It was evident in the posters that the kids gave their all. Seeing their work gives me hope for future generations.”

All 390 CPA students completed a science project, while more than 30 were selected from their cohorts to present at the main science fair event.

“Our science fair was an outstanding success, showcasing the creativity, critical thinking and scientific curiosity of our sixth- through eighth-grade students,” said CPA Middle School Principal Steven Baker. “The level of research and presentation was truly impressive. Having members of the Fischell Institute community serve as judges elevated the experience for our students, providing them with meaningful feedback from experts deeply engaged in scientific inquiry.”

Baker added that the presence of the institute’s community members not only inspired the young s

cientists but also highlighted the real-world connections between classroom learning and advanced scientific careers.

“I judged a sixth grader who had done the same project I did for my own sixth-grade science fair about 15 years ago,” Boboltz said. “It was great to see him so excited about the project in the same way I was at his age.”

McIlvaine, who judged for the second year, said the science fair is one of his favorite events to attend.

“It’s super exciting to see all the hard work the kids put into their projects every year,” he said. “The scope of the projects they come up with is really surprising and inspiring.”