Dressed in white coats, Moore Middle School Mustang scientists ushered in another Next is Now initiative for Tyler ISD at UT Tyler’s University Center. As an extension to Engineering Week and a new collaboration with UT Tyler College of Engineering, students came from across the area to participate in Moore’s annual Science Fair and STEM Expo. As the host and driver of the competition, Moore leveraged this new partnership to help expand opportunity and promote STEM.
Hosting the event at the University Center allowed volunteer judges from UT Tyler, TJC, Eastman Chemical Company, and The Genesis Group to judge the competition in isolation, without disrupting the flow of the Moore campus.
“Planning for this event began in August of last year, and it was a joy to see all of it come together,” Taylor Easterling, Moore teacher and UT Tyler Science Fair Co-Coordinator, said. “Having many of my former professors from UT Tyler serve as judges made the event even more special. Their commitment to encouraging young minds in our community to get excited about science was encouraging to me.”
After judging, students and their families enjoyed a unique evening showcase of interactive STEM experiences, including a UT Tyler Engineering showcase, Moore Robotics, The Discovery Science Place Planetarium, and a photo booth featuring the UT Tyler mascot, Swoop, and Mikey the Mustang from Moore Middle School. Even the Texas Rose Festival Princess, Miss Brynn Ballard, was in attendance to present the elementary and secondary science fair awards.
“The University Center was the perfect venue for this community event. It allowed us to set up without disruption, gave a central location for invited 3rd-8th grades across elementary and middle schools in Tyler ISD and surrounding districts, and promotes the connection between K-12 and Higher Education STEM,” Moore Principal Aubrey Ballard said.
This event highlighted our commitment to collaborating with UT Tyler to promote STEM learning, and the science fair provides students with the opportunity to showcase their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
“We are grateful for the partnership with UT Tyler College of Engineering and the ability to display students’ hard work in a collegiate setting,” Tyler ISD Chief Innovation Officer Bobby Markle said. “This will set the stage for the future and how our two strong organizations will work together for stellar student experiences.”
Ms. Easterling and the Moore community want to thank Dr. Carla Lacerda, Professor of Chemical Engineering at UT Tyler, for her instrumental support in the planning of this event. With this success, Ms. Easterling was encouraged and stated, “We look forward to continuing this partnership and watching this event grow year to year.”
Science Fair Winners
Elementary Division Winners
Behavioral Science
2nd Place: William Wavrusa, Andy Woods Elementary School — Pet Paw Preferences
Chemical Science
1st Place: Jayden Rodriguez, Orr Elementary School — Does the Amount of Yeast Change How Big the Elephant Toothpaste Reaction Is?
Secondary Division Winners
Engineering Design
1st Place: Robert Reed, Moore Middle School — Bat Ears – Owl Eyes: Biomimetic Active Scanning for Echolocation-Based Robot Navigation
2nd Place: Anvitha Raviekanth, Moore Middle School — Breathe Easy
3rd Place: Raiden Ferruli, Moore Middle School — The 20–20k Hz Myth: An Arduino Hearing Test
Environmental Science
1st Place: Maxwell Storms, Moore Middle School — A Sprout’s Struggle: The Battle Against Contaminants
2nd Place: Michelle Dong, Moore Middle School — How Important Is Water Quality?
3rd Place: Jhonen Galdamez, Moore Middle School — Impact of Acidity on Shells
Physical Science
1st Place: Katie Graves, Moore Middle School — Rolling the Odds
2nd Place: Pierce Ballard, Moore Middle School — A Sticky Situation
3rd Place: Kinsler Johnson, Moore Middle School — Truss Me, It’s Strong!
Biological Science
1st Place: Lennox Harlacher, Moore Middle School — Bleached Waters: Using Household Bleach to Kill Microbes
2nd Place: Connor Daugherty, Moore Middle School — Wipe Out!
3rd Place: Silas Dickey, Moore Middle School — Sanitizer Showdown
Chemical Science
1st Place: Margo Graves, Moore Middle School — Baking Cookies: For Butter or Worse
2nd Place: Mary Katherine Andrade, Moore Middle School — From Petri to Pretty: Making the Most of Moisturizer
3rd Place: David Estridge, Moore Middle School — Water Trouble: Are Public Water Fountains Clean?
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.