March 9, 2020
Highlands senior biology Elicia Trujillo, right, interviews Zeynep Bastas about her project called “Magical Foods” at the Northeastern Regional Science Fair at the Wilson Complex on March 7. Zeynep is a junior at United World College – USA, an international college preparatory institution.
Photo: Rick Loffredo/University Relations
Las Vegas, NM – More than 200 middle and high school students had the opportunity to express their own science creations at New Mexico Highlands University's Northeastern Regional Science Fair on March 7th.
Students from communities such as Las Vegas, Taos, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Roy, and Wagon Mound gathered at Highlands to present their work at science fairs.
Kelly Trujillo, director of the Highlands Center for Achieving in Research, Math and Science (ARMAS), co-directed the science fair with Kino Hurtado, director of Career Services at Highlands.
Trujillo said the science fair plays an important role in encouraging students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math, known collectively as STEM. Highlands has sponsored the Northeastern Regional Science Fair for more than 50 years.
“Kids decide early on if science and math are their 'thing,'” Trujillo said. “Too often, students who have bad experiences learning these difficult subjects write it off before giving it a real chance. I think when students stick with it, they learn how rewarding scientific discovery can be. Hopefully the students leave the science fair with a sense of real achievement, something that pushes them to go further.”
Trujillo said community outreach activities like the Northeastern Regional Science Fair are necessary to let communities know what the Highlands has to offer in STEM education.
“Science fair participants and their teachers and families meet our students and teachers at Highlands. They can see our campus, check out the fun science activities at the ARMAS Center, and see beautiful Las Vegas. Ultimately, young people have the opportunity to envision themselves as a future student at Highlands,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo said the science fair relies on more than 100 volunteers, including Highlands faculty, students and others who help evaluate science fair entries.
“We have a variety of reviewers who come from different stages of their scientific careers. Our students at Highlands encourage younger children to continue to do scientific research. Our students are fantastic role models. They are mentored by more senior judges, such as Highlands science faculty, other faculty, and career and retired scientists,” Trujillo said.
The lead judge for the science fair was Juergen Eckert, a research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University.
