On Saturday, May 8th, 2021, we hosted our 2021 Virtual STEM Showcase, our 3rd annual Penn State EnvironMentors symposium. The showcase/symposium is our chapter’s cumulative event during which our high school student participants present the research projects to their families, friends, and members of the Penn State community. We have hosted our symposium virtually these past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This academic year, we recruited 16 high school student participants from the State College, Harrisburg, and Sharon communities in Pennsylvania to participate in the program. We matched our students within their respective research teams comprised of faculty and undergraduate student mentors. Under the guidance and supervision of their mentors, our high school students conducted innovative research guided by their interests in STEM. Despite the many challenges they faced and the fatigue from the virtual world, our students preserved throughout this year and concluded their research projects.

Twelve high school students presented their research projects at this year’s showcase. The projects covered diverse topics ranging from air quality and particulate matter, 3D printing, Huntingdon disease, Hurricane Observation, and many more. In addition, we honored and highlighted our graduating high school and undergraduate students during the showcase. Our graduating undergraduate mentors are moving on to pursue graduate degrees at various universities or entering the workforce. Our graduating high school students got admitted to world-renowned universities, such as Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cornell, and Penn State. We Are very proud of our student’s accomplishments, and we appreciate the time and efforts dedicated to Penn State EnvironMentors this year.