Looking out at the audience of more than 200 high school students, Dr. Bindu Nair exhorted them to sustain their passion and curiosity for all things STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) — and to continue to ask questions, no matter how strange.
“It’s crucial to maintain your curiosity, as if you were still 10-year-olds, and to study it using analytical techniques,” said Nair, who is the director of basic research for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). “Keep asking questions, even the ones people think are weird — you’re helping to build the body of human knowledge for the future.
“Everything you’ll do in the future will impact the world,” she continued, “and I could not be happier than to leave the world to you.”
Nair gave her remarks during an awards ceremony capping the 61st National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), held April 12-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
JSHS, a renowned showcase of STEM research by high school students, is sponsored by the DoD and administered by the National Science Teaching Association. It encourages high school students to conduct original STEM research and recognizes them for outstanding achievements.
This year’s National JSHS event was hosted by the Department of the Navy, facilitated by the Naval STEM Coordination Office, which is located at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). In attendance were 227 competing high school students as well as teachers, mentors, university faculty, military personnel, DoD STEM professionals, and more serving as judges, mentors and representatives of their regions.
Besides Nair, the April 15 awards ceremony featured remarks from several prominent speakers, including:
- Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, chief of naval research
- William Nelson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Research and Technology
- Dr. Yvette Weber, associate deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering
“I’m looking for talented people like you, who may want to join our ranks either in uniform or as a civilian employee working at one of our laboratories or in another STEM capacity,” said Selby. “This is a critical time as technology is moving along at a blistering pace. We need people who understand that and can provide products to both the public and DoD.”
Award presenters included Nair; Weber; Capt. Randy Cruz, assistant chief of naval research; and Dr. Travis King, director for basic research and STEM outreach, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology.
To qualify for National JSHS, students first presented their original scientific research at one of 49 regional competitions hosted by universities and colleges in the U.S., Puerto Rico and DoDEA (DoD Education Activity) schools worldwide.
The top five students from each region were invited to compete at the National JSHS as national finalists. The top two finalists in each region competed in oral presentations for the chance to win scholarships ranging from $4,000-$12,000. The remaining three finalists from each region participated in the poster competition for a chance to win cash awards.
Forty-eight national winners were announced at the National JSHS awards ceremony on April 15, awarding $192,000 in scholarships and $10,800 in cash awards.
In addition to the competition, the national finalists participated in DoD lab tours and networking events with DoD STEM professionals. Throughout the four-day event, attendees also listened to speakers from all of the military services.
Dr. Sandra Chapman, a program officer in ONR’s Warfighter Performance Department, highlighted her sponsored work in the areas of undersea medicine and marine mammal research. She also provided advice in pursuing a STEM career.
“You are not selecting an easy path when you choose to be a scientist,” she said. “There are no free answers and it can be difficult to discover those answers. Additionally, you may face those who don’t believe in you or your ideas. Remember that opinions are not fact and your only goal is to discover the truth.
“I encourage you all to commit to invest in yourself and build relationships for the sharing of ideas and insights,” Chapman continued. “This has exponentially accelerated my own growth.”
Sandy Landsberg — who is both the Naval STEM Coordination Office executive and a division director in ONR’s Command, Control, Computing, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (C5ISRT) Department — said:
“Naval STEM celebrates the achievements of these remarkable students and aspiring scientists. We look forward to benefiting from their future innovation and ingenuity as they potentially bring new perspectives to addressing challenges facing the Navy and Marine Corps.”
View the full list of NJSHS winners.
Warren Duffie Jr. is a contractor for ONR Corporate Strategic Communications.