November 1, 2019
Supporting Student STEM Research Since 1949
Henry Disston, President and Executive Director
Paul Martino, Chairman, Board of Trustees

DVSF Winners Took Top Awards at BroadcomM.A.S.T.E.R.S.!
Two DVSF 2019 middle school winners are BroadcomMASTERS top winners!
DVSF Congratulates Broadcom M.A.S.T.E.R.S. Winners
Alaina Gassler and Rachel Bergey!
Delaware Valley Science Fairs' (DVSF) 6th-8th grade 2019 Gold Medal winner Rachel Bergey and Silver Medal winner Alaina Gassler took top awards at the national Broadcom M.A.S.T.E.R.S. competition in Washington, DC, this week. Alaina won the top prize, a $25,000 award from Samueli Foundation, for her project on reducing blindspots for drivers coupled with her outstanding performance in a series of hands-on challenges during the Broadcom M.A.S.T.E.R.S. competition. Rachel won the $10,000 Lemelson Foundation prize awarded to the project best exemplifying a solution to a real-world problem for her development of a unique trap for the Spotted Lanternfly.  
THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Middle Schooler’s Invention Seeks to Correct Blind Spots; Wins $25,000 Top Award in the National Broadcom MASTERS Competition
OCTOBER 29, 2019


Girls Shine in Broadcom MASTERS, Winning Top Five Awards
WASHINGTON, DC (October 29, 2019) --  Broadcom Foundation  and  Society for Science & the Public  today announced that Alaina Gassler, 14, of West Grove, Pennsylvania, won the coveted $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, the top award in the Broadcom MASTERS ® , the nation’s premier science and engineering competition for middle school students. 

Through her project, Alaina Gassler is seeking to make driving safer by reducing blind spots. She designed a system that uses a webcam to display anything that might block the driver’s line of sight. Alaina was inspired to create her device after seeing her mother struggle with blind spots in their family automobile. 

The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of the Society for Science & the Public, inspires middle school students to follow their personal passions to exciting college and career pathways in STEM. Thirty finalists, including Alaina, took home more than $100,000 in awards. 
The finalists were honored during an awards ceremony for their achievements in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) together with their demonstration of 21 st  Century skills, including critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaborative skills and team work.

The finalists are judged on projects that they presented at their state or regional science fair; their knowledge of STEM subjects and their demonstration of 21 st  Century skills in a series of hands-on challenges. These challenges included collaborating to design, code and build a functional program using Raspberry Pi; designing a medical pack that must hold a three-month supply of medicine and seining in the Chesapeake Bay.

“Congratulations to Alaina, whose project has the potential to decrease the number of automobile accidents by reducing blind spots,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. “With so many challenges in our world, Alaina and her fellow Broadcom MASTERS finalists make me optimistic. I am proud to lead an organization that is inspiring so many young people, especially girls, to continue to innovate.”

“I speak for Henry and Susan Samueli as well as the Broadcom Foundation to express our excitement in awarding the Samueli Foundation Prize to Alaina for her remarkable achievements in all of the STEM challenges as well as her leadership in competition throughout week. It is her total contribution to the Broadcom MASTERS in addition to her impressive work on her science fair project as a talented young engineer seeking to improve automobile safety that earned her this prestigious award," said Paula Golden, President of the Broadcom Foundation. “She, along with the entire Class of 2019, are already leaders in their fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These young innovators give every one of us hope for the future."

Alaina Gassler , 14, West Grove, Pennsylvania, won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, for her project reducing blind spots in cars and her exemplary performance during the Broadcom MASTERS’s hands-on challenges. The prize is a gift of Dr. Henry Samueli, Chairman of the Board, Broadcom Inc., and Chair of the Broadcom Foundation and his wife, Dr. Susan Samueli, President of the Samueli Foundation.

Rachel Bergey , 14, Harleysville, Pennsylvania, won the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems. Rachel developed a trap made of tinfoil and netting for the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species causing damage to trees in Pennsylvania.

Read the full Press Release .
Alaina Gassler, 8th Grader from West Grove, PA
Winner of the top BroadcomM.A.S.T.E.R.S. award, the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize
Project Title: Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots




Rachel Bergey, 8th Grader from Harleysville, PA
Winner of the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention
Project Title: Spotted Lanternflies: Stick'em or Trick'em?



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Regene ron STS Application Deadline November 13 at 8pm

High school seniors , this announcement is for you! The  application  for the Regeneron Science Talent Search is open through Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at 8pm ET. Eligible students are invited to apply to the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. From the entrant pool, the Society for Science & the Public and Regeneron will award $3.1 million dollars to top students and their schools.

Mentors Wanted

Delaware Valley Science Fairs needs mentors in all categories so that we can match students with mentors who have the expertise needed for the science project.

Mentor requests are made after a sponsor has approved the student's research proposal, and mentors have an opportunity to review each request before accepting it. Most mentors are able to provide advice by email, so location is not an issue. Willingness to give assistance to our future scientists is key. Volunteer today at  DVSF.org .
Mentorship Program - Delaware Valley Science Fairs

DVSF Mentorship Program connects students to the benefits of the rich, scientific community around us. Engagement with mentors sparks enthusiasm in research and the fascinating world of engineering and science. Share your skills, knowledge, and...

Read more
drexel.edu
Easy Ways to Give to DVSF
Designate Delaware Valley Science Fairs as a donor option for United Way:
Number for Southeastern PA - 10412
Number for Bucks County - 10501

Use the Smile program at Amazon.com to donate to DVSF without having to spend any extra money. Choose Delaware Valley Science Fairs as the charity of your choice. Every time you shop at smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate a small amount to DVSF. 
Mark Your Calendars!
Dates for science fairs in 2020:

Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF) -
April 7-9, with judging day on April 8
at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks

International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) - May 10-15 in Anaheim, California
Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc. (DVSF)
Henry Disston
President and Executive Director
 
Mickey Disston
Director Special Awards/Volunteers
  
Sheila Romine
Director, Communications & Mentorship
John Disston
Director, Judging/IT
 
Susanne Johnston
Director, Student Research
 
Suzanne Mecouch
Director, Teacher Development
Major Sponsors of DVSF

Braskem America
Bullpen Capital
Dietrich Botstiber Foundation
Dow Chemical Company
Drexel University
DuPont
FMC Corporation
GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
Insaco
Janssen R&D 
Pfizer, Inc.
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Universal Display Corporation
USciences
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.