Quick Info for the program: This is a yearly STEM competition program for Junior HS and Senior HS divisions in the tidewater area. Students usually research, design, and create projects over a period of time through the coordination of their local educators; ASCE – Norfolk Branch judges, as well as other organizations and local educators will review the students’ abstracts prior to the TSEF day and also interact with the students and their projects on the TSEF day. ASCE-Norfolk Branch sponsored the program by donating $250 for the success of the event.
The ASCE Norfolk Branch judges awarded certificates, ASCE swags, and monetary awards to the top three outstanding junior division and senior division individual projects shown to study, investigate, and document research in a materials or civil engineering related topic. Projects were evaluated for creativity and innovative solutions that exemplify the civil engineering profession. Students were also evaluated on their ability to communicate the technical issues at hand and their responses to the questions from judges.
In the Junior division, awards were given to projects with these topics:
First Place: JR-EAEV03; Cosmic Clean-Up: Nature’s Backup Plan for Space Water
Second Place: JR-ETEN06; The Effect of Different Bridge Materials on the Efficiency of a Toy Car Traveling Across the Bridge
Third Place: JR-EAEV05; The Effect of UV Radiation on the Electrical Signal Frequencies of Alocasia wentii
In the Senior division, awards were given to projects with these topics:
First Place: SR-MATS03; Effects of Plastic Waste on Concrete Strength
Second Place: SR-ETEN03; Types of Stilts and Their Stability with Different Support Beam Styles
Third Place: SR-SSRO05; Image Data Collection Rig for Training AI in Orientation and Distance Detection
The TSEF event is one of the biggest STEM program in the region and usually very well attended. ASCE-Norfolk Branch has been participating in this program for many years, and this year, Michael Bumbaco, P.E., Christina L. Ammens, P.E., Jessica Evans, EIT, and Kayode C. Aransiola, P.E. from the ASCE - Norfolk Branch attended the event.