The STEM Yard

In this week's episode of The STEM Yard, host Alonzo Alexander is LIVE from the 2023 Science Olympiad National Tournament at Wichita State University. Alonzo chats with Jenny Kopach, CEO & Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications for Science Olympiad. Jenny shares what Science Olympiad means to her family. what sets the program apart from other STEM competitions and her advice for teams.

Also joining the podcast is Ashwin (Ash) Ghadiyaram, NC Science Olympiad Alum, National Anatomy & Physiology Event Leader and current med student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ash discusses his journey from competitor to National Event Leader. Plus, Alonzo got a sneak peek at the scoring room and quizzes Alan Chalker, score room manager, about how scoring works. 

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

In this special episode of The STEM Yard, Alonzo sits down with Pristine Onuoha, winner of the 2022 Genes in Space student research competition and her AP Biology teacher Kimberly Manning. 

Pristine discusses her award-winning research project and the exciting role it will play in better understanding how space travel affects DNA. Kimberly shares her tips for encouraging students like Pristine to excel in the classroom and beyond. The dynamic duo showcases the power STEM education has on transforming research and student success.

Onuoha’s project, which will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 3, 2023. Her research investigates spaceflight-induced lengthening of telomeres, which are sections of DNA that protect chromosomes. Telomere length can serve as a biomarker for aging and can help predict a person’s risk for certain diseases. Results from Onuoha’s experiment could lead to a better understanding of aging, cancer development, and how the body heals itself.

The competition was founded by Boeing and miniPCR bio and supported by the ISS National Laboratory and New England BioLabs, the Genes in Space program challenges 7-12 grade students to propose DNA-based experiments that leverage the unique environment of the ISS.

Watch Pristine's project launch into space on June 3rd at 12:34 pm!

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

In this week's episode of The STEM Yard host Alonzo Alexander chats with Jill Fisher, Director of Kansas Science Olympiad and Dean Andrew Hippisley of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wichita State University. Fairmont College of Liberal Arts is the sponsor and host of the Kansas Science Olympiad program and upcoming National Science Olympiad Tournament.

Alonzo, Jill and Andrew discuss the upcoming 2023 National Science Olympiad Tournament including the significance of Wichita State University getting to host the event and their recommendations for local Wichita activities. Jill discusses her background as former National Science Olympiad competitor and her inspiration for the event.

Links

2023 National Science Olympiad Website | Official Science Olympiad Website | 2023 Science Olympiad Instagram | 2023 Science Olympiad Facebook | Fairmont College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Kansas Science Olympiad

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

In this week's episode of The STEM Yard we are LIVE from the 2023 NC Science Olympiad State Tournament. Alonzo chats with event leaders and volunteers from the floor of Reynolds Coliseum. He also got a chance to sit down and interview the Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences and Holly Springs High School teams.

A special thank you to the 2023 State Tournament Sponsors:
Platinum level presenting sponsors Wolfspeed and ABB. Our program is also supported by The Corning Foundation, Eastman Chemical, PhRMA, Optimum, General Dynamics and Red Hat. Event materials were donated by Carolina Biological and Mineralogy. 

For more information on the State Tournament visit our website at ncscienceolympiad.ncsu.edu. 

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

In this week's episode of The STEM Yard, Alonzo chats with NC Science Olympiad Director Lisa Giacomelli about the upcoming 2023 State Tournament on NC State's campus on April 21-22nd. Alonzo and Lisa discuss state tournament plans, ways to get involved and how teams can get into a 90s state of mind for this years 90s Rewind theme. 

Post it on the Interwebs

Oh snap! You can join us in kicking off the state tournament by sharing a photo of your team prepping for the upcoming tournament season or whatever. Be sure to use hashtags #ncscioly23 #NCSO90sRewind.

State Tournament Resources

States Page | Volunteer Sign-Up | STEM Expo Sign-Up | Speed Mentoring Sign-up | Sponsorship Opportunities | Keynote Speaker | Spotify Playlists

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

In this week's episode of The STEM Yard, Alonzo chats with Karauna Gatimu, Principal Manager of the Customer Advocacy Group at Microsoft and upcoming Keynote Speaker at the 2023 North Carolina Science Olympiad State Tournament. Alonzo and Karauna discuss the importance of having fun in your career, the future of the metaverse and she gives a sneak peek at her upcoming State Tournament Keynote Address. 

About Karuana Gatimu

Karuana Gatimu is a business architect and productivity expert currently working in the Microsoft Teams product group. With a 25-year history in collaboration technology and corporate IT, she is experienced in Microsoft 365 services with a focus on Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Power Platform. She combines her technical expertise with  apassion for community management and a #PeopleFirst approach to business transformation. Her team currently drives worldwide adoption of Microsoft 365 services, product feedback, and technical readiness for IT professionals, developers, and productivity Champions, including the Microsoft 365 Champions program and the Teams Technical Community. Her specialized experience in enterprise, government, non-profit, and retail solution architecture allows her to build large scale adoption programs and create the Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist and Virtual Event Production courses. She is the host & executive producer of Coffee in the Cloud on YouTube and a frequent speaker on empowering female leadership in technology and the future of collaboration.

LinkedIn | Twitter | Coffee in the Clouds

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

The NC State Science Olympiad Alumni Club is an NC State student organization that provides support through test writing, volunteering at tournaments and helping out at local invitationals. The NC State Science Olympiad Alumni Board joined The STEM Yard to discuss their work with Science Olympiad and their plans for the future. 

Amit, Amy, Janet, Nirmiti and Safina chat with Alonzo about their experience as competitors, their passion for the Science Olympiad organization and their plans to host a Division B Invitational next year.

NCSU Sci Oly Alumni Website | Instagram | Twitter

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

Conen Morgan is a former NC Science Olympiad participant, national judge, regional director, and emcee of NCSOs biggest award ceremonies. Conen has spent the past 30 years championing the Science Olympiad program and giving back to students across the country. 

Conen joins The STEM Yard to share his Science Olympiad experience. Conen and Alonzo talk about the value of the Science Olympiad program, tips for success and Conen's vision for the future of the NC Science Olympiad.

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

Ivy Thompson is a new Science Olympiad coach from Hickory Day School in Hickory, North Carolina. Ivy is a former competitor with a passion for advancing STEM education and sharing her love of Science Olympiad with her middle school students. 

Ivy joins The STEM Yard to discuss her experience as a former competitor and her journey as a new coach. Ivy and Alonzo talk about the importance of having fun in STEM, the role of parents, and what she hopes to get out of the 2023 tournament season. 

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.

Kimberly Turk is the Unifour Regional Director and has been involved with Science Olympiad for over 13 years. She started out as a supportive parent and eventually, ended up looped into helping out the Science Olympiad as one of our long standing Regional Directors. Kimberly was awarded the Jason Painter Distinguished Service Award in 2022 by North Carolina Science Olympiad.

Kimberly joins The STEM Yard to discuss her experience as a Regional Director and her journey with the Science Olympiad. Kimberly and Alonzo talk about the importance of promoting STEM for children, volunteering at tournaments, and her favorite events.

Volunteer at the Unifour Regional | All NCSO Volunteer Opportunities 

The STEM Yard

🖱️Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
📩 Contact Us
💻Website  
📋Sign-up for our newsletter

The STEM Yard is a production of The Science House at NC State University. Our show is produced by Valerie Bass with assistance from the NC Science Olympiad. We are supported by funding from The Backyard Foundation.