Florida Tech Rewards Young Science Fair Participants

– Florida Tech’s Department of Civil Engineering recognized and rewarded 17 local middle and high school students in the Mainland and Intercoastal Science
and Engineering Fairs. The fairs, held in February, displayed more than 500 projects. The four first place projects were:

“Mathematical modeling of the formation of rogue waves” by Pratik Patel, Astronaut High School, Mainland Senior Division (Teacher: Dr. Scott McCord)

“Which will, if any, best help prevent beach erosion: no mesh, 18×16 size mesh, 18×14 size mesh, or a cloth material?” by Christina Bernhardt, St Teresa
Catholic School, Mainland Junior Division (Teacher: Mrs. Patricia Taurasi)

“Which roof design can sustain hurricane winds with the least amount of damage?” by Samantha Zettler, Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr HS, Intracoastal Senior Division;
(Teacher: Ms. Veronica Duys) “Monolithic domes: the amazing structure” by Thomas Walter, DeLaura Middle School, Intracoastal Junior Division; (Teacher:
Mrs. Magdelena Molledo)

The judges, Dr. Howell Heck and Dr. Ashok Pandit, are both on the university’s Department of Civil Engineering faculty. Civil Engineers design and build
structures, including foundations, highways and other types of transportation systems. They also design facilities to promote a clean environment, and to
safeguard against flooding.

The winning students in the senior division received a cash award of $150 and a full scholarship to the university’s weeklong summer engineering program,
worth $250. The first-place students in the junior division received a cash award of $75 and a full scholarship to the weeklong summer engineering program
worth $125. Second and third place winners also earned awards.