Kenmore Student Tackles Space Science to Become Finalist in National STEM Competition

Kenmore Middle School Student Maedot Tinsae Ayalew is among 30 finalists in the Society for Science Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition.

Maedot’s project, “The Effects of Seasonal Variation on the Kinematics of Coronal Mass Ejections Using the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite,” utilized data from the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft to measure and analyze coronal mass ejections (CMEs). “CMEs cause great damage to satellites,” Maedot writes. “By knowing what seasons have the greatest kinematics of CMEs, scientists can avoid those time periods.”  Maedot’s analysis determined that the fall and spring experience the most kinematics of CMEs.

The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, aims to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the grand challenges of the future. The 30 finalists were selected by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators from the Top 300 Junior Innovators announced earlier this month. The finalists will participate in Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week (Oct. 25–30) in Washington, D.C., where a panel of judges will evaluate their scientific research along with their communication, creativity and collaboration skills during team challenges. They will compete for scholarship awards of over $100,000.

Maedot submitted her project as a 7th grader last year at Kenmore and looks forward to continuing her scientific pursuits this year as part of Kenmore’s STEAM Certificate academic pathway program.