SSEP Step 2 - International Review Winner

Kerr Middle School: The Effect of Microgravity on Cellular Regeneration of the Planarian Flatworm

Teacher Facilitator: Jonathan Hawley - Bernardez

Co-Principal Investigators: Camden Morton, Santiago Rios Ordonez, Levi Robinson, Miguel Ruiz, and Brian Smith

The Planarian Flatworm Team's microgravity experiment design will be launched to the International Space Station later this year. Meanwhile, back here on earth, the Co-Principal Investigators and their Teacher Facilitator will have some amazing opportunities to showcase their hard work, starting this April 2021 after they have prepared their experiment for launch to the ISS. During April, Texas Christian University hosts its annual Research Symposium. BISD is the only school district that is allowed to have students present at this event, along with college and graduate researchers. The Principal Investigators will share their research with the TCU professors and the other college and graduate level research presenters.

There is also an annual SSEP International Conference held in Washington, D.C. each year at the end of June. If it is an in-person event, then BISD will pay to send its team, along with their Teacher Facilitator and chaperones, to represent our community. (If it is a virtual event, then the team will represent BISD virtually.) During this event, our Co-Principal Investigators have an opportunity not only to showcase their work, but also to learn about the cutting edge research that is being conducted at the collegiate level. The work of BISD students has been cited on several occasions by collegiate research teams who are building on the research our students have started.

In addition, there are amazing research opportunities available to these students through Texas Christian University's Research Apprentice Program: https://cse.tcu.edu/physics-astronomy/research/research-apprentices.php. Although this program is typically limited to high school students, BISD middle school students have also been routinely invited to participate in this program. For example, we have a BISD student who started in middle school student last year, and who recently published research in a scientific journal this year as a cited author, along with the TCU mentoring professor, in a peer reviewed academic article. In addition, our BISD Research Apprentices who have graduated from high school and gone on to college have been offered full rides to top universities, as well as opportunities to continue their paid research at the collegiate level.

Congratulations again to the Planarian Flatworm Team!

SSEP Step 1 - Local Review Finalist Team

Hughes Middle School: The Effect of Microgravity on the Germination Process of Brandywine tomato seeds.

Teacher facilitator: Jonathon Smith

Co-Principal Investigators: Jaelyn Burrows & Morgan McAlpin

Co-Investigators: Nevaeh Nunez, Sarina Rouleau

Collaborator: Kierah Virgil

SSEP Step 1 - Local Review Finalist Team

Hughes Middle School: The Effect of Microgravity on Lima Bean Germination

Teacher Facilitator: Holly Adams

Co-Principal Investigators: Rylie Cline, Kaydan Dorman, Morgan Guidry, Peyton Martin, and Nicholas Munoz

These student designs will accompany the Mission 15 Microgravity Experiment Designs to the International Space Station.

This year, BISD held a virtual SSEP Space Night Symposium. The event video may be found on the SSEP Home page. During the event, students had an opportunity to vote for their favorite Microgravity Experiment Design and Mission Patches. The winners are as follows.

Mission 15 Microgravity Experiment Design Fan Favorite Team:

Blood Thinning Team:

Campus: Kerr Middle School

Teacher Facilitator: Mr. Jonathan Hawley Bernardez

Co- Principal Investigators: (all in grade level 6)

Anea Arriaza

Kole Bleeker

Alyssa Morrow

Layla Sherman

Garrett Walker

Mission 15 Microgravity Experiment Design Winning Fans:

Esmee Moya, Hughes Middle School

Penelope Pittaman, Steam Middle School

Nevaeh Nunez, Hughes Middle School

Mission 15 Patch Design Fan Favorites: (Tie)

#4 - Jonah Mitchell, Kerr Middle School

#11 - Jordan Campell, Centennial High School

Mission 15 Patch Design Fan Favorite Runners up:

#2 - James Seiling, Centennial High School

#4 - Ethan Barker, Centennial High School

Mission 15 Patch Design Winning Fans:

Jack Stapleton, Kerr Middle School

Santiago Rios Ordonez, Kerr Middle School

All Fan Favorite winners and runners up will receive exclusive tours of the Texas Christian University Labs led by Dr. C. Magnus Rittby whose lab is devoted to the study of Quantum Physics and Molecular Clusters, and Dr. Clark Jones, whose lab is devoted to the study of Microbiology of Human Disease.