The KC STEM Alliance is proud to host the PLTW-KC Engineering Design Competition and the Biomedical Research Competition for the Kansas City region. These competitions highlight Project Lead The Way (PLTW) senior capstone projects and recognize excellence in engineering or biomedical science.
Competition participants submit projects online using the Innovation Portal, a free, open, and secure tool for design and problem-solving works. Practicing industry professionals then judge student works, evaluating how the projects illustrate students’ design-thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
Competition winners earn recognition in the form of scholarships that support continued STEM education.
This year’s Engineering Design Competition included an impressive field of 85 engineering projects from 171 PLTW Engineering students and 19 Biomedical Students. The Biomedical Research Competition featured 62 innovative projects from 87 students.
This year’s Biomedical Research Competition top 15 award winners from the Summit Technology Academy Biomedical Innovation students are:
- Makenzi Schroeder 1st place with The Effect of Over the Counter and Prescription Insulin on Danio Rerio. Makenzi was awarded a 2,500 scholarship. Makenzi’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit West High School.
- Bryan Mathew 4th place with The Effect of Bleach, Lysol and Ethanol on Bacterial Growth on a Lab Table Surface. Bryan’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit West High School.
- Emma Cooney, Zaibunnisa Malik, Allen Guardado, Reese Wood 5th place with Genetic Engineering of E-Coli for the Efficient Production of Fibrinogen. Emma’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit High School, Zaibunnisa’s sending school to Summit Tech is Raytown South High School, Allen’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit North High School, Reese’s sending school to Summit Tech is Odessa High School.
- Evelyn McQueen 6th place with The Effect of Manuka Honey on the Antibiotic Resistant Properties of Streptomycin Resistance E-Coli and Ampicillin Resistant E-Coli. Evelyn’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit West High School.
- Magdalyn Carlson 7th place with The Neurological Effects of Juul Vapor on Caenorhabditis Elegans. Magdalyn’s sending school to Summit Tech is Raymore Peculiar High School.
- Liberty Riggs, Kaitlyn McGill, Olivia Rickett, Michael Kimaku 9th place with The Effect of Concentration of Vitamin C and Bacteriophage on the Growth of E-Coli. Liberty’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit West High School, Kaitlyn’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit High School , Olivia’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit North High School, Michael’s sending school to Summit Tech is Lee’s Summit West High School.
- Ashley Crockett, Taylor Iverson, Zuzeth Gonzalez 10th place with The Effect of Alcohol Proof on Streptococcus Mutans. Ashley’s sending school to Summit Tech is Raytown High School, Taylor’s sending school to Summit Tech is Raytown High School, Zuzeth’s sending school to Summit Tech is Raytown South High School.
- Jillian Kirkpatrick 12th place with Quantifying the Amount of Bacteria on Healthcare Worker’s Cell Phones. Jillian’s sending school is Lee’s Summit West High School.
- Abigal Mainard 13th place with The Effect of Essential Oils on Staphylococcus Epidermis. Abigal’s sending school to Summit Tech is Harrisonville High School