March 14 is a day that will be remembered by 200+ people who participated in and attended the 2024 BioBuilderClub Final Assembly.
This year we had 47 student teams from four countries and 11 U.S. states. That’s up from 30 teams last year and is a new record for the program! In fact, so many students and supporters were expected at the Final Assembly that it was held at the MIT Welcome Center to better accommodate everyone. Many other teams and supporters also attended via a live Zoom feed.
The increase in the number of teams this year is a testament to BioBuilder’s efforts to reach more students with life-changing opportunities in science and engineering. In addition, students at several schools were determined to form a BioBuilderClub team even when teacher leaders were in short supply. So, they got creative and found parents and other adults to help them. Now that’s excitement in action!
Team Projects
This year’s teams developed projects within four focus areas: Environment and Sustainability – 13 teams, Medicine – 11 teams, Food – 7 teams, and Manufacturing – 1 team. The teams tackled real-world concerns that need solutions. Here are a few examples.
It’s Go Time!
The students presented their projects in two ways. First, they prepared a professional-level poster about their project for display at the event. There was time for attendees to peruse the posters and ask the team questions about their work. The students themselves enjoyed walking through the poster area and chatting with their colleagues on other teams about their projects.
And how great were the Lightning Talks!!!
In the auditorium of the MIT Welcome Center, each team had one minute to summarize their project for the audience. The teams joining via Zoom also presented their pre-recorded Lightening Talks so the audience could hear about all of the projects. One minute is not a lot of time, so they needed to give it a lot of thought, and – of course – practice, practice, practice!
The parents, teachers, and other Final Assembly attendees were impressed by how enthusiastic and polished the student teams were throughout the event. Just think, these are 15 to 18-year-olds who are doing research, presenting their work, and networking just like professional scientists do. Some will likely even have their work published in BioTreks journal.
The Final Assembly – not just a science fair, a scientific symposium!
Thank you!
We extend heartfelt thanks to the industry partners, teachers, mentors, parents, and others who support BioBuilderClub and our students. We couldn’t do it without you!
Device Dude
Mary Tamer, a seven-year member of the Executive Board including two years as President, is transitioning to the Advisory Board. Mary’s many contributions have had a tremendous impact on BioBuilder, including the expansion of BioBuilder partnerships with regional education leaders, the strategic positioning of BioBuilder in education reform strategies, and her enthusiastic communication of the positive impact of BioBuilder in the lives of students and teachers. We are so glad that we will continue to benefit from Mary’s knowledge, enthusiasm, and support in her new role on the Advisory Board. Thank you, Mary, for your commitment to BioBuilder!
In addition, Keira Krausz is transitioning to the position of President of the Executive Board. Keira is an award-winning direct-to-consumer marketing expert, with particular strengths in digital transformations, creative, brand development, media attribution, optimization, and expansion. Keira is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Purple, Inc. She studied at Cornell University as an undergraduate and received her MBA from Dartmouth College. Welcome, Keira, to the Executive Board! We are excited to work with you on BioBuilder’s next big steps!
