Nipun Rajan, a Germantown student, is one of the top 30 finalists chosen through a national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) competition for middle schoolers.
Nipun Rajan’s project, “Personalizing Masks for Optimal Results Using Computer Algorithms,” was selected as one of the 30 finalists from participants from 28 schools in 15 states. Nipun came up with the project idea when he saw that everyone had to wear masks due to COVID-19. Individuals with underlying lung issues were having difficulty breathing if they had to wear a mask for elongated periods of time. He saw his own grandmother struggling to wear masks, especially with a lung condition.
As a STEM enthusiast, and seeing many friends and family suffer due to the pandemic, Nipun got to work. He used computer algorithms to personalize masks for optimal results. Nipun studied the efficacy of different face mask materials and how masks could be customized for the elderly and people with limited lung function.
“No matter what age you are at, you can accomplish things and help the world,” says Nipun when asked about his thoughts on the Broadcom MASTERS recognition. “I want to go on pre-med track in college and become a doctor. Medicine is a chance to help someone.”
Science and research can be influential in our everyday lives, but sometimes that influence can only be created if youth are encouraged and motivated to pursue STEM, and Broadcom MASTERS is doing just that. Students are nominated through Society of Science affiliated science and engineering fairs in the United States. The top 30 finalists are chosen from among all the nominees after a rigorous judging process.
These 30 Broadcom MASTERS finalists will compete in a national virtual competition scheduled from October 22nd to October 28th. This virtual competition judges finalists on their science research project as well as a multitude of team challenges. These challenges take advantage of the project-based learning methodology where the participants get an opportunity to showcase their collaboration, creativity, as well as critical thinking and communication skills within the STEM realm.
The finalists will be competing for more than $100,000 in awards, with the final award ceremony taking place October 28th.
Broadcom MASTERS is a program founded and produced by the Society for Science to encourage middle school students’ passion for STEM. As a part of a STEM pipeline, this competition motivates students with deep interests in STEM to pursue it in high school, college, and beyond.
To learn more about this competition and Society for Science, visit societyforscience.org.