THS students attend American Association for the Advancement of Science Conference in Phoenix

CONTRIBUTED BY DR. MARTIN ENGLISH

As a result of their outstanding independent science & engineering research project presentation at the 2025 Buckeye Science & Engineering Fair, Tippecanoe High School students, Aubrey Ernst, Audrey Jackson & Ela Van Oss were recognized by The Ohio Academy of Science as Melvin Scholar Awardees. Melvin Scholars are chosen by The Ohio Academy of Science to represent the State of Ohio at the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 11-14, 2026. The AAAS Annual Meeting is perhaps the most important scientific conference in the world.  This AJAS event is a professional scientific symposium that includes research presentations, field trips, plenary lectures, networking events with other students, and a breakfast with scientists. 

The students have recounted their experiences here: “We were invited to attend the yearly American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) conference along with hundreds of other students from across the country who earned their spot by participating in various science fairs. Unlike the Science Days we participated in previously, this conference was not a competition but an opportunity for us to share our 2025 research on LT Ball school parking lot efficiency with a wider audience of peers with similar interests. We were also able to present to several attendees of the AAAS conference.”  

Although the conference was only four days long, the students still had a plethora of activities to choose from and participate in. Aubrey and Ela attended the SpaceWorks tour at Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration. While on the tour, the pair learned about various NASA missions and initiatives, as well as the process behind designing and constructing instruments and equipment for spaceflight. The professors shared a lesson focusing on the functions and uses of these instruments as well, especially infrared cameras. After the lesson, the girls coded their own rudimentary infrared camera. Audrey attended the Medical Technology tour at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She participated in four different surgical simulations, her favorite of which was a mock laparoscopic surgery. She practiced intubating a patient using a mannequin and experienced what goes on in a real hospital room with a different, high-tech mannequin that breathes, bleeds, and talks. She took a tour of the college and spoke with medical professionals about their work.

In addition to the tours, students heard keynote speakers and speeches from the leaders of both AJAS and AAAS. These talks were inspiring and shared hope for the future of science in America. They also spent time meeting and talking with other students from around the country. They met students from as close as Cleveland and as far away as Puerto Rico. 

The students shared, “We especially enjoyed the Research Roundtable, which was a loosely structured event during which we could share the fundamental details of our research and hear from others about their work. This was a great opportunity to connect with students who were interested in our discipline, as well as to learn more about other fields of science. We were also able to talk to both adult chaperones of AJAS and attendees of AAAS at the Breakfast with Scientists. During this time, we were able to learn what it really means to pursue a career in STEM. We heard from many different people about their experiences in higher education and in the workforce. This provided a kind of mirror into what our futures may look like. One of the most important things we were able to do was speak with representatives from various universities across the United States. We met presenters from Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, George Washington University, Florida University, Harvard, Princeton, and more. We even learned about opportunities to study and work abroad during college. This really helped us begin to understand the multitude of possibilities available to us in the next few years as we graduate and move on to college. We learned what different schools offer, discussed strong programs in each location, and received contact information for staff in places that interested us. This was an amazing chance to prepare and begin planning for everything that will come next.”

At the end of the conference, these students were officially inducted as fellows of AJAS and will be members for life, opening the opportunity to return in future years. Aubrey, Ela, and Audrey are very grateful for this opportunity and everything they learned during their brief time in Arizona, stating, “We feel so blessed to have met so many interesting and welcoming people and to have experienced so much in such a short time. Overall, it was an adventure into the wider world of science that we are so thankful for participating in.”