Students Use Math, Science, Engineering Skills To Invent Problem-Solving Solutions

April 28, 2023

New Mexico Tech hosts middle and high school New Mexico MESA USA competitors

Team from Hiroshi Miyamura High School
A team from Hiroshi Miyamura High School in Gallup created a solution for ranchers who have long stretches of land and livestock to monitor. Their system can detect gaps in fencing so ranchers don’t have to look for holes where livestock can escape or be stolen. Team members, from left: Joseph Legah, Wakin Mendoza, Nelson Yazzie, and Tyler Smith.

SOCORRO, N.M. – Teams of middle and high school students from across New Mexico pitched their inventions aimed at solving problems and correcting inequities at a competition aimed at showcasing their math, science, and engineering skills. New Mexico Tech hosted the annual New Mexico MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) USA Competition April 26, 2023, providing a venue for some of the brightest young minds in the state to display their innovative inventions and possibly advance to national competitions.

Team from Espanola High School
A team from Espanola Valley High School presented their app for people who are visually impaired to use in selecting or purchasing clothing, helping them be more independent and gain self-confidence. The app the team coded describes the color of the clothing and suggests possible complementary colors. Team members, from left: Sofia Valenzuela, Elicia Trujillo, and Javier Chavez.

Teams of students competed – in person and virtually – in both the technical interview and prototype pitch events in addition to turning in a design brief and poster summarizing their work on their invention. In the prototype pitch, student teams spent five to seven minutes describing for judges how they came up with the idea for their invention, how they approached the design challenges, and incorporated creative ways to address inequities.

Team from nex+Gen Academy
A duo from nex+Gen Academy in Albuquerque created a system, titled “Safety Insight,” to let students know when the air quality in school restrooms is safe for them before they enter. With 1 in 4 high school students vaping, secondhand smoke can cause health impacts. The students’ system has an easy-to-understand display that is simple, low cost, and frees up staff time from standing outside restrooms during the school day. Team members, from left: Solomon Sledge and Areli Jensen.

Francisco Apodaca, a 1976 New Mexico Tech alum and director of STEM and humanities at Luna Community College in Las Vegas, New Mexico, served as a NM MESA judge for the 12th year. Apodaca said he looks forward to seeing and hearing about  the ingenious solutions students produce.

Team from Espanola Valley High School
A team from Espanola Valley High School coded a keyboard to create an attendance monitoring system to aid teachers struggling to keep track of students and allow them more time for instruction. The easy and efficient system aims to increase student accountability and responsibility. Team members, from left: Silvy Baca Talamante, Tatiana Maestas, and Leonel Morales.

“New Mexico MESA gives the students a good idea of the science and engineering needed to take their project to the next level,” he said. “It’s something we need in New Mexico. Anytime we can get students to come out, especially after COVID-19, is beneficial to everyone involved. Watching students come together and have a project they take ownership of – it’s pretty cool.”

Student teams’ projects tackled everything from apps to help people with visual impairments select color-coordinated outfits and helping teachers take attendance to alerting students to air quality in school bathrooms and aiding ranchers in finding gaps in their fencing where livestock could escape or be stolen. 

Team from Espanola High School
A team from Espanola Valley High School coded a keyboard to create an attendance monitoring system to aid teachers struggling to keep track of students and allow them more time for instruction. The easy and efficient system aims to increase student accountability and responsibility. Team members, from left: Silvy Baca Talamante, Tatiana Maestas, and Leonel Morales.

In addition to the competition, the students toured NMT’s Mechanical Engineering Department and dined in the Fidel Student Center Cafeteria. NM MESA USA Competition results are available online at: https://www.nmmesa.org/news-item/nm-mesa-usa-winners-announced/