Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology’s Shelly STEM Challenge is a single-day competition during which students work in teams to speed solve STEM problems set forth by local industry partners. The inaugural Challenge was held Saturday, December 3rd.
Western Virginia Water Authority served as the school’s industry partner for the inaugural Challenge. They presented a current, real-world problem that they are trying to solve – the loss of 24.5% of their water through leakage in their underground pipe system – and they challenged students to come up with solutions using only math, science and technology.
To do so, students were required to determine the location of holes in pipes without being able to see the pipes. It was a difficult challenge!
Congratulations to freshmen Ryan Rigatti (Lord Botetourt High School), Luke Arner (Hidden Valley High School), Sujith Panchumarthy (Cave Spring High School), and Erik Scarlatescu (Hidden Valley High School) for presenting the best solution and winning the competition! The team earned bragging rights, a cash prize and recognition on a perpetual plaque.
The Shelly STEM Challenge is named in memory of the late Dr. Richard Shelly, Roanoke Valley Governor’s School’s founding director. The construction materials students used during the Challenge were purchased with funds donated to the school in Dr. Shelly’s memory.
Regina Carson
