Quick Info for the program: This is a yearly STEM competition program for Junior HS and Senior HS divisions in the tidewater area. Students usually research, design, and create projects over a period of time through the coordination of their local educators; ASCE – Norfolk Branch judges, as well as other organizations and local educators will review the students’ abstracts prior to the TSEF day and also interact with the students and their projects on the TSEF day.

The ASCE Norfolk Branch judges awarded certificates, ASCE swags, and monetary awards to the top three outstanding junior division and senior division individual projects shown to study, investigate, and document research in a materials or civil engineering related topic. Projects were evaluated for creativity and innovative solutions that exemplify the civil engineering profession. Students were also evaluated on their ability to communicate the technical issues at hand and their responses to the questions from judges.

In the Junior division, awards were given to projects with these topics:

First Place: Oyster Power: Investigating the Impact of Oyster Restoration on Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay

Second Place: No-Cost Clean Battery From Recycled Materials

Third Place: Keeping Our Water Clean (Using James River water)

In the Senior division, awards were given to projects with these topics:

First Place: The Effects of Culvert Inlet Design on the Rate of Waterflow During the Typical Debris Clogging Events

Second Place: Observing Eutrophication in York and Poquoson Rivers with Chlorella vulgaris Algae

Third Place: Soil Nitrogen Levels (James River)

The TSEF event is one of the biggest STEM program in the region and usually very well attended. ASCE-Norfolk Branch has been participating in this program for many years, and this year, Michael Bumbaco, PE, Christina L. Ammens, PE, and Kayode C. Aransiola, PE from the ASCE - Norfolk Branch attended the event.