Science Olympiad at Georgia Tech - A Behind the Scenes Look

Feb 23, 2016

A Division C Regional Science Olympiad Tournament is coming to Georgia Tech on March 5th. The event will bring teams comprised of driven and talented students from seventeen high schools to test their knowledge and skills in various branches of basic and applied sciences. Science Olympiad fosters team building and critical thinking skills that are essential for understanding and solving current complex problems.

It had been about 17 years since Georgia Tech had hosted a Science Olympiad Tournament.  Now for the second consecutive year, CEISMC, a unit in the College of Sciences, will be leading the concerted effort with a talented team of volunteers headed by Co-Directors Jean Anderson and Gustavia Evans.

Jean Anderson, previously a math teacher and math coordinator for DeKalb County Schools, has worked at CEISMC for ten years and focuses on teacher professional development. Gustavia Evans, formerly a middle grades science teacher, joined the staff at CEISMC nearly seventeen years ago, and currently focuses on professional learning for teachers. Both Jean and Gustavia are close to the classroom with specialized knowledge in teaching and supervising teachers.

Both also exhibit the high energy and the requisite skillset required to organize and host an event of this magnitude.

Together, they tackled the daunting task of resuming Georgia Tech’s involvement with Science Olympiad last year and brought in nine teams on an icy Saturday morning. Preparation for the daylong event started months in advance, requiring them to extensively plan and research the rules and regulations of hosting the popular science competition. That partnership strengthened an already favorable alliance.

“We’re different and we complement each other well” Gustavia shares. Jean agrees. “Gustavia is extremely good at behind-the-scene logistics, and I’m the people person.”
This year, under their leadership, the Science Olympiad Tournament will be bigger than the previous competition.

Seventeen teams will be in attendance, nearly twice as many as last year. Teams usually consist of 15 students who participate in a combination of 23 different events that focus on different fields. Many events will be administered twice to accommodate the number of students and their schedules since most students participate in multiple events throughout the day.

There will also be six new events this year testing students’ understanding of various science themes such as life sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, earth and space science, and technology and engineering. New events include comprehensive tests on invasive species, wind power, and hydrogeology.

Hosting a Science Olympiad Tournament requires months of planning and also significant time and dedication from volunteers from the CEISMC and Georgia Tech community. Volunteers will serve as coordinators, supervisors, proctors, and logistical support, without which the show cannot go on.

“We found out there are a lot of students here at Georgia Tech who participated in Science Olympiad in middle school and high school who were eager to come on board to help,” Gustavia mentions in regards to the level of enthusiasm from the campus community.

The overall experience is rewarding for both volunteers and students and can make lasting impressions on its participants. Jessica Richey has participated in Science Olympiad competitions since 1st grade and continued until she graduated from Starrs Mill High School in 2013. Now a junior at Georgia Tech majoring in chemistry, Jessica will be the Anatomy and Physiology event supervisor. “Science Olympiad has given me so much over the years and I’m so excited to finally be able to give back,” she shares.

With a strong team of volunteers supporting the competition, this year’s  Science Olympiad Tournament is sure to be a success. Held at the Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons on March 5th, the top three teams will be awarded trophies at the conclusion of the tournament. These teams will subsequently advance to the State Science Olympiad Tournament to be held April 16th at Emory University.

CEISMC and the Georgia Tech community extend a warm welcome to all of the competing teams, and wish them success!

For more infomation visit https://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/gaso.

Article written by: Sabiha Runa - Assistant to Director of Communications (CEISMC)