Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) was proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of the 2016 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Gwinnett Regional Science, Engineering + Innovation Fair in which elementary, middle and high school students showcased their research projects. The fair celebrated its 38th anniversary with participation from 97 schools including all 19 GCPS clusters, three GCPS special entities and eight other non-GCPS schools in Gwinnett County.
More than 641 projects which had won first place at the local school level were on display. These projects, representing the creativity and innovation of more than 819 students, were judged by Georgia professionals and scientists, including GA-PCOM faculty and students, who assessed them on scientific quality, accuracy, creativity and experimental design.
GA-PCOM judges included: Adwoa Aduonum, PhD; Angie Amado (PharmD ’18); Adrian Braithwaite (MS ’16); Valerie Cadet, PhD; James Chapman (MS ’16); H. William Craver III, DO; Ariana Daftarian (MS ’17); William Delp, DO, Jennifer Gooch, PhD, Elizabeth Hernandez MarAn (MS ’17), Abby Hielscher, PhD, Michael Lee, PhD; Johnny Ly (MS ’16); Nancy McLaughlin, MHA, DHSc, PA-C; Brittany Melvin (MS ’16); Ivette Moreno (MS ’17); Mary Owen, JD, MS, PhD; Vash Patel (MS ’16); Kirsten Schofield (MS ’16); Jeff Seiple, MBA; Tia Solh, MPAS, PA-C; Rebekah Thomas, PharmD, PA-C; Jennifer Wang; Latrice Wright (MS ’16) and Shu Zhu, MD, PhD. Dr. Hielscher summed up what many judges expressed, “The kids amaze me with their knowledge and creativity!”
Dr. Craver and Dr. McLaughlin were featured speakers during breakout sessions for high school and middle school students. At the Career Expo, School of Pharmacy faculty and staff members demonstrated pharmacy techniques including Samuel John, PharmD, Candis McGraw, PharmD, Kacie Speed, PharmD, Simone Pitts and Kimberly Lucier. Dr. Brian Matayoshi served as a judge for the Innovation Fair, while Chief Campus Officer Bryan Ginn represented the campus at the awards ceremonies where he spoke to science fair winners and their parents. First place high and middle school winners from the regional fair will advance and be eligible to participate in the Georgia State Science & Engineering Fair to be held at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. In addition, three select projects will directly advance to the Intel® International Science Fair in Phoenix, Arizona.
With the theme, "Ask Why," it was a day to celebrate science in Gwinnett County. The goal of the event was to open students' minds to new ways of thinking, allowing them to discover new passions and ultimately, encouraging them to find innovative ways to change the world. We at GA-PCOM are happy to support Gwinnett County Public Schools in this endeavor!
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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