Four Parkersburg High School students each earned a $1,000 scholarship to Fairmont State University after securing first place in the 2025 Science Showdown on March 7. Hosted annually by Fairmont State, the competition brought together 13 teams of juniors and seniors from seven area high schools to take on a series of science-based challenges.

“It is such a pleasure to watch students compete for this scholarship, they bring a lot of enthusiasm and talent to the competition,” said Professor of Chemistry Dr. Matt Scanlon. “To be competitive they had to prepare, which means finding information and materials on their own. This is such a good way for them to learn. It is my hope that they enjoyed themselves and that they experienced something new.”

The event tested students’ knowledge and skills in forensics, chemistry, physics, geoscience, and biology, with winners determined through a point-based scoring system. Representing Parkersburg High School were Lars Youngstrom, Luca Ticozzi, Smit Babariya, and Lilliam Farinash, whose teamwork and problem-solving led them to victory.

Other participating schools included Fairmont Senior High School (Fairmont, WV), Lincoln High School (Shinnston, WV), Woodrow Wilson High School (Beckley, WV), Jefferson County High School (Shenandoah Junction, WV), Preston County High School (Kingwood, WV), and Tyler County High School (Sistersville, WV).

“It is always great to see high school students so enthusiastic about science. The Science Showdown hopes to stimulate critical thinking and promote positive teamwork, two of the important aspects to being successful in a scientific career,” said Dr. Mark Flood, Professor of Forensic Science.

The Science Showdown is one of many initiatives Fairmont State offers to expand STEM education opportunities for K-12 students across West Virginia.

“The Department of Natural Sciences designed these challenges to expose high school students to applications using their understanding of high school science,” said Dr. Deb Hemler, Professor of Geoscience Education. “Science competitions are a healthy way to engage young minds, practice soft skills such as communication and collaboration, and provide an opportunity for recognition for these gifted young minds often reserved for athletes. The teams keep improving every year, forcing our faculty to ‘up their science game’.”