Welcome to Sally Askew's STEM Portfolio

Hi my name is Sally Askew and I am a student at Roland Park Country School. I have been participating in my school's STEM institute since 8th grade. In middle school two classmates and I conducted an experiment to test for the most effective erosion barrier in our school's backwoods. The experiment was then submitted to Siemans We Can Change the World Challenge and we were named national finalists in the competition. In high school I took four semesters of STEM courses covering many aspects of science, engineering, mathematics and technology. I later conducted an experiment testing the impact of white noise on the brain's short term memory using a computer program my partner and I created.  My partner and I then presented our findings at the Maryland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at Morgan State University. During the summer of 2015 I participated in the the Environmental Sciences Summer Research Experience for Young Women as an intern. During that summer internship I published a paper discussing the increasing levels of phosphorus in the backwoods of our school.

8th Grade STEM Course:

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge

This application discusses the implications of erosion in Baltimore's immediate community as it negatively effects the Chesapeake Watershed. The application also delineates the procedure conducted for this experiment as well as the results and their significance.

9th Grade STEM:

The Effects of White Noise on Short Term Memory

In this paper my class mate and I studied the effects of white noise on short term memory. We created a computer program to run the test and apply our indipendent variables uniformly.

Seasonal Data Computer Program

This computer program uses data collected from our school's solar panels and back woods to predict their relationship to sun exposure. The program uses equations we formulated to convey the relationship of sun exposure to kilowatt hours produced and abundance of animals tracks.

Mars Expiditon Simulation

Given the task to maneuver a robot through a Mars simulation, we created a variety of computer programs to successfully avoid the obstacales. This presentation is a compilation of the programs used and how they contributed to the Robot's successfull run in the simulation.

10th Grade STEM:

Non-Euclidean Geometry

In the mathemetical STEM course we studied Euclidean, spherical and hyperbolic geometry. In this paper I discuss the similarities and differences between the three types of geometry.

The Seven Bridges of Köengsberg

This presentation discusses the puzzle called The Seven Bridges of Köengsberg and how it is ultimately unsolvable because of Euler paths.

Sustainable Batteries

In attempt to create a more sustainable solution to current day batteries, my class mates and I conducted an experiment testing various batteries consisting of house hold items. It was the hopes that these house hold batteries could be replicated in foreign countries using local fruit to simulate the acidic component of the battery.

Sunscreen Engineering

We were tasked with creating a sunscreen and its package using the provided materials under a limited budget. We conducted LD50 toxicity tests to ensure the chemicals used were safe for oganisms. Furthermore we completed a series of durability tests to gurantee that the packacing would withstand the shipping and handling process.

Environmental Sciences Summer Reaserch Experience for Young Women:

The Effects of Decreasing Rainfall on Phosphate and Humus Levels at Varying Distances fron a Broken Dam

During the summer I reserached possible reasons that could explain the increasing levels of Phospahte in our school's backwoods. Looking at the steady lack of rainfall from the previous years, my partners and I hypothesized that the phosphate was not effectivly washed past the broken dam and thus accumlated at the bottom of the dam.