Supporting STEM in the Community
Our second President & CEO, Dr. Charles N. Kimball helped establish the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair in 1952 with the goal of developing and retaining scientific knowledge and expertise in the Midwest. Today, the event supports and inspires students from elementary, middle, and high schools from across the 15-county region. At MRIGlobal, we are honored to serve as the Fair’s Platinum Presenting Sponsor for the 69th consecutive year.
“I and the research scientists and engineers at MRIGlobal are especially passionate about the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair. We recognize the importance of STEM education and are proud to continue supporting Dr. Kimball’s vision,” said Dr. Ian M. Colrain, President & CEO, MRIGlobal. “I often say that participating in the science fair as a judge is ‘My favorite day of the year.’ The passion and enthusiasm that the students radiate is infectious and invigorating. As in past years, I expect strong competition and projects that would not be out of place at national scientific conferences.”
For the third year in a row, MRIGlobal is sponsoring the Excellence in Science Award, which is presented to the project that is judged to be the very best of the entries in the Senior Division, awarding them a cash prize and opportunity for an internship with us at MRIGlobal.
Our involvement in the 2025 Fair is highlighted through involvement in three key events throughout the week of the event, including judging of Science Fair projects, participating in the invitation-only happy hour event, and presenting awards to winning Science Fair projects. The awards ceremony concludes with the presentation of the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award, recognizing what is judged to be the very best of the entries in the Senior Division. Read more about our involvement in this year’s Science Fair and timing for Fair events at Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair.
Science Fair Judging
Each year, more than 250 scientists, engineers, physicians, educators, and other Kansas City area professionals volunteer their time and expertise to judge the fair’s projects. For the past several years, more than 20 researchers from MRIGlobal have volunteered as judges and mentors for the event. For the past 20 years, Bill Sosna, Assistant Director, Integrated Health Surveillance & Diagnostics, has volunteered his time to judge Science Fair projects.
“I have always been interested in science and remember how much fun it was to share my research results with judges during school science fairs, so now being a judge and providing students with feedback is a full circle moment. Helping to shape the future scientists of the world is a great way to give back to the community and the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair is the pinnacle of STEM involvement,” says Sosna. “During the Fair, the junior (7-8 grade) and senior (9-12 grade) level students also have the opportunity to be interviewed directly by the judges. That one-on-one time gives the students a chance to practice presenting and sharing their results and is our greatest opportunity to directly engage and positively impact the student. Too, receiving constructive feedback from an experienced biologist, chemist, or engineer that isn’t a relative or teacher at their school is a big benefit. It offers a unique experience for the student to be asked a question they may not have previously considered with their hypothesis and results, which can help shape their future project work. When speaking with other judges, we all agree this is one of the greatest parts about being a judge at the Fair.”
Science Fair Happy Hour
On the evening of Thursday, March 27, Union Station will host an invitation-only happy hour event. Science Fair sponsors and others from across Kansas City’s scientific leadership community will have the opportunity to meet young scientists from the community and hear about their work, while also networking with their peers.
The Charles N. Kimball Awards Ceremony
Having helped establish the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair, the awards ceremony for the event bears the name of our second President & CEO, as the Charles N. Kimball Awards Ceremony. Hosted this year on Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m.-noon, the event recognizes students receiving top academic or special awards. Since 2023, we have presented the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award, recognizing what is judged to be the very best of the entries in the Senior Division. Its goal is to recognize excellence in pursuit of objective, scientific truth and progress. Winners of the award receive a cash prize and are offered the opportunity for an internship with us at the institute this summer. Parents, teachers, relatives, friends, and members of the community are invited to attend the event.
The 2023 winner of the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award was Mia Stamos from the Shawnee Mission School District’s Center for Academic Achievements for her project “Characterization of Engineered Chimeric Protein LLHP Repression Through the Induction of DNA Looping.” This work advanced our knowledge of the very fundamentals underlying human and animal health and disease by using cutting-edge techniques and most importantly building logically and systematically on a corpus of prior work.
“Winning the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award was a surreal experience, and to date is one of my proudest accomplishments. When Dr. Colrain started giving his speech about the winning project, I felt such joy when I realized he was talking about my work. Everyone, from the elementary school division to the high school division, puts countless hours of work and love into their research, which makes it incredibly fulfilling when your project is recognized,” said Stamos. “I’ve had amazing experiences during internships at MRIGlobal the past two summers. The best part of my experience was how different they were from each other, learning an array of skills and working with great mentors. The community at MRIGlobal is geared towards mentorship and learning. I now utilize skills I learned at MRIGlobal in my current lab position, and I can honestly say that I can run a qPCR assay in my sleep!”
2024’s winner of the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award was Anshika Kapoor from Olathe North High School for her project “Effects of PKD Mutations on Hepatocyte Fitness.” Using a sophisticated genetically modified animal model and an impressively thorough and conservatively analyzed study, Kapoor tackled an important health problem that affects approximately 1 in 800 people in the United States.
“The pursuit of science has taught me so much and has formed a huge aspect of my life since middle school. I’ve learned how to work through challenges even when the situation drains patience and perseverance when circumstances fall out of favor. Science has also taught me so much about innovation, consistency, leadership, resourcefulness, and strength,” said Kapoor. “Winning the MRIGlobal Excellence in Science Award showed me that even small-scale contributions to science can have such a valuable impact in advancing the overarching scope of the field. And the MRIGlobal internship was an incredible opportunity to learn about the commercial industry of science and make valuable connections. The project I was involved in also taught me a lot about infectious disease, which has become an incredibly useful resource as I now pursue medical school.”
We are exceptionally proud of these past winners and all Science Fair participants for their hard work and pursuit of objective science in their various areas of interest. Through our continued support for their work, we benefit students from the communities in which we work, play, and live.