Project Scientist

What inventions are you spotting this summer? ☀️🍦

This Fourth of July, we're celebrating the women whose innovations help make summer adventures possible.

🍦 Nancy Johnson – Invented the first hand-cranked ice cream maker.
🦺 Stephanie Kwolek – Created Kevlar®, used in helmets, tires, and protective gear.
📍 Gladys West – Pioneered the math that made GPS possible.
👕 Sarah Boone – Improved the ironing board, making it easier to press clothing.
🚗 Mary Anderson – Invented the first effective windshield wiper.
🛟 Maria Beasley – Designed a safer, foldable life raft that helped save lives.

As you enjoy road trips, summer treats, and outdoor adventures, we hope you have a fun, safe, and inspiring Fourth of July! 🇺🇸☀️

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Elizabeth Castro ✨

“Every time that I have interacted with Project Scientist, it's really been a great experience, both interacting with staff and the students. I always leave very fulfilled.”

Meet Elizabeth Castro, Senior Manager of Global Technical Training & Knowledge Management at Alcon and a dedicated Project Scientist volunteer.

As a bioengineer, Elizabeth has spent 17 years helping improve lives through her work at Alcon. She has inspired our students both virtually and in-person, bringing STEM to life by sharing the innovative machines engineered at Alcon and connecting students to tangible, real-world STEM applications.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your commitment to our mission and for helping our students envision new possibilities for their futures.

Want to get involved as a volunteer? Learn more at projectscientist.org/volunteer

In case you missed it: Here's a quick recap of all the adventures our students had on their Mission to Mars earlier this year.

Our young scientists designed Mars habitats, built space gear, engineered parachutes, and launched rockets. Through hands-on challenges, they explored what it takes to live and work on the Red Planet while strengthening teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

One of our favorite highlights was our students learning to fail and persevere! They designed and launched straw rockets, using trial and error to improve their designs and reach the farthest "orbit." Along the way, they discovered how engineers use testing, iteration, and resilience to solve real-world challenges. “Some of the rockets launched and some of them didn’t, but it was an opportunity to talk about what worked and didn’t and make the full STEAM connection" said one educator.

Read more about their out-of-this-world adventures: projectscientist.org/spring-mission-to-mars/