Last Friday, August 15, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FCNM) held a new edition of the Science Fair at the ESPOL library. This annual event brings together the polytechnic community and various Educational Units from the city, with the purpose of sparking interest in science among high school students.
According to the faculty’s Associate Dean, María Nela Pastuizaca, the fair seeks to showcase a different side of science. “For us, this event is about showing how fun science can be and how we can find its applications. Sometimes there is a mistaken idea of what science is, or even of the people who do science, but it is truly something vital for the advancement of humanity and is made up of many branches. That is what we wanted to show you today,” she said.
In this edition, students from the four undergraduate programs of the FCNM participated: Chemical Engineering, Mathematics, Logistics and Transportation, and Statistics. Other ESPOL academic units and programs also joined, including Aquaculture, Electricity, Electronics and Automation, Mining, Petroleum, Geology, and Archaeology, contributing with innovative projects. In total, 51 scientific projects were showcased.
The fair also welcomed 12 invited high schools and the participation of 1,010 senior students, who had the opportunity to experience university-level scientific work up close.
For Joel Vielma, faculty professor and event organizer, this experience is key to connecting young people with university life: “This was a great opportunity for ESPOL students to share their university experiences, which helped motivate future graduates to pursue STEM careers. Throughout the day, we saw strong interest from high school students in the experiments presented, as well as the remarkable ability of our students to communicate their experiences,” he said.
At the end of the event, an award ceremony was held for the four areas of knowledge: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Statistics. The winning teams received special recognition for their effort and creativity.
Professor Vielma highlighted the potential of the awarded students: “They have a bright future ahead. Today they have shown strengths in each of these areas, and I am sure they will know how to make the most of them to achieve their academic goals.”
With initiatives such as the Science Fair, the FCNM reaffirms its commitment to spreading scientific knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and contributing to the development of a scientific culture in the region.
