Students shine at Kern County Science Fair

Mar. 14—Harjaisal Brar, a Stockdale High junior, said he enjoys dressing up professionally, usually in a suit and tie, when he presents his projects at the Kern County Science Fair.

He was back in his business best and back to winning at the 35th annual Kern County Science Fair on Tuesday at Mechanics Bank Convention Center. The science fair made its return as an in-person event for the first time since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brar won for the sixth time at the Kern County Science Fair. This year, he placed first in the mammalian biology category for his project: a 3D printed silicone wound care dressing that treats wounds at a quicker pace than traditional wound care dressings.

He wasn't the only Stockdale student who excelled at the Kern County Science Fair. Stockdale's Aarohi Patel also won, in the behavioral science category.

Brar and Patel were selected as the event's two representatives to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair May 14-19 in Dallas. They were selected from among 15 finalists.

"It's a lot of fun to tell people about your project," Brar said of what he enjoys about the science fair. "All your effort that you put in for months on end and it pays off. You get to talk to experts and they give you their opinion. It's just a great and fun learning experience."

There were several other winners, nearly 40 students who advanced to compete at next month's California Science Fair.

There were roughly 450 students from over 50 schools, grades fourth through 12, who competed and promoted their science projects on the convention center floor.

Andrea Medina, president of the Kern County Science Foundation, said there were also "200-plus judges from over 30 companies."

"It's thrilling," Medina said about the event's return to in-person competition. "There's just something about being able to interact in person and reading the judge's facial expressions, and just being able to be excited about the project in a different way than virtually."

Medina is also director of grants and outreach for California State Bakersfield's School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering.

Michelle Roy, the science coordinator at Kern County Superintendent of Schools, said she was "over-the-moon excited" to be back in person. She and others said the event makes more of an impact in person rather than virtually.

"For me as an educator, my mission with the science fair is to generate curiosity," Roy said. "The science fair is an opportunity for students to go deeper and learn about things that they really want to know about."

Kristen Urquidez, vice president of the Kern County Science Foundation, was among several judges who were impressed with Brar's project.

Urquidez, a biology teacher at Del Oro High, has been affiliated with the Kern County Science Fair for the past five years. She remembers Brar's older brother Ishaan, now a Duke University sophomore, who also won a lot.

In 2021, Ishaan won at the Regeneron ISEF and Harjaisal finished second in the biomedical engineering division.

Urquidez said she enjoys seeing all the students present their projects.

"It's really fun to see kids in a leadership capacity," she said. "To have this knowledge that they're sharing and promoting from all these months of hard work, it's so nice that they're able to showcase that."