ROME, NY. – The Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI), in partnership with the Griffiss Institute (GI), is proud to have hosted the 2023 AFRL Challenge Competition, as one of their joint STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiatives, during the week of April 10 – 14, 2023, at the Innovare Advancement Center, in Rome, New York.
Six high schools participated in this competition during spring break, they are as follows:
Central Valley Academy
Students: Seth Brownrigg and Eamon Miller
Teacher: Kelly Long
Holland Patent High School
Students: Heather Buchanan-Wise and Nicole Santa Maria
Teacher: Justin Scialdone
Holy Cross Academy
Students: Cooper Connor and Matthew Gwilt
Teacher: Margaret Cummings
Rome Free Academy
Students: Kenneth Davis and Colyn Seeley
Teacher: Albert Bangs
Westmoreland High School
Students: Cayden Osborne and Dakota Sill
Teacher: Nicholas Darrah
Whitesboro High School
Students: Dominic Marrero and Alex Parlagreco
Teacher: Stephen Costanza
First Place Winners Kenneth Davis and Colyn Seeley from Rome Free Academy.
On Friday, all teams were recognized for their hard work and efforts during the week. Four teams were awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place titles. The 2023 1st place winners Kenneth Davis and Colyn Seeley from Rome Free Academy placed 2nd in the 2022 AFRL Challenge Competition.
Four teams were awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place titles.
The winners of the Annual AFRL Challenge Competition are:
1st Place: Rome Free Academy
2nd Place: Holland Patent High School
3rd Place: Central Valley Academy
4th Place: Whitesboro High School
Winning teams will be awarded scholarships through their respective NY 529 accounts. Scholarships range from $500 per student to $3,000 per student.
The Challenge Competition is an annual competitive STEM initiative for local high school students. It is held during the week when students are on Spring break and it intends to provide a more realistic view of the types of high-tech problems the nation is facing today, and how engineers and researchers go about dissecting and solving these problems. Previous students describe the week and its challenges as a “mental marathon.”
Griffiss Institute’s President & CEO Heather Hage states, “We are proud to support the AFRL Challenge Competition to convene and inspire our area’s talented high school students to tackle real and critical technical challenges facing our nation’s defense. I am consistently struck by the innovative solutions that emerge from these activities, and hope that our students will maintain the motivation to serve the country and community with their technical talents going forward.”
This year’s Challenge problem was developed by Christian Brazeau and Nathan McDonald of the AFRL RI Computing & Communications Division. Nathan McDonald explained the challenge in more detail, “Deep neural networks (DNN), a popular form of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), and alchemy both ‘work’ despite their lack of a scientific framework. This week’s Challenge Competition introduced students to an emerging type of mathematics researchers think will help finally mature AI/ML into a rigorous science. The students wielded hyperdimensional computing (HDC), akin to high school algebra except where x and y are QR code-like patterns instead of numbers, to solve specially created AI/ML video games.” This thought-provoking problem allowed students to solve a real world problem using their science and technology skills. “I believe the students rose to the occasion and surprised us all with how well they understood the challenge and worked together to come up with great solutions,” said AFRL STEM Lead Jeff DeMatteis.
Rome Free Academy’s tech teacher Albert Bangs comments, “As an educator, I want my students to use critical thinking with authentic experiences. The AFRL Challenge gives our students the chance to use their critical thinking skills in a real-world scenario. In this year’s challenge, topics are cutting edge, students are working on Hyperdimensional Computing where they are using neural networks, machine learning, and all of the math, science, and technology skills they learned in school.”
Each high school team consisted of a teacher and two students. Each school selects the teacher and students who will be participating, and only one team per school is granted participation. “The challenge was difficult, but making progress towards the solution was very rewarding,” said Holland Patent student Heather Buchanan-Wise. Student Nicole Santa Maria from Holland Patent said, “We were given the opportunity to learn things we may not otherwise have been exposed to.”
The theme of this year’s Challenge Competition is “Using visual patterns as a new approach for human-readable artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)”. This year the Holy Cross Academy team comes to the competition with their teacher Margaret Cummings, who is a past Challenge Competition participant. Ms. Cummings was a student participant in the Challenge during her senior year of high school.
On Friday, parents and dignitaries were invited to celebrate the efforts of our local students, including Mayor Jackie Izzo, AFRL officials, and additional award certificates were provided by Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon’s office.
The judge’s panel for this year’s competition was:
- Mr. Nathan McDonald, Mathematician, Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate
- Dr. John Salerno, Information Institute Program Deputy Director & AI/ML Subject Matter Expert, Griffiss Institute
- Dr. Jack Lombardi, Research Electronics Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate
This year’s AFRL Challenge Competition was sponsored by Sovena Group, Stewart’s Shops, LaRoma’s Pizza, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Crust Restaurant, Spressos, and Market 32. Interested in sponsoring the challenge next year? Visit griffissinstitute.org/contact-us.