(Laramie, WY) – Several Lander students made an impact at the Wyoming State Science Fair in March, held at the University of Wyoming, where there were approximately 130 student competitors from across the state who had qualified during the regional science fairs.
County 10 caught up with Lander advisor Sam Hartpence, who oversaw students Carson Peters (8th grade, Lander Middle School), Chase Hartpence (8th grade, Lander Middle School), and Bryce Newman (10th grade, Lander Valley High School).
Carson and Chase completed in the Robotics & Integrated Systems junior division on a “Low-Cost Mobility Control System for Paraplegics.”
“Their project focused on designing an affordable adaptive mobility system to increase independence for individuals with paralysis,” Hartpence explained. “Their prototype successfully navigated sidewalks and included multiple safety features. Notably, they built their system for under $500, compared to commercial systems that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.”
“For Carson and Chase’s project, there was a point where we spent an entire weekend trying to solve a steering issue and couldn’t get it to work,” Hartpence added. “At one point, Carson stayed behind in the workshop with a handful of tools and completely reworked the system on his own—successfully solving the problem. That kind of persistence and independence is exactly what authentic research is about.”
Hartpence went on to share that another powerful aspect of their project was their overall motivation.
“Both students are high-level athletes, yet they chose to dedicate their time to building something that could improve the lives of individuals with significant physical disabilities,” Hartpence said. “The response from the community—especially from families with children who have mobility challenges—has been incredibly meaningful.”
Bryce Newman completed in the Engineering Mechanics & Materials Science, senior division, on an “Active Dampening Against Natural Frequency Failures on a Simple Structure” project.
“Bryce’s project explored how structures respond to resonance and investigated methods for actively reducing dangerous vibrations,” Hartpence shared. “His work demonstrated how relatively small changes in mass and tension can significantly alter a structure’s natural frequency—an idea with potential applications in real-world engineering design.”
Hartpence added that Bryce’s project was also impressive, “not just for its technical depth, but for its implications.”
“His work suggests that structural failures due to resonance might be mitigated through more dynamic and efficient approaches than what is commonly used today. As someone with a background in engineering, it was exciting to see a student explore ideas that connect directly to real-world structural design challenges.”
Overall, Carson and Chase received: 1st Place – State Champions (Junior Division: Robotics & Integrated Systems), the Broadcom Coding with Commitment Prize, the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize, and both were nominated to apply for the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge at the national level.
Additionally, Bryce received 1st Place – State Champion (Senior Division: Engineering Mechanics & Materials Science), the U.S. Air Force Award, and the WEST, Inc. Special Award.
“This is the first year where every project I mentored earned a division championship at the state level,” Hartpence said, adding that he expects all three students will continue participating in the science fair in the future.
“Carson and Chase have been nominated to apply for the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge, which is one of the most prestigious middle school STEM competitions in the country,” Hartpence added. “I’m hopeful they pursue that opportunity. Beyond competition, I think all of these projects have the potential to continue evolving. Carson and Chase are thinking about their next iteration on their design, and Bryce’s work opens the door for more advanced modeling and testing.”
The Broadcom Coding with Commitment award is uniquely intended to reward a student’s passion for improving the community and for attempting to apply basic coding or rudimentary computational thinking to solve a problem. In offering this award, Broadcom Foundation aims to encourage all fair participants to “think globally and act locally.” This is best achieved by showing them that research is naturally aligned with one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, thus helping them “connect the dots” between their local challenge with those of people all around the world. The winners of this award will each receive a Raspberry Pi Pico and $250 voucher which we hope will be used for next year’s science fair research. 
Western EcoSystems Technology, INC (WEST) presents special awards to recognize excellent projects in environmental and data science. 
This year’s International Science & Engineering Fair will be held in Phoenix, AZ May 9-15, 2026. We wish our Wyoming competitors do well as they join almost 2000 other high-school aged scientists and engineers from over 70 countries to compete, all expenses paid, for some of nearly 9 million dollars offered in awards, prizes and scholarships. Please also celebrate our middle school nominees for the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovation Challenge. “The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is the nation’s premier STEM research competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. The nominees have the honor of submitting an application. 30 finalists and one parent/guardian will win an all-expense-paid trip to the national finals week in Washington, DC to showcase their projects, compete in teams and visit sites that celebrate innovation through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Hartpence said one of his biggest takeaways from this year was “the contrast between quality and access.”
“This was the strongest group of projects I’ve ever mentored in terms of depth, originality, and real-world impact. At the same time, participation locally has declined in recent years—not because students aren’t capable, but because it has become increasingly difficult to support this kind of work within the school day,” he explained. “All of the work for these projects was done outside of school hours, at home, with support from families and the community. That creates a barrier—because not every student has access to the time, resources, or mentorship needed to take on a project like this.”
“There is incredible talent in this community. If we can find ways to better support student research within the school system—whether through dedicated class time, mentorship structures, or academic credit—we could dramatically expand participation and give more students the opportunity to have these kinds of transformative experiences. At its core, the science fair isn’t just about competition—it’s about giving students the chance to see themselves as problem-solvers, engineers, and scientists. And that’s something worth investing in.”
