STEP team places third at robotics competition

The Binghamton University Science Technology Entry Program (STEP) Robotics Team, led by Industrial and Systems Engineering PhD candidate Tamika Gordon, was awarded third place in the Regional Robotics Competition at Adelphi University.

The team, consisting of Johnson City High School students Jadyn Baidoo-Davis, Samuel Bazile, Michaela Preston, Armani Lopez, Karina Ramos and Clyde Vandyke, competed against 10 other high-school groups.

The students had to cooperatively build a robot – entirely assembled with VEX Robotics Design Systems – that had to accomplish certain tasks set forth by the competition.

“The Robotics Competition allowed us to challenge a group of Johnson City High School students to experience life as an engineer, with the goal of building a robot,” said Gordon. “They learned the significance of the engineering design process, specifically, the redesign of the robot based on test results.”

“The team worked very well together,” she said. “They contributed ideas and valued everyone’s input. Most importantly, they had a lot of fun!”

STEP is a state-funded grant that aims to increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter college and improve their participation rate in mathematics, science, technology, health-related fields and the licensed professions.

That mission is what drew Gordon to lead the team.

“The most rewarding part of this experience was watching the students develop throughout the process, with some expressing interest in being an engineer! Programs like these are essential because they provide exposure to STEM and ultimately make the atypical seem attainable,” she said.

STEP is housed under both the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University. It’s led by co-principal investigators Sharon Bryant, associate professor of nursing, and Monica Majors.