On Friday February 24, the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi was packed with young scientists attending the the Mississippi Region VI Science and Engineering Fair. Among the eager participants was MSMS junior Gary Nguyen, who received the recognition of Best in Fair, which qualifies him to advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May.

The Science and Engineering Fair is an annual competition where dedicated students share their scientific discoveries and present their innovative ideas to change the world. The criteria in which the contestants are evaluated include creativity, scientific thought, engineering goals, thoroughness, skill, and clarity.

Nguyen’s project focused on the idea of making cars more environmentally-friendly by reducing toxic emission pollutants. More specifically, he looked at the possibility of reducing hydrocarbon levels by modifying the standard model of the automotive exhaust system.

“I was inspired to come up with this idea out of my growing concern for the ongoing issue of our society’s global environmental impact as a consequence of our daily lifestyles,” Nguyen explained. “While the automotive industry is looking for ways to transition to the point where every car on the road is emission-free, the reality is that gasoline-powered cars won’t be disappearing any time soon.  And because of that, I feel that steps should at least be taken to help limit the carbon footprint that we, as a society, leave behind.”

The young scientist is determined to expand on the current project, explore other potential modifications, and produce more convincing results.