University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has launched STEM Fair Fellows, an impactful new program that connects local students participating in STEM fairs with USF experts and resources to support their projects.
The STEM Fair Fellows include Victoria Ramirez, USF Sarasota-Manatee's laboratory manager; Paul Kirchman, Sarasota-Manatee campus dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; current and retired faculty, as well as USF Sarasota-Manatee alumni who volunteered on a weekly virtual panel for eight weeks to provide advice to local STEM fair participants. Students were invited to join the calls to converse directly with the panel or leave questions in the chat at any time.
Ramirez, the developer of this program, has been volunteering as a judge for local STEM fairs for nearly two decades. Throughout her years of experience, Victoria observed that many student projects were good, however, with a little guidance, they had the potential to be great. In general, she found that participants could have benefited from advice on stating their initial research question. Students tended to have grand ideas and attempted to fit multiple variables into one project, which doesn’t follow the scientific method protocol and lacks reproducibility.
“I often use the analogy of baking a cake,” Ramirez said with a smile, “if this is your first cake, you don’t start creating a wedding cake from scratch. You need to bake a box mix and top it with a can of frosting first, then you can learn and build on that knowledge.”
Victoria put her critical thinking skills to work to find a way to support these students,
and, although many of her variables changed along the way due to a global pandemic,
multiple hurricanes, and the relocation of the lab, Victoria was diligent with her
mission. After years of planning, her perseverance paid off, and STEM Fair Fellows
launched in fall 2025.
She views this as a mutually beneficial situation. “You never know,” Victoria mentioned,
“the students that we help with these projects might enroll at USF someday, and we
want them to be well prepared.”
In addition to my desire to help students conduct strong research, I want to encourage students who might be hesitant or intimidated to participate. You don’t know if you are good at something unless you try.
Victoria Ramirez
STEM fairs are county-wide programs that provide students in grades 3-12 with the opportunity to explore their interests in STEM fields by creating a project to be presented and judged at the district fair. Winners then have a chance to compete at the state and international levels. For the pilot program, two Sarasota County teachers were selected to share the STEM Fair Fellows opportunity with their students in order to test the structure and platform.
After a successful first session, Victoria is already planning for the fall 2026 program. She intends to tweak some issues on the virtual platform, offer a variety of times and days, and expand access to more students. With the anticipated opening of the new STEM academic facility in fall 2027, Ramirez will be able to meet her long-term goal of offering an in-person program option.
The upcoming STEM academic facility is a milestone for the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. This state-of-the-art building will provide both USF students and the community a space for experiential learning and exploration of high-demand fields. During the groundbreaking ceremony, USF Board of Trustees member and Campus Board Chair Rick Piccolo stated, “together, we are building something extraordinary—not just for today, but for generations to come.”
Victoria’s dedication to finding a creative solution to this challenge, showcases USF Sarasota-Manatee's commitment to identifying innovative ways of creating lasting positive impact for the region.