On April 23, the RCDS community gathered in the PAC for an inspiring evening celebrating student research, innovation, and design at the second annual STEM Symposium.

The event brought together over 90 student presenters representing several programs in the Upper and Middle School, from classes to after-school clubs and independent studies. 

Featured Programs and Classes 

• Science Research Program
• Young Physicists Tournament
• RISE Club (Research & Innovation in Science & Engineering)
• Engineering & Design Class  (class)
• Biodesign  (AP Biology Class Projects)
• Environmental Science
• Computational Biology Class 
• Independent Studies

Walking through the Symposium, attendees heard directly from students about the complex, real-world problems their research tackled, from cancer treatment modeling and RNA sequencing to biomimicry-inspired engineering, sustainable design solutions, and data-driven public health research. The impressive student projects demonstrated RCDS’s commitment to deep competency-based learning, where knowledge is transferred to solve real-world challenges.

Director of STEAM Cathie Bischoff, Director of Science Research Jennifer Doran, and Head of School Randal Dunn shared opening remarks, inviting guests to explore the poster session. Emphasizing the time and patience this caliber of research takes, each speaker expressed their pride in our students. 

In addition to the work of Upper Schoolers, the Symposium was an exciting opportunity for RCDS’s younger researchers to showcase their work. Middle School students in Grades 6-8 presented their study of antimicrobial properties of natural substances, water quality, the Stroop effect, and structural engineering challenges through RCDS’s Research & Innovation in Science & Engineering (RISE) program. 

"Our students shared with me that they appreciated the opportunity to showcase their work because it made them feel their projects mattered. These projects—and the thinking behind them—do matter! We hope our students continue to pursue research that has real meaning and impact."
–Jen Doran, Director of Science Research, Upper School Science Teacher

“These projects remind us that the future of innovation is not something we wait for. It is already being built by our students through thoughtful inquiry, creativity, and attempts to solve real problems.”
–Cathie Bischoff, Director of STEAM, Upper School Science Teacher

Congratulations to all of our student researchers, and thank you to our faculty mentors for their guidance and support!

2026 STEM Symposium Program