TA Students Present Research, Earn Honors at VT STEM Fair
March 17, 2026
On Saturday, three Thetford Academy students showcased their research at the annual Vermont STEM Fair, hosted at Norwich University. The fair is “an inquiry-based poster presentation competition open to all middle and high school level students in the state of Vermont,” and is judged by science and engineering professionals.
Elijah Renner ’26, who has competed in the fair for the last three years, calls the event his “favorite day of the year.” This year, he presented his project titled “Pathformer,” a system that aims to address errors in manual billing of pathology reports. The VT STEM Fair, he says, is an “exciting opportunity to learn about over 100 projects in person,” and to practice presenting scientific research.
Elijah was joined at the fair this year by juniors Aislin Peters and Leah Crossett, who presented their research on the connection between visual stimuli and heart rate. Their project, titled “When Your Eyes and Heart Meet” focused on the physiological discrepancies in their results between male and female subjects.
As first-time participants in the fair, both Aislin and Leah were inspired by the experience. “My first experience was one I will never forget. I got to see and meet new people who share the same interests,” said Aislin. “My only regret would be not joining the STEM Club and STEM Fair sooner.”
Leah agreed. “Being able to gather so many people who share the same passion as you in one building is always something truly inspiring to see. The hum of students all recounting their spiel – that they’d been working hard on for so long – created an atmosphere that was energizing, and even more exciting to be a part of.”
At Thetford Academy, Elijah, Aislin, and Leah are members of the school’s STEM Club, led by Chemistry and Physics teacher Rachael Brown. The club meets weekly to talk STEM, work on independent projects, and learn from one another along the way. As a senior member of the club, Elijah is excited by its growth over the last several years. “I’m really enjoying watching STEM enthusiasm grow at TA and would like to thank Ms. Brown for being a champion of that.”
All three students will continue their research and each received recognition at the event. Aislin and Leah’s work earned them a scholarship to the New Hampshire Academy of Science’s Applied Scientific Research Program. Elijah was named a finalist in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). He also earned the VPA Award for the top project by a high school senior and a Vermont STEM Fair gold medal.
All of the event’s student projects can be viewed online in the VT STEM Fair Showcase.
