Palatine 8th-Grader Designs Safety System For School Shootings

PALATINE, IL — A Palatine eighth-grader who designed an automated school safety system that uses radio frequency "smart" tags is one of 30 finalists in a national science, technology, engineering and math competition for middle-schoolers. Gabriella Liu will travel to Washington, D.C., next month to participate in the eighth annual Broadcom MASTERS program and a chance to win $25,000.

The Quest Academy student came up with her automated safety system as a way to combat school shootings in the country. As a middle-schooler, Gabriella knew she lacked the political clout to pass tighter gun laws, but that didn't mean she couldn't help minimize these violent tragedies in other ways.

Using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, she developed "smart" tags for students that would be coded with information that could be picked up and read by special devices. During emergencies, students with the "smart" tags could be located with the devices, allowing help to reach them more quickly.

Gabriella also tested her system to see if it could withstand the challenges that a variety of school environments present. Would the metal in school buses block the RFID tags' electromagnetic fields? Could the devices pick up students moving around a lot? Did the high ceilings in gyms make a difference compared to the lower ceilings of classrooms?

Running her system against those different, real-world factors, she collected her findings and wrote an app to analyze the millions of data points. In the end, Gabriella's tags and devices were able to track and locate students on an ongoing basis.

“My system design is capable of providing real-time events,” said Gabriella, who volunteers at a local food bank and retirement home and is interested in biomedical research with hopes of becoming a doctor.

Although firmly rooted in science, math and technology, Gabriella's safety system exemplifies a desire to preserve the beautiful and important aspects of life. That desire also can be seen in her other interests and how she spends her free time.

“Playing piano and guitar never fails to bring me joy,” she said.

Gabriella also enjoys cooking and painting, as well as photography and video editing.

“It’s an incredible way to keep tangible reminders of precious moments,” she added.

Gabriella's safety system has already earned her $500 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., from Oct. 19-23 as a finalist in the Broadcom MASTERS — Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars — program. In D.C., she'll showcase her project at the National Geographic Society and compete in team challenges testing her "critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration" skills, according to the Broadcom Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages kids to pursue careers in STEM.

Winners will be announced at an Oct. 23 awards ceremony at Carnegie Institution for Science. Some of the awards finalists will be vying for include:

• Samueli Foundation Prize, a $25,000 award for the student who demonstrates mastery of all STEM fields and exemplifies how research, innovation and teamwork come together to affect everyday lives.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, a $20,000 award for the student whose work and performance shows the most promise in health-related fields.
• Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, a $10,000 award for the student who demonstrates vision and promise as an innovator.
• Lemelson Award for Invention, a $7,500 award for a young inventor who creates promising solutions to real-world problems.

“Science competitions like the Broadcom MASTERS are critical to the STEM talent pipeline,” said Maya Ajmera, publisher for Science News, as well as president and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public, which organizes the competition alongside Broadcom. “I applaud all the impressive young people who have been named finalists.”

Go to the website for the Broadcom MASTERS program for more details about the competition.

Gabriella Liu (Photo via the Broadcom Foundation)