Kroeker is finalist in Young Scientist competition

by shari friedel

The grant tribune-sentinel 

Cooper Kroeker, a student at Perkins County Middle/High School has been selected as one of 30 finalists in the Broadcom MASTERS, a national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) competition for middle school students.

He spent approximately a year in extensive research and experimentation on what was originally a local science fair project entitled, “The Effects of Global Temperature Increase on Aviation.” 

As a farming family, the Kroekers see the impacts of climate change firsthand, Cooper said. That, along with his passion for aviation gave him the inspiration for the project.

As a passenger in the family airplane, Cooper began wondering how climate change could potentially affect aviation. With his dad, Bryan, piloting, Cooper collected data on takeoffs in a variety of temperatures, and analysis of the data indicated that temperature increase causes increased takeoff distances. This, he feels, will have consequences for aviation in the future, and compensations will have to take place as global warming continues.

Aside from his own experiments, Cooper has researched airplane manufacturers, data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA reports, weather data from AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System), and data from Denver and Memphis airports, and other areas. 

With his entry winning the local fair, Cooper participated in two regional science fairs in Kearney and Curtis; and the State Science Fair at Wesleyan University where his entry was designated as one of the top ten.

He is now one of the finalists selected from 1,807 applicants in 47 states and three U.S. territories chosen to compete in Washington D.C. Oct. 28-Nov. 2. There, the young scientists will undergo testing of their abilities in STEM, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. The competitors come from 28 schools in 12 different states.

Cooper has received a lot of encouragement for his endeavor from his parents, Bryan and Dana Kroeker, and his science teacher, Jennifer Gonzalez, who he said encourages students to do original projects they can work with long-term.

“Cooper is a dedicated, hard-working, and ambitious student, which is a testament to his success,” said Gonzalez. “His desire to ask questions about how the world works and seek the answers will no doubt lead him to a bright future. I am honored to have been a part of his journey thus far, and I look forward to what he will accomplish throughout his life.”

Other Interests

“I am very interested in plants and gardening,” Cooper said. He plays football and basketball, runs track and lifts weights in the summer. He plays the bassoon, saxophone and clarinet and enjoys public speaking. “I also enjoy just building stuff,” he adds. Most times he makes something he needs. “But every once in a while, I’ll invent something new,” he said.

Broadcom Masters

Broadcom MASTERS, a program founded and produced by the Society for Science, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the challenges of the future.