On April 23, 2026, the SAME Baltimore Post transformed the historic Garrett-Jacobs Mansion—home of the Engineer’s Club in downtown Baltimore—into a hub of curiosity, creativity, and hands-on discovery for its annual Easy as Pi STEM event.
Led by dedicated Co-Chairs Rosemarie Potocky (Arcadis), Ivy Harvey (EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC), and Shante Fields (Mead & Hunt), the event welcomed approximately 100 middle school students from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City for a day designed to spark interest in STEM careers.
The energy was palpable as students rotated through three interactive, one-hour sessions, breaking into smaller groups based on their interests. Each session offered a dynamic mix of learning and fun—encouraging students to ask questions, experiment, collaborate, and engage directly with professionals in the field.
Participants explored a wide range of STEM disciplines through hands-on activities and engaging presentations, including:
- The American Industrial Hygiene Association team (Erin Stanton, Ryan Hines, Ansar Qureshi, Michelle Coutu, Daeva Paskausky), who introduced students to the critical role of industrial hygiene in keeping workplaces safe and healthy.
- The Maryland State Highway Administration (Leo Gray, Giorgios Arnas, Zachary Mohler, Anakin Caceres), who brought the future to life with a look at autonomous vehicles and evolving transportation systems.
- The US Naval Academy (Dr. Sarah Durkin, LCDR (ret) Ray Guethler, Antje Hlavaty, Kris Endy, Joe McGettigan, LT Billy Pelger, Rachel Miller, Jordan Mueller and Kaumaka Roback), whose team led two exciting activities—constructing hydraulic arms to demonstrate mechanical advantage and creating a tensegrity super-ball to investigate tension and compression forces and their applications in space.
- The Maryland Department of Transportation (Caitlin Eversmier, Cayty Dean, Mike Baker, and Melissa Bogdan), who shared insights into the ongoing reconstruction of the Key Bridge.
By the end of the day, students left not only with new knowledge, but with a deeper sense of possibility—having seen firsthand how STEM shapes the world around them.
A special thank you to all of the speakers, volunteers, the Engineer’s Club, the participating students, and the Easy as Pi committee for making this inspiring day possible.
