Dr. Nitin Tanna competed at the Lancaster County Science Fair as a 7th grader; now, he’s a judge

When Dr. Nitin Tanna and his family moved to Lancaster in 1972, Tanna was a fourth grader, and his primary concerns were developing his English speaking skills and adjusting to the unfamiliar environment he could come to call home.

Tanna and his family moved to Lancaster as Ugandan refugees; he spoke Swahili and Gujrati.

But Tanna did much more than improve his English in those first few years in America. By the end of seventh grade, he’d have a second place award from the Lancaster County Science Fair and a blossoming passion for scientific inquiry.

Currently a radiologist at Lancaster General Hospital and an accomplished academic, Tanna’s middle school science fair experience sowed the seeds for a successful career in science. He looks forward to returning to the fair this month — this time as a judge, providing inspiration to young students starting their own scientific journeys.

“I love interacting with the students, learning about their research and passion, and providing them positive and constructive feedback for the research they have performed,” Tanna said. “When I judge the local and international science fair, I am always humbled by the students and the caliber of research they conduct these days.”

This year’s North Museum Science and Engineering Fair, presented by The Arconic Foundation, will take place on Thursday, March 7, at Millersville University’s Student Memorial Center. With 172 student competitors ranging from 6th to 12th grade, 21 Lancaster County schools will be represented.

A valuable experience

The day of the fair starts at 9 a.m. as judges begin reviewing students’ abstracts. Throughout the day, students will be interviewed by judges, learn about their peers’ projects and witness a weather balloon launch by Millersville University meteorology students.

From 2 to 4 p.m., the fair will be open for the public to view students’ projects and learn from the young researchers.

An awards ceremony will close out the day starting at 6:30 p.m., where more than $2,300 in awards will be distributed to competitors of the junior and senior divisions, middle and high school levels, respectively. Students will receive awards in 20 different project categories, including robotics, animal science, plant sciences and physics.

The fair’s Grand Champion and Senior Champion will have the opportunity to travel to the international fair in Los Angeles in May, the costs of which are covered by the North Museum. The museum doesn’t charge students to participate in the fair, either.

“The Science and Engineering Fair is tremendously valuable to students and the community,” Andrea Rush, CEO of the North Museum, said. “Its free access paves the way to breaking down barriers, so students from underserved and under-represented populations have a platform of entry into STEM industries.”

Regardless of who wins an award, Scott Downs, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships for the North Museum, says the science fair process itself is invaluable. The connections students make, the feedback they receive and the gratification of presenting months of hard work is important to encouraging student endeavors in science.

“[It] reinforces the work ethic that all students have demonstrated and shows them that showing up, doing the work, is valuable,” Downs said.

A start in science

In Tanna’s case, he may have never competed without his seventh grade science teacher, John Fasnacht.

Tanna was just two months into seventh grade at Lincoln Middle School when Fasnacht encouraged him to participate in the upcoming science fair, Tanna said.

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At the time, Tanna’s mother worked in a factory, and he was concerned by the noise levels at her workplace and what effects it may have on her hearing. To investigate the situation, Tanna measured noise levels at workplaces across Lancaster, such as Amtrak Train Station, to explore an issue that affected everyday peoples’ lives.

The project ended up being an “overwhelming success,” Tanna said, winning him second place in the Lancaster County fair. But the accomplishment gave him more than an award to display on a shelf — the reward was felt intrinsically, too. He became motivated to take part in subsequent science fairs — which would lead him to compete and win awards at the international level twice — and would formulate his passion for science into career goals.

(Tanna said he did not stay in touch with Fasnacht, and LNP | LancasterOnline was unable to locate the former teacher.)

After studying biology in undergrad at the University of Rochester, Tanna attended the University of Pennsylvania medical school, where he had opportunities to engage in both research and clinical work. While there, his research focused primarily on neurology and radiology.

Upon setting out into the world of academia, Tanna found that his science fair experiences had given him an advantage. Because of his projects, he already developed specialized skills in scientific inquiry, methodology and experimentation that he would be vital in college.

“It taught me how to think critically and analytically, seek guidance from other scientists to problem solve and, equally importantly, how to communicate my research in an effective manner to others,” Tanna said.

Advanced research

Tanna has worked at Lancaster General Hospital since 2001, when he was recruited for the opening of Lancaster General Women and Babies Hospital. Now, he serves as the Chief of Breast Imaging and has been crucial in establishing the hospital’s Suzanne H. Arnold Center for Breast Health and advancing their mammography capabilities.

Besides his clinical work in Lancaster County, he has also contributed to national efforts to improve breast screening technology. Starting in 2019, Tanna was one of 15 people across the country selected to test 2-D and 3-D imaging technology, in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Dr. Nitin Tanna is a passionate leader within our Penn Medicine Lancaster General Breast Health team and the community broadly,” said Tammy Derk, Executive Director of Women and Pediatric Service Lines at Lancaster General Hospital and a colleague of Tanna’s. “He dedicates his medical leadership time to promoting quality of care, access, and equity for all women’s breast health and wellness. Additionally, he supports education of our future scientists and medical providers, as well as the community broadly.”

But in all of this advanced scientific work, Tanna says the research skills he first learned from science fair still shine through. So, of course, he manages to find time to foster curiosity and confidence in the next generation of scientists.

This year, Tanna is the Judging Coordinator for the North Museum’s fair. He’s served as a judge for 18 years, and during that time, he’s come to love the enthusiasm that students show for their work. He said he hopes that he can encourage students’ self-confidence, aspirations and skill development, just like the mentors in his life once did for him.

“The problems in the world and affecting humans, our planet, and all living beings is getting more and more complex and multifactorial,” Tanna said. “We need future generations of scientists to help us not only understand these problems, but to advance science and seek solutions.”