White House Science Fair: Joey Hudy, Son of a Cognizant Employee, Helps Turn the Spotlight on Efforts to Advance STEM Education in the U.S.

Joey Hudy and Family

On February 7, 2012, Joey Hudy, the 14-year-old son of Victor Hudy, a Cognizant employee, attended the White House Science Fair. Joey and his marshmallow cannon were soon cast into the national spotlight as Joey demonstrated his invention for President Obama in the White House State Dining Room. Joey has since been featured in nearly every major news outlet, including the The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and has appeared on numerous broadcast outlets.

Joey’s story is a tribute to the efforts under way for advancing STEM education in the U.S. – a priority for Cognizant, as manifest in Cognizant’s Making the Future education initiative that seeks to inspire young learners to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines by creating fun, hands-on learning opportunities.

Joey’s journey to the White House started with his interest in the Maker movement. Through Maker events, Joey gained a passion for learning the technology and science behind Making and has exhibited his inventions at Maker Faires in major U.S. cities, including San Mateo, Detroit, and most recently, New York. The New York event was where he caught the eye of Tom Kalil, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), who invited him to exhibit his invention at the White House Science Fair. The rest is history. 

Cognizant congratulates and thanks Joey and his family for helping turn the focus on STEM education in the U.S.

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