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Barnas is the top record holding first place science fair winner in Massachusetts, and among the top in the United States. As a student, Barnas won 13 first place prizes in science fairs.

Career
Barnas Monteith is Chairman of the Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair, Inc. — the oldest dedicated inquiry based science education non-profit in MA, and one of the oldest in the U.S.. As a young student, Barnas was one of the most successful science fair participants in MSSEF history, with four 1st place MSSEF wins, four 1st place Regional wins, two International (ISEF) 1st place Grand Awards, awards at the European Youth Science Exchange, Nynex Science & Technology Awards, the Edison Award, the Naval Science Research Award, and a number of other scholarships and special first prize awards. His projects focused on the study of dinosaur and bird evolution using fossilized egghsell microstructures and biochemistry, utilizing computer models. Barnas spent nearly a decade doing paleontology expeditions throughout much of the major vertebrate fossil-bearing beds of North America. Throughout college and beyond, he did work at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparatize Zoology researching the Triassic vertebrates of Arizona, including possible Phytosaur nesting behaviors, and was one of the youngest researchers ever to present a Plenary lecture at the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology. Since that time, he has started several successful technology companies – most recently foraying into semiconductor R&D, specializing in the commercialization of synthetic diamond products, with a focus on IC planarization, as well as the renewable energy and high efficiency lighting markets.

Barnas has also won a Gordon & Betty Moore  Foundation SPARK award for science inquiry, and in recent years has won various recognitions for his work to create STEM research collaborations between US and Chinese institutions, as well as various advisory appointments to schools, including the Beijing Academy of Science & Technology, and top university honors for his work on international collaboration from China’s National Academy of Science, and the Beijing Aoxiang Institute.

Barnas serves on the MA Department of Education / DESE’s Math & Science Advisory Council, and was appointed by Governor Patrick to serve as a member of the inaugural Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, as Co-Chair of its Public Awareness subcommittee, which has launched the statewide WOW STEM campaign. As a STEM activist, he has served on numerous school task forces, legislative working groups and out of sheer frustration, has even resorted to filing his own STEM legislation as a citizen. He has co-authored several patents pending, published a number of scientific articles in the areas of paleobiology and materials science and speaks regularly at STEM education and industry events and conferences throughout the world.

Advocacy
Barnas has been a vocal proponent of the idea that STEM learning is done best when students are engaged in hands-on learning.