HIGH SCHOOL PROJECTS …. The top two high school science projects at the Northwest Ohio Science and Engineering Fair will represent northwest Ohio at this year’s Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair that will be held in Los Angeles in May. Two others will attend the international fair as student observers and two of the high school projects were selected to enter the SUNY (State University of New York) Genius Olympiad later this year. Advancing from the regional fair that was held at Northwest State Community College are (from left) Pettisville senior Ella Richer, whose project advances to the Genius Olympiad; Hilltop seniors Ingrid Hoffman and Joscelyn Layman, who were selected as finalists for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair; and Patrick Henry sophomore Gunnar McClure, who will be a student observer at the international fair. In back is James Short, the director of the Northwest Ohio Science and Engineering Fair. Not pictured is Hilltop junior Giada Rising, who will attend the international fair as a student observer and whose project advances to the Genius Olympiad.
More than 70 junior and senior high school students participated in the Northwest Ohio Science and Engineering Fair (NWOSEF) held Saturday (February 24) at Northwest State Community College. These students advanced to the regional science fair after competing at their local science fair.
Four students were chosen to represent northwest Ohio this spring at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles from May 12-17.
Two Hilltop seniors will be among some 1,800 high school scientists from more than 75 countries who will present their projects in Los Angeles and compete for nearly $9 million in prizes and scholarships at the world’s largest STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competition. Every participant at ISEF has developed a science project of their own design.
Hilltop seniors Ingrid Hoffman and Joscelyn Layman will join that elite group of high school scientists.
Hoffman’s project is titled: “People’s palatability preference of gluten free pie crust flours” and
Layman’s project is titled: “Evaluating meat quality of gallus domesticus (chicken) after treating them with Flockleader Relax.” Both will present and explain their research to a number of judges during the competition.
Hoffman’s project is attempting to develop an alternative “flour” to be accepted and safely used by gluten intolerant individuals.
Layman’s project is looking at whether a commercial product that contains natural ingredients assists in the tenderness and moisture found in processed chickens.
However, this won’t be the Hilltop seniors first time at the ISEF. Both girls were selected last year to attend the Regeneron ISEF in Dallas as student observers from the Northwest Ohio Science and Engineering Fair.
As a result of that experience, they decided to compete again this year and earned the right to attend the Los Angeles ISEF as finalists.
Representing the NWOSEF this year as student observers are Patrick Henry sophomore Gunnar McClure and Hilltop junior Giada Rising.
Although they will not be presenting their projects in Los Angeles, McClure’s project was titled “Ionic thruster” and Rising’s project was titled “Do natural products kill bacteria and prevent growth?”
Hoffman and Pettisville senior Ella Richer were both selected to enter their projects in the SUNY (State University of New York) Genius Olympiad later this year.
Richer’s research was titled “The effect of AMF (a naturally occurring fungus) on secale cereate biomass production and phosphates in runoff.”
Her research looked at whether AMF would allow plants to better utilize fertilizer applied to farmland and reduce runoff.
Of the 31 high school participants at Saturday’s science fair, 10 projects were selected for super judging. In addition to the five students already named, the other five participants selected for super judging were Hilltop senior Margaret Wheeler, Hilltop juniors Libbie Baker, Julia Dickinson and Brooke Moreland, Patrick Henry sophomore Abigail Deuel, and Miller City freshman Derrick DeMuth.
Seven of the 42 junior high projects were chosen for super judging, including: Hilltop eighth graders Emily Suydam and Emily Marvin, Fort Jennings seventh grader Leah Kahle, Kalida seventh grader Daphne Recker, St. Anthony of Padua (Columbus Grove) seventh graders Caelan Langhals and Hannah Brodwolf, and Put-in-Bay seventh grader Caleb Kowalski.
The top four junior high projects were presented by Caelan Langhals, Caleb Kowalski, Emily Marvin and Hannah Brodwolf.
All of the junior and senior high school students who qualified for super judging received an autographed copy of Bill Nye’s book: Unstoppable. Harnessing science to change the world.
James Short, the director of the Northwest Ohio Science and Engineering Fair, recognized the sponsors of this year’s fair.
Worthington Steel of Delta was the title sponsor. Other sponsors were Northwest State Community College STEM and Technology Department, Spangler Candy Company of Bryan, and North Star Bluescope Steel of Delta along with Harold Gerten, Camco Engineering, Louis and Rene’ Levy, Jeff Wetmore, Jean Wetmore, and John and Terri Samuelson (Defiance Hearing Center).
