Fauquier County Public Schools

News ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 17, 2016Karen Parkinson, Coordinator of InformationPhone (540) 422-7031

kparkinson@fcps1.org

FAUQUIER COUNTY REGIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR DRAWS 101 PARTICIPANTS

Move over, 101 Dalmatians. Make room for 101 scientists and engineers.That was the number of students registered to participate in the Third Annual Fauquier County Regional Science

& Engineering Fair Saturday, March 12, at Fauquier High School – nearly double the number of participants the previous year – at 51.

One hundred students in grades 6-12 from the area’s public and private schools and one home-schooled student were prepared to vie for cash prizes totaling over $2,000, thanks to these sponsors: Sharp Science Student Foundation, Learning Tree International, Linda and John Suter, and the Patricia and David Vos Foundation. Also on the line was the chance to advance to a higher level of competition with larger cash prizes – the top 10 junior division (middle school) projects are eligible to apply to the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) national science fair competition, and a select group of high school projects will compete at the Virginia State Science & Engineering Fair April 8-9 at VMI in Lexington. The top senior division (high school) prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair in Phoenix, AZ, May 8-13.

Two dozen judges convened to evaluate the projects and interview the 101 scientists and engineers about their work. Mayor of Warrenton Powell Duggan opened the awards ceremony, and Town Councilman Jerry Wood and Town Manager Brannon Godfrey attended the event. (The Town Council has invited some of the young, award-winning scientists and engineers to attend its April 12 meeting.) Dr. David Jeck, division superintendent, and Dr. Sandra Mitchell, associate superintendent for instruction, also participated in the ceremony, handing out dozens of door prizes and later, the top awards.

Senior Division WinnersFour Mountain Vista Governor’s School (MVGS)

seniors walked away with the top honors, accolades and cash prizes in the senior division (grades 9-12) at the fair. Winners were as follows.

1• st place: Niles Ribeiro, $500 prize for “Car-dian Angel: Feasibility Prototype Reducing Risk of Vehicular Hyperthermic Death” (embedded systems category) 2• nd place: Ivy Sandberg, $350 prize for “Data Analysis on Diagnosing Breast Cancer” (biomedical and health sciences category)3• rd place: Micensie Barrett, $200 prize for “Fighting Fire with Base Frequency and Harmonic Overtones” (physics and astronomy category)4• th place: Meredith Palmore, $150 prize for “Reuse of Rattus norvegicus 18S Oligonucleotide Primer for the DNA Amplification of Notophthalmus viridescens” (earth and environmental sciences category)

Pictured left to right are Micensie Barrett, Meredith Palmore, Ivy Sandberg and Niles Ribeiro.Continued on next page

First-place winner Niles Ribeiro said he was glad to hear the results because he had put many, many hours of time and effort into his project.

“I wasn’t sure how the verdict would turn out, but I thought my project stood a fair chance with the others,” he said, adding that he is most excited about the opportunity to attend the International Science Fair this May. “Meeting with students and scientists from across the globe would be an immersive and unparalleled experience both scientifically and culturally,” he said.

Ribeiro got the idea for his project – creating a prototype for a system that could alert parents of a child or pet trapped in a car when temperatures were unsafe and could send alerts via smartphone with a picture of the interior – when he came across Gene Weingarten’s Pulitzer Prize-winning article Fatal Distraction, which detailed the legal and ethical ramifications of cases where parents left a child in the car in a moment of absentmindedness, only to find that it cost them the life of a loved one.

“When I read the article and researched the problem further, I realized that a solution was within our reach, especially with current technology,” he said. His goal also involved trying to leverage modern technology in current cars to the maximum, utilizing RFID, GPS, onboard computing, and easily available sensors to increase the chances of adoption by automotive manufacturers and create the most effective alert system.

“It relied on quite a bit of hardware and software work because it combined the power of a computer with the versatility of an Arduino microcontroller. The hardest part for me was the programming. Considering the complexity of some of the systems in my project, the C/C++ [that] I had to pick up along the way proved to be one of the hardest, but one of the most useful, pieces of my project.”

In addition to Ribeiro’s project and the other three top winners in the senior division, four other projects were selected to advance to state competition. They are as follows.

“Effects of Texting on Reaction Time” by Molly •Cesanek, Wakefield School 9th grader

“The Relationship between North Atlantic •Oscillation and Gadus morhua” by Kristen Kelly, MVGS 12th grader

“4 Million in 2048” by Maxon Mendel, Liberty •High School 12th grader

“The Effect of Detergent Pods and Their •Neutralization on Seed Sprouting” by Julianna Schwindt, MVGS 12th grader

Community businesses provide sponsorships in increments of $150 per student to cover the registration costs of the Virginia State Science & Engineering Fair (VSSEF), travel, lodging and meals for these eight senior division students who will compete at VSSEF with over 250 high school students throughout the Commonwealth.

Junior Division WinnersIn the junior division (grades 6-8), the top 10 projects, eligible to compete in the Broadcom MASTERS fair, were as

follows, listed by category. A cash prize of $100 will go to each project.Animal Sciences: • “Does Grooming Have an Effect on a Horse’s Heart Rate?” by Dakota Hodgson, sixth-grader at Taylor Middle SchoolBehavioral and Social Sciences:• “The Person Behind the Pen” by Morgan Malinow, eighth-grader at Highland SchoolBiomedical and Health Sciences:• “Does Whitening Toothpaste Whiten?” by Bate Yung, eighth-grader at Highland SchoolChemistry:• “Healthiest Bottled Water” by Matthew Heller, eighth-grader at Highland SchoolEnergy:• Physical: “Will It Soundproof? Let’s Talk about That” by Nicholas Ruddle, sixth-grader at Marshall Middle SchoolEngineering Mechanics:• “Ram Pump Efficiency” by Michael Gesiotto and Adam Smuts, eighth-graders at Taylor Middle SchoolEngineering Mechanics:• “Which Bridge Design is the Strongest?” by Robert Guiney, seventh-grader at Wakefield School

Senior division state qualifiers are, l-r, Micensie Barrett, Molly Cesanek, Kristen Kelly, Meredith Palmore, Niles Ribeiro, Ivy Sandberg and Julian-na Schwindt (Not pictured: Maxon Mendel)

Continued on next page

Environmental Engineering:• “Rainforest Habitat Environment Control” by Wendy Green, seventh-grader at Marshall Middle SchoolPhysics & Astronomy:• “Mass of the Flight” by Robert Ball, sixth-grader at Cedar Lee Middle SchoolPlant Sciences:• “Monocots vs. Dicots – Testing the Rate of Capillary Action” by Brooke Arthur and Akasha Wilkemeyer, seventh-graders at Marshall Middle School

On the morning of the competition, a panel of scientists and engineers interviewed the students stationed at their projects before selecting the top winners. Judges were Dr. Allen Atkins, Dr. Alejandro Bueno, Commander Carl Carney of the Office of Naval Research, retired USAF Gen. John Fairfield, Dr. Michael Grosso, Dr. Jay Harre, Alan Hohn, Nikki Jenkins, Jason Jens, Robyn Meier, Dr. Jorge Minera, Dr. Cynthia Morgan, Dr. Lisa Palmer, James Pinsky, Pam Pulver, Dr. John Schreifels, Dr. Paul Shumate, Tracey Spencer, Dr. Nancy Simon, John Suter, Dr. Catherine Swanwick, Dorothy Tepper, Raymond Werre, Aaron Wilkemeyer and Dr. John Williams.

In addition to the science and engineering fair winners, a number of other awards were presented by head special awards judge Dorothy Tepper, a geologist who retired after 30 years with the U.S. Geological Survey. (Project names are listed only if they have not previously been listed in this news release):

American Psychological Association Award – Ellie Henry, sixth-grader at Marshall Middle School, “Fire or Ice: Which is Preferred?”

Association of Women Geoscientists Award – Becca Henegar, sixth-grader at Marshall Middle School, “What are the Effects of River Flooding in Different Stages?”

Intel Excellence Computer Science Award – Ivy Sandberg Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society Award – Kristen KellyNASA “Earth System Science” Award – Kristen KellyNOAA “Pulse of the Planet” Award – Kristen KellyRicoh Sustainable Development Award – Madeline

Mccombe, 12th-grader at MVGS, “The Effect of Essential Oil Additives to a Water Source on Honey Bee Visits”

U.S. Air Force Award: High School – Maxon MendelU.S. Air Force Award: Middle School – Robert BallU.S. Air Force Award: Middle School – Robert GuineyU.S. Air Force Award: Middle School – Joseph Zieg, sixth-

grader, Home School, “How Butterfly Wing Shape Affects Lift”U.S. Metric Association Award – Robert GuineyU.S. Office of Naval Research Award: High School –

Micensie BarrettU.S. Office of Naval Research Award: High School –

Julianna SchwindtU.S. Office of Naval Research Award: Middle School –

Kayla Gillham, seventh-grader at Marshall Middle School, “Travel the Tsunami” Continued on next page

Virginia Dental Association Award recipients, l-r: Brittany Leg-gott, Molly Cesanek, Max Morehouse, John Tedeschi, Julianna Schwindt and Isabella Chilbert (Not pictured: Madeline Mc-combe and Grace Suhrie)

U.S. Office of Naval Research Award: Middle School – Luke Warfield, eighth-grader at Highland School, “Drone Strength: Will It Fall or Fly?”

Virginia Dental Association Certificates of Merit – Max Morehouse, eighth-grader at Highland School, “Bacteria Where You Least Expect It”; Brittany Leggott, ninth-grader at Wakefield School, “Comparing Effects of Beverages on Human Teeth”; John Tedeschi, sixth-grader at Warrenton Middle School, “Rotten Teeth? Look at What You Drink”; Isabella Chilbert, seventh-grader at Midland Christian Academy, “How Does Soda Affect the Body?”; Grace Suhrie, 12th-grader at MVGS, “The Effects of Acetylsalicylic Acid on Gut Bacteria”; Madeline Mccombe; Molly Cesanek; Julianna Schwindt

Virginia Dental Association Regional Grand Prize – Grace SuhrieYale Science and Engineering Association, Inc. Award – Niles Ribeiro

Other Aspects of the Regional Science & Engineering FairIn addition to the science fair competition itself, this year’s fair included other notable events, speakers and

recognitions. Jonathan Maxwell, a world-class chess instructor, was on hand for the second year in a row to play an exhibition chess match of 12 concurrent games. Ethan Sears served as the youth master of ceremonies and quiz show host for the junior division; the Fauquier High School freshman participates in drama and was described as “a natural.” Mathnasium brought in tangrams and math-based games and provided activities with the junior division in the morning as well as a couple of chess sets with free homework-help passes for door prizes. The Cold War Museum had a display and did a cipher activity with the junior division. David and Jane Cross demonstrated their 3-D printer and displayed a host of their “printed” creations. Catlilli Games had a display of their STEM-based games and provided several as door prizes. David Fox of Winner Games had a display of his games and provided a couple of them as door prizes. Dr. Eldred Ribeiro had a display “Fascinating History of Radios” and “Internal and External Combustion Engines” with some demonstrations; he provided a crystal radio kit as a door prize.

Youth guest speakers were William Zitz-mann (at left), co-winner of the fair’s 2015 motto contest and a fourth-grader from Smith Elementary, speaking on “What ‘Discover the World Through Science’ Means to Me,” and Brad Houska (at right), co-winner of the 2015 motto contest and a first-year student at the University of Virginia, speaking on “What ‘Pursue Progress’ Means to Me.”

Also recognized at the ceremony were the following:

Robert Guiney, a seventh-grader from Wakefield School who last year won $100 for

honorable mention along with fellow group members Clay Sailor and Chandler Brown. The boys decided to donate their prize money, and it served as an idea for an auction. Following their lead, others also donated money for their school’s science department, and the trio’s act ultimately resulted in a donation of over $6,000 to Wakefield’s science department. Jenny Lopez, an 11th-grader at Fauquier High School, and Diana Mejia, a12th-grader at FHS, who worked in the fall to provide a Spanish translation of the sixth-grade “Performance Task” (science/engineering project) so that the document was more accessible to parents throughout the county. (For the first time, all sixth-graders in FCPS were required to complete a project for the regional fair this year.) Pam Pulver, FCPS supervisor for science, health and physical education, who spoke on why all sixth-graders were required to complete projects this year.

Keynote speaker at the fair was Linda Suter, retired engineer and, along with her husband, a core sponsor of and community advocate for the science fair. Mrs. Suter spoke on her female perspective of the STEM and engineering world. She said when she studied engineering at Widener University in Pennsylvania, she was the only female in a class; when the professor handed out the blue composition books for students to take their tests in, he handed her a pink one!

A Word from a Winner A few days after the competition the senior division winner Niles Ribeiro, who plans to major in either mechanical or aerospace engineering in college, had a word to share with future Regional Science & Engineering Fair participants. “I would encourage anyone thinking of submitting a science fair project to begin researching and working on a topic that interests you,” he said. “I think one that holds a great deal of relevance personally and objectively is the best motivator to conduct research and drives problem solving.” Continued on next page

Farewell, directorVineeta Ribeiro, mathematics teacher at Warrenton Middle School, who

holds a degree in electrical engineering, served as the director of the Fauquier County Regional Science & Engineering Fair for the third consecutive year. She said this year’s fair was “fabulous,” and she thanked the core supporters for their three years of support: Dr. David C. Collins and Learning Tree International, Inc. and Mrs. Mary Collins and the Sharp Science Students Foundation, as well as Linda and John Suter, along with others who came forward last year, such as the Patricia and David Vos Foundation and others.

“Without their generosity a science fair of this scale would not have been possible,” she said. “Unlike other fairs ours requires no registration fees, and every participant is provided lunch, a t-shirt, and gifts, courtesy of the sponsors. Some regional fairs do not offer any cash prizes whatsoever, and ours reserved over $2,000 for our junior and senior division winners.

“The fair was well worth the efforts that everyone – students, teachers, parents, volunteers, judges and the community – invested,” she said.

Ms. Ribeiro also announced that, because she is taking a new teaching assignment next year, she will no longer continue to direct the regional science & engineering fair. However, she said that there were many who had already stepped forward and shown a desire and leadership to continue with the fair. She said she is certain that the fair will continue to grow and flourish.

“It is not about one person – it is, and always has been, a community effort,” she said.

Junior Division Participants

Senior Division Participants Kristen Kelly and Micensie Barrett, both state qualifiers

2016 Regional Science & Engineering Fair