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Students earn science and engineering fair awards, qualify for UNC-Charlotte event

аæèßäapp conducted its annual аæèßäapp Regional Science and Engineering Fair on December 4-6 in partnership with The Schiele Museum, Livent, аæèßäapp College, Duke Energy, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.  The competition included more than 250 exhibits and projects that were created by 450 of аæèßäapp County’s best and brightest elementary, middle, and high school students. 

Dr. Laura Clawson, an instructional facilitator who oversees the science fair, said she is proud of the students and the projects they chose.

“The students really jumped in, and what impressed me the most is how they picked projects that are meaningful to them,” she said, pointing out that the projects reflected the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills.

“One student studied which football can be thrown the farthest, another looked at bath bombs, and one did a project about macarons because she loves baking them with her mom,” Clawson said. “Another student worked on how to drain a baseball field. These are everyday problems the students care about, and they worked hard to find solutions.”

Clawson also highlighted the teamwork behind the event.

“We are so proud of our students and teachers. Many of the projects were done at school and at home with help from their parents,” she said. “We want science, technology, and engineering to be an important part of what students learn in the classroom and also experience away from school.”

Matthew Wilcox from Kiser Elementary wanted to learn how wind turbines work so he studied how the angle of the blades affects the energy they produce.

“I wanted to show how the angle of blades on a wind turbine affects how much energy it can produce,” said Wilcox, who placed first overall in the elementary division. “I found that there’s no energy production unless the blade angle is at 10 degrees, and every angle above 10 degrees starts producing energy.” 

Wilcox said he hopes to continue his experiment in the future. “I’d like to test how changing the number of blades or the shape of the blades affects the amount of energy produced,” he said.

The аæèßäapp Regional Science and Engineering Fair is divided into five categories: environmental sciences, biological sciences, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and engineering and technology.  Students are judged on scientific method, research, resources cited, and the types of evidence provided to support the results.

â–  HIGH SCHOOL
The following high school students received first-place honors:

Overall Winner:
Sofia Jimenez Beltran, Inari Joseph, and Hayden Trinh, аæèßäapp Early College High School - Testing Impurities in Feminine Products

Biological Sciences A:
Laurel Campbell, Olive Campbell, and Charlotte Hearne, аæèßäapp Early College High School - The Effects of Copper on Coliform Concentration in Contaminated Water

Biological Sciences B:
Reese Sexton, East аæèßäapp High School - Epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a Topoisomerase II Poison for Cancer Treatment

Chemistry:
Sofia Jimenez Beltran, Inari Joseph, and Hayden Trinh, аæèßäapp Early College High School - Testing Impurities in Feminine Products

Earth and Environmental Sciences:
Jordan Reeves, East аæèßäapp High School - Deeper Dive into Lake Wylie and the Catawba River Basin

Math and Physics:
William McClelland, Stuart W. Cramer High School - Wing Aerodynamics

Engineering:
Aubree Huffstickler, аæèßäapp Early College High School - Pull In n' Out Pet Feeder

Technology:
Taylor Klinkiewicz, Maya Martin, and Alyssa Mullis, аæèßäapp Early College High School - The Accuracy of AI Detectors

Naval Science Award:
Alyssa McEntire, Highland School of Technology - Growing Plants in Zero Gravity

SPARC3 of Genius Award by аæèßäapp College:
Bethany McSwain, East аæèßäapp High School - Determining the Impact of the Horse’s Living Condition has on the Bacteria Growth in the Horse’s Hoof

â–  MIDDLE SCHOOL
The following middle school students received first-place honors:

Overall Winner:
Kelvin Aguilar Gonazlez and Sebastian Caro, Grier Middle School - The Impact of Air Pollution on Plant Health and Photosynthesis

Biological Sciences A:
Elizabeth Briand, John Chavis Middle School - The Rorschach Test

Biological Sciences B:
Selah Rose Smith, Belmont Middle School - Spices of Life

Chemistry:
Emma McGinnis, Belmont Middle School - Dissolve the Rainbow

Earth and Environmental Sciences
Tyler Koket, Belmont Middle School - Rocks & Minerals vs. Weathering & Erosion

Math and Physics:
Aidan Wood, Belmont Middle School - Poker Master

Technology:
Case Conner, Iain Brown, and Cash Anderson, Stanley Middle School - Crushin’s Things

Engineering:
Caitlyn Leonard, Belmont Middle School - Sunkissed Snacks Cooking

Naval Science Award:
Marlow Morris, Stanley Middle School - Battle of Bacteria
Elijah Hartman, Belmont Middle School - What’s the Better Battery?

â–  ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The following elementary school students received first-place honors:

Overall Winner:
Day 1: Jax Jenkins and Connor Pursley, North Belmont Elementary - Galactic Sugar Crystals
Day 2: Matthew Wilcox, Kiser Elementary - Blade Angle

Biological Sciences:
Day 1: Schafer Nunn, Anderson Hammond, and Karson McDonald, McAdenville Elementary - Different Colored Lights Effect on Plant Growth
Day 2: Will McLean, Hawks Nest STEAM Academy - Outstanding Growth

Chemistry:
Day 1: Artemis Shuford, W.B. Beam Intermediate - Five Second Rule
Day 2: Louisiana Suarez, Pinewood Elementary - Gummy Bear Lab

Earth and Environmental Sciences:
Day 1: Ava Satterfield, Madison Bell, Ryleigh McLean, Mason Melton, and Bethany Lazenby, Chapel Grove Elementary - Slippery Science: What Makes Ice Melts the Best?
Day 2: Blythe Sipe, Hawks Nest STEAM Academy - Break It Down

Math and Physics:
Day 1: Landon Satterfield, Duane Byers, Aidan Rhoten, Marek Chase, Nolan Barber, and Addilynn Brannon, Chapel Grove Elementary - What Melts Ice The Best?
Day 2: Ben Cherry, Hayes Hovis, and Will Trogdon, W.A. Bess Elementary - Baseball Science

Engineering and Technology:
Day 1: Amariah Henderson, Camari McBryant, Jace Whitehead, and Zaiden Wallace, Brookside Elementary - Take Flight
Day 2: Henry Markwith, Hawks Nest STEAM Academy - Field of Drains

Schiele Award:
Day 1: Emma Pruitt, W.B. Beam Intermediate - Water Absorption
Day 2: Elle Lee, Robinson Elementary - Which Wrap?

The students who earned awards are eligible to submit their projects for the UNC-Charlotte Region 6 Science and Engineering Fair in February.  The regional winners go on to the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair set for March 29 in Raleigh.

for a complete list of the science and engineering fair winners.