The 48th West Liberty State College Regional Science and Engineering Fair was held Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10, 2007.  Students from the Northern Panhandle competed for special awards, cash, prizes, and the opportunity as a Grand prize recipient to win an all-expense paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 13-19, 2007.  This year's Grand Prize recipients in the Junior division (grades 6-8) were runner-up Kati DiCola, an eighth grader attending St. Vincent de Paul Parish School presenting a Medicine and Health project entitled, "Why Can’t I Stay Up Late?" and winner Megan Cain, a seventh grader from Our Lady of Peace Parish School who presented a Chemistry project entitled, "Can Carbon Foam be Electroplated?".  The Senior division (grades 9-12) Grand prize recipients were runner-up Kaylee Purpura, a tenth grader at Magnolia High School competing in the Chemistry category with a project entitled "Vitamin C Activate Me" and winner Jennifer Gutman, an eleventh grade student at Wheeling Park High School presenting a Microbiology project entitled "A Pilot Study of the Effect of UV Light on the Bacterial Contamination of Lettuce". 

 

 

2007 WLSC Science Fair Award Winners

Discovery Challenge Young Scientist Award Winners

(from left to right) Michaelann Dean, St. Michaels Parish School; Erika Allen, St. Michaels Parish School; Kaitlyn Carpino, Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy; Megan Cain, Our Lady of Peace Parish School

 

Grand Prize Winners and Runners-Up

(from left to right) Jennifer Gutman, Senior Division Grand Prize Winner, Wheeling Park High School;
Kaylee Purpura, Senior Division Grand Prize Runner-Up, Magnolia High School;
Megan Cain, Junior Division Grand Prize Winner, Our Lady of Peace Parish School;
Kati DiCola (picture of sister), Junior Division Grand Prize Runner-Up, St Vincent de Paul Parish School

Special award winners in the WLSC Regional Science and Engineering Fair were as follows:

ASM International Foundation:

Megan Cain
Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Can Carbon Foam be Electroplated?

Herbert Hoover Engineering:    

Catherine Breault
Our Lady of Peace Parish School
The Lights Are Out!

International Society for Optical Engineering:                

Jacob Klettner
St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Do Wintergreen Lifesavers Always Spark in the Dark?

 U.S. Department of Health And Human Services:                                 

Kati DiCola
St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Why Can’t I Stay Up Late?

 U.S. Metric Association:          

Alexis Emch
Magnolia High School
Aspirin: Name Brand vs Generic

 U.S. Air Force:

Rishi Chandrasekhar
St. Michaels Parish School
Don’t Lose Your Cool 

Megan Cain
Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Can Carbon Foam be Electroplated?

Alexis Emch
Magnolia High School
Aspirin: Name Brand vs Generic

 Jennifer Gutman
Wheeling Park High School
A Pilot Study of the Effect of UV Light on the Bacterial Contamination of Lettuce

 U.S. Army Awards:

5. Mallory Dille
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Dendrology

4. Alexis Emch
Magnolia High School
Aspirin: Name Brand vs Generic

3.  Brittany Loy
Magnolia High School
It Keeps Going and Going…

2. Jennifer Gutman
Wheeling Park High School
A Pilot Study of the Effect of UV Light on the Bacterial Contamination of Lettuce         

1. Kaylee Purpura
Magnolia High School
Vitamin C Activate Me

U.S. Navy Awards:

Junior Division:
Noah Clark
Corpus Christi Grade School
Which Metal Conducts Heat the Fastest?

Hannah Shaheen
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
How Cold Affects Manual Dexterity

Senior Division:

Brittany Loy
Magnolia High School
It Keeps Going and Going….

Kaylee Purpura
Magnolia High School
Vitamin C Activate Me

Barbara Sterling Award:

Junior Division:
Erika Allen
St. Michaels Parish School
Shouldn’t Touch That!

 Senior Division:

Jennifer Gutman
Wheeling Park High School
A Pilot Study of the Effect of UV Light on the Bacterial Contamination of Lettuce

H.A. Cook Multi-Year Project Award:

Junior Division:
Kaitlyn Carpino
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
How Many Worms?

 Senior Division:
Brittany Loy
Magnolia High School
It Keeps Going and Going….

Humane Award:

Suzanna Campbell & Francesca Davis
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Parrot Like A Parrot

Near Earth Object Foundation Award:

Chelsea Crum
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Temperature vs Sunlight

Pittsburgh Analytical Chemical Society Awards:

Junior Division:
Garrett Labrosse
St Vincent de Paul Parish School
Who Dunit?

Senior Division:            

Kaylee Purpura
Magnolia High School
Vitamin C Activate Me

Touchstone Innovation Award:

Megan Cain
Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Can Carbon Foam be Electroplated?

WLSC Biology Club Award:

Lexsey Lauer
Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Will It Grow?

WLSC Charles Davis Alumni Award:

Rishi Chandrasekhar
St Michaels Parish School
Don’t Lose Your Cool

WLSC Robert Schramm Alumni Award:

Brittany Loy
Magnolia High School
It Keeps Going and Going…

Category awards are based on specified criteria.  First place category winners receive $100.00, second place category winners receive $50.00, third place and honorable mention award winners receive certificates of merit.  The following Junior division students were recognized for excellence in their category:

Behavioral & Social Science

Honorable Mention
Name: Meredith Rohan
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: What Affects Your Focus?

 3rd:
Name:  Monica Mason
School:  Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Project Title:  Gender Contenders: Which Gender is More Superior in IQ Scores?

 2nd:
Name: Melanie McFadden
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Are Fears or Phobias Hereditary?

 1st:
Name: Hannah Shaheen
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: How Cold Affects Manual Dexterity 

Biochemistry

1st:
Name: Victoria Mason
School: Triadelphia Middle School
Project Title: Water Content of Fruits 

Botany

3rd:
Name: Lexsey Lauer
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Will It Grow? 

2nd:
Name: Kaitlyn Carpino
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: How Many Worms?

Chemistry

3rd :
Name: Garrett Labrosse
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Who Dunit?

 2nd:
Name: Jacob Klettner
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Do Wintergreen Lifesavers Always Spark in the Dark? 

1st:
Name: Megan Cain
School: Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Project Title: Can Carbon Foam Be Electroplated? 

Earth & Space

2nd:
Name: Chelsea Crum
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Temperature vs Sunlight 

1st:
Name:  Noah Clark
School:  Corpus Christi
Project Title:  Which Metal Conducts Heat the Fastest? 

Engineering

Honorable Mention:
Name: Michael Selak
School: St Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: LCD vs Plasma 

3rd:
Name:  Celeste Tronka
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Nature’s Edible Battery 

2nd:
Name: Michaelann Dean
School: St. Michael’s Parish School
Project Title: Flying High  

1st:
Name:  Catherine Breault
School: Our Lady of Peace Parish School
Project Title:  The Lights Are Out 

Environmental

3rd:
Name: Shannon Sworden
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Landfills: Open vs Sanitary 

2nd:
Name: Victoria Humphrey
School: Warwood Middle School
Project Title: What Effects do Different Types of Acids Have on Metal? 

1st:
Name: Jacob Mayles
School: Corpus Christi
Project Title: How Sweet is It? 

Mathematics

2nd:
Name: Huda Ashfaq
School: Triadelphia Middle School
Project Title: Efficient Math 

Medicine & Health

3rd:
Name: Brooke Stull
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: We’ve Got the Beat 

2nd:
Name: Kati DiCola
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Why Can’t I Stay Up Late? 

Microbiology

2nd:
Name: Sarah Nolan
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Today’s Special is Bacteria 

1st:
Name:  Erika Allen
School: St. Michael’s Parish School
Project Title: Shouldn’t Touch That 

Physics

1st:
Name: Rishi Chandrasekhar
School: St. Michael Parish School
Project Title: Don’t Lose Your Cool (Does the strength of a magnet get stronger or weaker when subjected into warm or cold temperature?) 

Zoology

Honorable Mention:

Name:  Brittany Boord
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:  Mice & Music 

3rd:

Name:  Emily Rouse
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:  Your Reaction? 

2nd:

Name: Marissa McFadden
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Who Has a Better Sense of Smell? 

1st:

Name: Chazz Ballard
School: St. Vincent de Paul Parish School
Project Title: Going Batty for Science 

Team

2nd:
Name: Lila Gabriel & Mari Jo Vergara
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Bop-It

 The following Senior Division participants were honored for excellence in their category:

Behavioral & Social Science 

2nd:
Name:  Jenna Thomas
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:  Weather Got You Down? 

Botany

2nd:
Name: Mallory Dille
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Dendrology 

Chemistry

 1st:

Name: Kaylee Purpura 
School:  Magnolia High School
Project Title:  Vitamin C, Activate Me 

Medicine & Health

3rd:
Name:  Jessie McCleery
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:  The Red Eye Effect 

2nd:
Name: Alexis Emch
School: Magnolia High School
Project Title: Aspirin: Name Brand vs Generic 

Microbiology

1st:
Name:  Jennifer Gutman
School:  Wheeling Park High School
Project Title:  A Pilot Study of UV Light on the Bacterial Contamination of Lettuce 

Physics

2nd: 
Name:  Brittany Loy
School:  Magnolia High School
Project Title:  It Keeps Going and Going…. 

Team

Honorable Mention:
Name: Emily Mayhew & Logan Hofbauer
School:  Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:  Visual Memory 

3rd:
Name: Laura Jacovetty & Sammy Waychoff
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title: Personalities: Who are YOU? 

2nd:
Name: Suzanna Campbell & Francesca Davis
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:     Parrot Like a Parrot 

1st:
Name: Emilee Woodfin & Liz Turak
School: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy
Project Title:     Make-up Meltdown 

In addition to the special awards and category awards, four Junior division students were selected as nominees in the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge.  These students will compete to be selected as finalists.  Finalists in the competition receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete further for additional awards and prizes.  The four students selected as Discovery Challenge nominees are Megan Cain (Our Lady of Peace Parish School), Kaitlyn Carpino (Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy), Erika Allen (St. Michaels Parish School), and Michaelann Dean (St. Michaels Parish School).

 

2006 WLSC Science Fair Award Winners

Discovery Challenge Young Scientist Award Winners

(from left to right) Sean Cain, 8th grade Our Lady of Peace; Elizabeth Salvaterra 8th gradeSt. Francis Xavier; Collin Gaus, 6th grade St. Vincent de Paul  Not pictured: Matthew Blust, 8th grade, St Michael's Parish School; Megan Cain, 6th grade Our Lady of Peace

 

Senior Division Award Winners

Kevin Meigh, Wheeling Park High School, Grand Prize Runner-Up

Sarah Harshman, Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy, Grand Prize