Archive for Science Fairs

2012 State Middle School Fair Results

June 5, 2012 editor Middle School Science Fairs, MSSEF, Science Fairs

A fabulous Massachusetts State Middle School Science & Engineering Fair took place on Saturday, June 2nd at Worcester Technical High School.  Students in grades 6-8 from all over the state spent the rainy day making new friends and explaining their projects to the volunteer judges.

Two projects emerged as grand prize winners.  From Melican Middle School in Northborough, Yashaswini Makram entered the grand-prize winning, “Accelerometer Apps: Sizing Up Smart Phones to Measure Height and Distance.”  Ethan Messier, a student at Swansea’s New England Christian Academy, won the other grand prize with “Wave to the Future: The Utilization of Marine Waves Using Wave Buoys to Generate Electricity.”  Congratulations to Yashaswini, Ethan, and the other prize-winners on a tremendous accomplishment at this year’s state middle school fair!

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Seven Massachusetts Students Receive Grand Awards at Intel ISEF

May 18, 2012 editor High School Science Fairs, ISEF, Science Fairs
Photo: US students join those from other countries in an opening ceremonies celebration.

 

The Massachusetts delegation to the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) racked up five third-place awards and two fourth-place awards at today’s Grand Prize Ceremony in Pittsburgh, PA.

Third Place

Name: Emily Hu
School: Lexington High School
Project: “The Effects of Mindful Decision Making on Post Decision Regret”
Description:  The purpose of this experiment is to determine a relationship between mindful decision-making and post decision regret. The main objective is to confirm that both trait and state mindfulness produces less post decision regret.

Name: Dominick Zheng
School: Boston Latin School
Project: “Mast Cell-Restricted Tryptase-Heparin Complexes Hinder Coagulation”
Description: Mouse mast cell protease-6 (mMCP-6) and its human ortholog tryptase-beta (hTryptase-beta) are found to prevent blood coagulation by proteolytically destroying fibrinogen, and are more effective anticoagulants than heparin on a weight basis.

Name: Anish Athalye
School: Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science
Project: “Cooling without Electricity: Engineering a New Refrigerator”
Description: A novel cooling technology based on the adsorption cycle was invented and proven to work. In addition, full scale prototypes were engineered and shown to achieve enough cooling effect for the application: medicine refrigeration in developing countries.

Name: Richard Housley
School: Boston University Academy
Project: “Emergency Convulsive Seizure Detection and Notification System”
Description: This project focuses on the creation of a convulsive seizure detection and notification system; it is capable of sending emergency text messages when a convulsive seizure is detected.

Name: Sneha Subramaniam
School: Westborough High School
Project: Engineering a Novel Hydrogel Matrix for Bone Cell Regeneration
Description: The goal of this project was to engineer a low cost and low risk alternative for bone cell regeneration through tissue engineering techniques. An mTG crosslinked gelatin hyrogel was used as a scaffold and its effectiveness quantified by biomineralization.

Fourth Place

Names: Hao Shen & Surya Bhupatiraju
School: Lexington High School
Project: “Investigating the Spread of the Influenza A Virus: A Phylogetic Analysis of the H1N1 Subtype”
Description: We explore H1N1 using a phylogenetic analysis of its NA gene. We identified two different strains of H1N1 in 2009, its path throughout the US during the 20th century, and isolated the time and nucleotide location where resistance to a drug was acquired.

Name: Julia Knowles
School: Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science
Project: “Flushed Away with Gray: Engineering the Gray Water Toilet”
Description: This project comprises a device that was designed to collect gray water that would be automatically used to flush the toilet and, at the same time, be easily adaptable to an existing domestic bathroom.

Congratulations to these award-winning students and to the entire Massachusetts delegation!

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Massachusetts Students Win Special Awards at Intel International Science & Engineering Fair

May 18, 2012 editor ISEF, Science Fairs

Six Massachusetts high school students won awards presented at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair’s Special Awards Ceremony last evening.  The grand prize winners will be announced during a separate ceremony taking place today.  Stay tuned for updates as the become available!

Congratulations to these outstanding ISEF Special-Award-winning students from Massachusetts:

Name: Sneha Subramaniam
School: Westborough High School
Project: “Engineering a Novel Hydrogel Matrix for Bone Cell Regeneration”
Description: The goal of this project was to engineer a low cost and low risk alternative for bone cell regeneration through tissue engineering techniques. An mTG crosslinked gelatin hyrogel was used as a scaffold and its effectiveness quantified by biomineralization.
Prizes:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration 3rd place award
- American Dental Association Foundation 2nd place $1000 award
- United States Army $1500 award

Name: Surya Bhupatiraju and Dr. Parul Kumar
School: Lexington High School
Project: “Investigating the Spread of the Influenza A Virus: A Phylogetic Analysis of the H1N1 Subtype”
Description: We explore H1N1 using a phylogenetic analysis of its NA gene. We identified two different strains of H1N1 in 2009, its path throughout the US during the 20th century, and isolated the time and nucleotide location where resistance to a drug was acquired.
Prize: Agilent Technologies $5000 award to the teacher for classroom supplies

Name: Daniel White
School: Somerset-Berkley Regional High School
Project: “Diagnosing Premature Cancer Mathematically Utilizing Minkowski Dimension”
Description: Minkowski dimension is used to model the behaviors of the membranes of cells. Cancer is the uncontrollable growth and division of cells. Unregulated growth provides for structural irregularies in the cell’s membrane evident in the Minkowski dimension.
Prize: American Intellectual Property Law Association 2nd place $500 award

Name: Anish Athalye
School: Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science
Project: “Cooling without Electricity: Engineering a New Refrigerator”
Description: A novel cooling technology based on the adsorption cycle was invented and proven to work. In addition, full scale prototypes were engineered and shown to achieve enough cooling effect for the application: medicine refrigeration in developing countries.
Prize: King Abdul-Aziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity “Mawhiba” 1st place award for Renewable Energy

Name: Emily Xie
School: Boston Latin School
Project: “Development of Recombinant Oral Bacteria as AIDS Vaccine Vector”
Description: In this study, we engineered the first recombinant Streptococcus mitis bacterium that contains an HIV gene as an oral AIDS vaccine candidate.
Prize: Patent and Trademark Office Society 2nd place award for Outstanding Originality, Analysis and Clarity in Science and Technology

Name: Emily Hu
School: Lexington High School
Project: “The Effects of Mindful Decision Making on Post Decision Regret”
Description: The purpose of this experiment is to determine a relationship between mindful decision-making and post decision regret. The main objective is to confirm that both trait and state mindfulness produces less post decision regret.
Prize: SPIDER-MAN Turn off the Dark – $2000 and a Broadway Theatre package

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A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Science Fair Judging

March 21, 2012 editor Science Fairs

Here in Massachusetts, the unseasonably warm weather reminds us how close we are to the opening of the 63rd annual Massachusetts State High School Science & Engineering Fair! On Friday, May 4, high school students will have their outstanding projects on display at MIT. Some participants will have invested more than 1,000 hours of work into their project by that time!

The success of science fairs depends in large part on the talents and generosity of volunteer judges.  MSSEF asks only that judges have a minimum of an undergrad degree in a STEM discipline and work in a STEM-related field.  If you’ve ever considered judging, this article by Susan Wells, editor of the Steve Spangler Science Blog, offers a behind-the-scenes peek into what science fair judging is like for a “newbie.”

If you have time on Friday, May 4th to come to MIT and volunteer as a judge, please let us know!  Judges may register online at massscifair.com/judge-registration/. Please email any questions about judging at a MSSEF event to judginginfo@scifair.com.
Via www.stevespangler.com

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New Generation, New Power: The 2012 Taiwan International Science Fair

March 5, 2012 editor Inquiry-Based Learning, Science Fairs

Barnas Monteith, chairman of the MSSEF board of directors and president of Tumblehome Learning, attended the week-long 2012 Taiwan International Science Fair (TISF) recently. A serial science fair winner himself — with four 1st-place MSSEF wins among many others — Barnas was impressed by the quality of the student work he observed at TISF. “The projects at TISF were mind blowing, some clearly worth of patents, and certainly all would be competitive at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, perhaps even a select few may someday lead to Nobel prizes in the not-too-distant future,” he wrote in an article posted to the Tumblehome Learning site.

Barnas’s article goes on to compare the challenges facing TISF with those confronted by science fairs in the U.S., including MSSEF. “Schools are faced with increased focus on tested curriculum, and accountability of teachers,” he writes. “Not to mention, while schools in Taiwan spend considerably more time on science & engineering than U.S. schools, they also face a shortage of resources (related both to learning time and physical facilities), and often parents with means supplement their child’s education with after-school “bushiban” courses, and standardized testing prep ‘cram’ courses.” He offers an interesting perspective on the state of science and inquiry learning beyond our borders. Read the full post for yourself!

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Calling All Massachusetts Scientists: Science Fair Judges Needed!

February 23, 2012 editor MSSEF, Science Fairs

The Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair (MSSEF) provides middle and high school students with the opportunity to work on independent research projects in science and engineering. Now in its 63rd year, the annual statewide fair will feature the highest quality projects of hundreds of students from across the Commonwealth. We will need more than 300 outstanding judges to donate their time to evaluate these students’ work.  Some students invest more than 1,000 hours of research in their projects!

Volunteer to judge! Please consider being a member of the distinguished judging panel at the 2012 State Science & Engineering Fair.  If you have received a four-year college degree in a science or technology subject, and work in a related field, you are eligible to judge and may register online.

You can make a difference! Just a few hours of your time will help to encourage these young people in their quest for excellence in science and technology.  It’s an experience that lasts a lifetime!

Orientation for new and experienced former judges is held immediately prior to each judging session.  Judges are typically assigned to projects within their respective area(s) of expertise. (Project categories include Behavioral Science, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computers, Earth & Space Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Physics & Electrical Science.)

2012 High School State Fair
Friday, May 4, 2012
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johnson Athletic Center

Judge Schedule
10:15am: Refreshments, orientation & judging assignments
11:30am – 5:30pm: Judging of projects

Refreshments and parking arrangements are provided at each location.  Confirmation of volunteer service is provided, upon request, to employers.

Click here to register online!

INSTRUCTIONS

Judges from past years:
User ID: your email address
Password:  your password

New judges:
User ID: will be your email address
Password:  you choose
Registration Code:  atmit

Registered Judges will receive a confirmation email with detailed information prior to May 4, 2012. For assistance, email judginginfo@scifair.com or call 617-491-1500.

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The Value of Learning by Doing

February 21, 2012 editor Inquiry-Based Learning, Science Fairs, STEM Education

In this month’s issue of The Scientist, Sarah L. Simmons, director of the Freshman Research Initiative in the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, makes a compelling case for the multiple benefits of providing opportunities for students to perform hands-on research early in their academic careers. “Imagine the impact on the arts if we required every aspiring instrumentalist to complete 12 years of theory and careful study of the masters before being allowed to pick up an instrument and play,” she writes.  Likewise, how are we to expect the practice of exposing eager young minds to years of lecture-format science courses to generate the enthusiasm required to propel them further along the STEM path?  Early, authentic research experiences, such as those that students acquire through participation in science fairs, can be hugely valuable in transforming “science-curious” students into science majors.
Via the-scientist.com

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President Obama’s Remarks at the 2012 White House Science Fair

February 8, 2012 editor Science Fairs

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President Obama’s Marshmallow Launch at the White House Science Fair

February 8, 2012 editor Science Fairs

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White House Science Fair Puts Student Innovation on the National Stage

February 8, 2012 editor Grants, Science Fairs


More than 100 students attended the second White House Science Fair yesterday, showcasing award-winning projects from around the country. In his remarks, President Obama announced several proposals conceived to help reach the goal of preparing 100,000 teachers with math and science skills over the next decade. Among them: $80 million in the president’s upcoming budget earmarked for STEM teacher preparation via a competition by the DOE; a $22 million investment from the non-profit and private sector through a coalition called “100Kin10″; a STEM focus in the Race to the Top competition.
Via spotlight.macfound.org

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