The Shelton High School Seventeenth Annual Science Fair was held on Wednesday, February 1, in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium.
More than 215 projects were entered into the competition. Eighty-two projects made it to the second round of judging.
The fair was organized by the Shelton High School Science Department. Members from various community corporations, universities, retired educators, central office employees, and science teachers within the district served as judges for the day. They communicated with students about their projects and projects findings.
The Awards Assembly was held on Friday, February 3, in the school’s auditorium. Mrs. Clark congratulated all of students for their accomplishments.
Mayor Mark Lauretti, Superintendent of Schools Chris Clouet and Board of Education Chairperson Mark Holden offered congratulatory remarks to the students. Housemasters Mr. John Skerritt, Mrs. Carolyn Ivanoff and Mr. James Colandrea, announced the winners. Dr. Beth Smith, headmaster, awarded certificates, plaques and cash prizes.
Those projects receiving honorable mention from the freshmen class were: How Aging Affects Memory by Phoebe Rodia, Melissa Hunyadi, and Bridget Kline; Does Being a Visual or Auditory Learner Affect Memory? by Shannon Brickett; 159 Can Exercise Help Our Brains Work Better? by Jake Oddo.
Sophomore class honorable mention went to: The Effects of Ocean Acidification on Aquatic Sea Life Shells by Luke Ferrigno and Nick Pavone; Bacterial Transformation Efficiency by Noah Vargoshe; The Effects of UV on Yeast by Julia Meyer.
Junior honorable mention was awarded to: Hacking a LED Light Bulb by Rebecca Fabrizi; Fear Versus Age by Kelsey Gillen and Victoria Gould; The Effect of Concentration of Surfactant on Surface Tension by Yuxin Zhang.
Senior class honorable mention was awarded to: Identical Twins Identical Memory? by Rachel Philipson; The Solar Solution by Matt Wells and James Reilly.
Third place winners were: The Effects of Walnut Allelopathy on Tomato Plants by Chris Belden (freshman); Martian Agriculture by Daniel Persico (sophomore); A Bright Way to Conserve Water by Neha Swamy (junior); Shell Shock by Hunter Wronski (senior).
Second place winners were: The Effect of Center of Mass and Center of Pressure Locations on Model Rocket Performance by Siddarth Jain (freshman); Algae to Oil by Sarah Gloria (sophomore); Hot Glass by Jacob Zulkie (junior); Biodegradable Plastic Study to Prevent Oceanic Pollution by Marissa Peck (senior).
Those entries which placed first were: Cycling Assisted Brake by Kyle Young (freshman); The Efficient Application of Resonant Energy by Michael Kichar (sophomore); An Engineering Approach to Developing Sustainable Technology: Piezo-electric-Powered Shoe Inserts by Lauren Pawlowski (junior); Cheap Heat by Gregorio Corsale.
The following eight projects were overall winners and will participate in the Connecticut State Science Fair at Quinnipiac University in March: Shell Shock by Hunter Wronski; Hot Glass By: Jacob Zulkie; The Efficient Application of Resonant Energy by Michael Kichar; Biodegradable Plastic Study to Prevent Oceanic Pollution by Marissa Peck; Cheap Heat by Gregorio Corsale; The Effect of Center of Mass and Center of Pressure Locations on Model Rocket Performance by Siddarth Jain; Cycling Assisted Brake by Kyle Young.
The following project came in first place and was declared the Best in Show: An Engineering Approach to Developing Sustainable Technology: Piezo-electric-Powered Shoe Inserts by Lauren Pawlowski.
Over $1,500 in prize money was awarded with monetary donations from Mayor Lauretti and the Shelton High School PTSO.
