Science can be controversial in the political arena these days, but for DMPS students it’s still a source of inspiration, a key part of their education, and a cause for celebration.
Last week’s State Science & Technology Fair at Iowa State University in Ames proved as much at both the middle and high school levels. Students representing five DMPS middle schools and all five high schools qualified for the annual event.
The biggest news was Merrill Middle School’s repeat award of the Claison Groff Memorial Trophy for the most successful school overall. If there can be such a thing as a scientific dynasty, they’re creating one in the laboratory on Grand Avenue.
More than 50 DMPS middle school students participated in the event and took home 38 awards. Teacher sponsors were Tracy Cavalier, Debbie Victor, Blake Hammond, Andrea Modglin, Zach Kellen, Elizabeth Maxwell, and Judy Fallbacher.
Sixty district high school students also took part. DMPS participation in the high school event has steadily grown each year and this year 13 achieved special recognition for their projects, including three scholarship winners. Teacher sponsors were Kacia Cain, Jessica Lambert, Scott Schoneberg, Shelley Clayton, and Hayley Pratt.
MIDDLE SCHOOL RESULTS
Amelia Goldsberry & Destinee Thompson (Brody)—Award in Excellence in Science, project: Does mass affect an airplanes flight distance?
A’Taurea Dunlap (Merrill)—Inform Award, 3rd Place, 7th grade Chemistry, project: Which brand has the fewest unpopped kernels?
Marlo Belknap (Merrill)—Iowa State University Program for Women in Science and Engineering Excellence in Science and Engineering Innovation, Certificate for Scientific Excellence, 2nd, Place 7th grade Animal Science project: Can My Dog See Color?
Lauren Foxx-Gruensteidl (Merrill)—Iowa State University Program for Women in Science and Engineering Excellence in Science and Engineering Innovation, 2nd place in 7th grade Engineering, Physics, and Math, project: Future of the Flywheel
Maia Kissell (Merrill)—Iowa State University Program for Women in Science and Engineering Excellence in Science and Engineering Innovation, 2nd place in 7thh grade Astronomy, Earth, and Environmental Science, Broadcom Masters Award project: To Till or Not to Till?
Levi Kimsey (Cowles)—United States Metric Association Award, project: Oh Snap
Aayailah Huff (Weeks)—Climate Science Dynamic Systems Award, Pursuit of Science Excellence Award, Certificate for Scientific Excellence, honorable mention in 8th grade Engineering, Physics, and Math, project: Mathematical Relationships: Charles Law and Boyles Law
Owen Hewitson (Merrill)—Climate Science Dynamic Systems Award, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award, honorable mention 7th grade Engineering, Physics, and Math project: The Best Defense Against a Tsunami
Matthew Hernandez & Jackson Senecaut (Weeks)—Clean Tech Award Honorable Mention, Alliant Energy Scholarship, 3rd place in 6th grade Energy and Transportation, project: How can we produce the most energy with the least amount of water?
Sean Martin (Merrill)—Certificate for Scientific Excellence, 3rd place in 6th grade Engineering, Physics, & Math project: What paper towel is most absorbent?
Kathleen Loder (Merrill)—3rd Place in 7th grade Behavioral and Social Sciences, project: What is the effect of video content on chewing?
Lydia Smith (Merrill)—Certificate for Scientific Excellence, project: Potential, natural antimicrobial agents versus antibiotics–which one works best?
Ian Campbell (Merrill)—Nasa Earth Systems Award, 3rd place in 7th grade Astronomy, Earth, and Environmental Science project: Which Prairie Plants Have the Best Infiltration Rate?
Samuel Boes (Merrill)—Certificate for Scientific Excellence, honorable mention 6th grade Behavioral and Social Sciences project: How does age and gender affect your view of violence?
Sullivan Davis (Merrill)—Certificate for Scientific Excellence, project: Will I be able to hit a baseball faster when it is a different temperature?
Brandon Turner & Cohen Hoover (Cowles)—honorable mention in Animal Science 6th grade, project: O2 Insects
Sailor Schervish (Cowles)—honorable mention, 6th grade Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Science, project: Does Vegetation Clean Our Water
Isabella Lohmeier (Merrill)—1st place in 6th grade Astronomy, Earth, and Environmental Science, project: It’s Getting Hot in Here
Finian Huggins (Merrill)—2nd place in 6th grade Chemistry, project: Rice, Udder, Nuts-A Blind Milk Taste Test
Emerson Siever (Merrill)—honorable mention, 6th grade Chemistry, project: The Cupcake Conundrum
James Proctor (Merrill)—1st place, 6th grade Chemistry, Broadcom Masters Award, project: What’s in our water?
Will Puri (Merrill)—honorable mention in 6th grade Chemistry, project: Copper in the Water
Ivy McFetridge (Cowles)—honorable mention in 8th grade Engineering, Physics, and Math, project: Density and Polarity
Maryfer Hernandez Ramirez (McCombs)—2nd place in 8th grade Engineering, Physics, and Math, project: Elasticity vs. Temperature
Harrison Elliot (Cowles)—2nd place in 6th grade Microbiology, Biomedical, and Health Sciences, project: What is the effect of food seasoning on bacteria?
Camille Page (Merrill)—1st place in 7th grade Microbiology, Biomedical, and Health Sciences, Broadcom Masters Award project: Where the Wild Things Grow.
Alec Failkov (Merrill)—3rd place in 7th grade Microbiology, Biomedical, and Health Sciences, project: Does the color of a penny relate to the amount of bacteria found on it?
HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS
Michael Mila (Central Academy/East High)—Intel Excellence in Computer Science Award, project: How Safe is Your Password?
Evan Hilton (Central Academy/Roosevelt High)—Mu Alpha Theta Award, Climate Science and Multivariate Systems Award, project: Comparison of Sorting Methods for Partial Sorting and other Adaptive Sorting Objectives
Jennifer Robles (Central Academy/Hoover High)—University of Northern Iowa Department of Biology Excellence in Science Best related to Biology, project: The Effectiveness of Dog Shampoos and Wipes
Alexis Crewse (Central Campus/East High)—University of Northern Iowa Department of Biology Excellence in Science Best related to Biology, project: Kitchen Sink vs.Toilet
Jayda Anaya-Negrete (North High)—Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences $500 Scholarship, honorable mention in Biochemistry, project: Salt Salvation: Using Varied Salt Concentrations to Determine Cell Preservation in Plants and Vegetables
Edwin Rojas (Central Campus/Roosevelt High)—Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences $500 Scholarship, project: Antibiotic effectiveness on dirty dashboards
Hannah Marshall (Central Campus)—Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences $500 Scholarship, project: How Much Bacteria is at Your Gym?
Kimberly DeAvila & Marixsa Landerson (Central Campus/East High)—1st place in Animal Systems for Division 6 and 1st place overall, project: Average Daily Gain in Market Swine
David Pille & Mitch Majure (Central Academy/Roosevelt High)—2nd place in Computer Science, project: Characteristics of Tree Searching Algorithms
Coby Konkol (Central Academy/Lincoln High)—3rd place in Computer Science, project: When Physics takes Flight
Esther Ubadigbo (Central Campus/Roosevelt High)—honorable mention in Microbiology, project: The Effects of Different Cleansers on Scalp Bacteria