New Hanover County Schools' students excel at regional and international science fairs | Children

The following is a news release from New Hanover County Schools spokersperson Valita Quattlebaum:

The 2013 Regional Science Fair was held on February 9, 2013, at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. 

More than 14 different school districts, as well as various private schools, were represented at the fair.

This year, 75 awards and special awards were presented to the approximately 180 students who participated.

Eight projects presented by eleven NHCS students were chosen to represent our region at the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair which will be held March 15-16, 2013, in Raleigh.  Below are special award winners and division winners from New Hanover County Schools.

Division Winners

Elementary Division Winner

“Don't Throw in the Towel”
Michaela Abraham 
Anderson Elementary School

Junior-Earth/Environmental Science-1st Place
“Predicting the Slope of Cape Fear Beaches”
Nathan Kinsey and Elizabeth Kinsey 
Murray Middle School

Junior-Earth/Environmental Science-3rd Place
“HazMat's Secret Weapon”
Brianna Cunliffe 
Murray Middle School

Senior-Biological A-1st Place
“Novel Graphene Biosensors: Revolutionary Sensing at Your Fingertips”
Brittany Williams and Kevin Frink 
Laney High School and Isaac Bear Early College High School

Senior-Biological B-3rd Place
“Role of the PTC Gene in Vegetable Preference”
Emma Culbertson 
Isaac Bear Early College High School

Senior-Biological B-1st Place
“Determining Learning Styles from the Human Metrics Jung Typology Test”
John Chapman 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Senior-Chemistry-1st Place
“The Future of Fingerprinting” 
Talpha Everette 
Isaac Bear Early College High School

Senior Earth/Environmental Science-1st Place
“Can a Deepwater Oil Spill be Temporarily Contained Through Redirection?”
Brooke Hoehn 
Isaac Bear Early College High School  

Senior-Physics-1st Place
“To Ohm Or Not To Ohm”
Matthew Friesland 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Senior-Physics-2nd Place
“Computer Vision: Using Electromagnetic Wave Interactions Manifested in Layered Light to Calculate Pi”
Richard Everhart 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Senior-Technology/Engineering-1st Place
“Electromagnetic Propulsion Systems”
William Britt 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Special Award Winners

Outstanding Creativity

“Jitterbugs Go Wild”
Orion Brown, Jahzar Fields, Lucas Bradford-Kolb 
Gregory School of Math, Science, and Technology

American Meteorological Society

“Predicting the Slope of Cape Fear Beaches”
Nathan Kinsey and Elizabeth Kinsey 
Murray Middle School

“Computer Vision: Using Electromagnetic Wave Interactions Manifested in Layered Light to Calculate Pi”
Richard Everhart 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NC American Water Works-Water Environment Association Stockholm Jr. Water Prize

“Can Salt Water be Converted into Purified Water?”
Katelyn Sewell 
Parsley Elementary School

“Can a Deepwater Oil Spill be Temporarily Contained Through Redirection?”
Brooke Hoehn 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
“Is the Glowing Ocean in Distress?”
Jasmine Moore and Jennifer Wooten 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Women in Science Award

Brianna Cunliffe, Murray Middle School

Brooke Hoehn, Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Elizabeth Kinsey, Murray Middle School

Brittany Williams, Laney High School

Wayne Hanson Excellence in Science ($125 cash award)

“Novel Graphene Biosensors: Revolutionary Sensing at Your Fingertips”
Brittany Williams and Kevin Frink 
Laney High School and Isaac Bear Early College High School 

Students nominated to go to the NC Science and Engineering Fair (NCSEF)

 NCSEF Elementary Division Nomination
“Don't Throw in the Towel”
Michaela Abraham 
Anderson Elementary School 

NCSEF Junior Earth/Environmental Nomination
“Predicting the Slope of Cape Fear Beaches”
Nathan Kinsey and Elizabeth Kinsey 
Murray Middle School

NCSEF Senior Biological Science A Nomination

“Novel Graphene Biosensors: Revolutionary Sensing at Your Fingertips”
Brittany Williams and Kevin Frink 
Laney High School and Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NCSEF Senior Biological Science B Nomination

“Determining Learning Styles from the Human Metrics Jung Typology Test”
John Chapman 
Isaac Bear Early College High School

NCSEF Senior Chemistry Nomination

“The Future of Fingerprinting"
Talpha Everette 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NCSEF Senior Earth/Environmental Nomination
“Can a Deepwater Oil Spill be Temporarily Contained Through Redirection?”
Brooke Hoehn 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NCSEF Senior Physics Nomination

“To Ohm Or Not To Ohm”
Matthew Friesland 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

“Computer Vision: Using Electromagnetic Wave Interactions Manifested in Layered Light to Calculate Pi”
Richard Everhart 
Isaac Bear Early College High School 

NCSEF Senior Technology/Engineering Nomination
“Electromagnetic Propulsion Systems”
William Britt 
Isaac Bear Early College High School

In addition to the outstanding showmanship of these NHCS students, Kevin Frink of IBECHS traveled to Taiwan to participate in the Tawain International Science Fair (TISF), where he came in second place in the Physics and Astronomy division.  The TISF science research competition is by invitation only for high school students in grades nine through twelve. With the mission of identifying and nurturing talented young scientists, TISF 2013 brings 23 nations to compete for awards. Kevin was the only student from NHCS invited to participate.

For more information on 2013 science fairs, contact Kim Bierdstedt, NHCS Lead Science Teacher, at (910) 254-4335.