Students from Fayette County Public Schools set a torrid pace in the 2017 Central Kentucky Regional Science and Engineering Fair, hosted by Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Dunbar’s Rachel Seevers (first), Amy Wang and David Ma (second), and Thirushan Wignakumar (third) swept Best of Fair honors in the high school division. They also qualified for this spring’s Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, set for May 14-19 in Los Angeles.
In the middle school field, Best of Fair awards went to Melissa Hanneman of Winburn (first, Anna Ackerman of Beaumont (second), and Dorottya Gal of Winburn (third). And in the fourth-grade division, Curtis Blanche of Glendover Elementary took top honors, while Joseph Hicks of Maxwell Elementary was runner-up overall.
Fourth-grade category awards
- Animal Sciences: first, Ashland Elementary; second, Leo Eyerman, Liberty Elementary;
- Behavioral & Social Sciences: first, Nora Reichert, Rosa Parks Elementary;
- Biomedical & Health Sciences: first, Luke Jones, Meadowthorpe;
- Chemistry: first, Trevor Agent, Stonewall;
- Earth & Environmental Sciences: first, Husain Ghuneim, Stonewall; third, Vanessa Keyland, Garden Springs;
- Engineering: first Logan Crum, Ashland; second, Owen Mickelwait, Liberty;
- Materials Science: first, Curtis Blanche, Glendover;
- Microbiology: second, Jack Baskette, Stonewall;
- Plant Science: first, Nishad Joshi, Stonewall;
- Physics & Astronomy: first, Joseph Hicks, Maxwell; second, Christian Giannone, SCAPA at Bluegrass; third, Haneen Ghuneim, Stonewall.
Middle school category awards (grades 5-8)
- Animal Sciences: first, Kyle Lewis, Bryan Station; second, Caroline Blitch, Winburn;
- Behavioral & Social Sciences: first, Eli Abernathy, Winburn; second, Reese Lile, Glendover Elementary; third, Elke Coenders, Bryan Station;
- Biochemistry: first, Kiran Koul, Rosa Parks Elementary; second, Vivienne Lucier, Tates Creek Middle;
- Biomedical & Health Sciences: first, Dorottya Gal, Winburn; third (tied), Elizabeth Moore, Winburn;
- Cellular & Molecular Biology: first, Ethan Mullins, Morton;
- Chemistry: first, James William Grant, Bryan Station; second Lutece DuBravac, Winburn; third, Benjamin Hightower, Morton;
- Earth & Environmental Sciences: first, Anna Ackerman, Beaumont; second, Varun Hariprasad, Tates Creek Middle; third (tied), J.T. Baniak and Sophie Hildebrandt, both of Winburn;
- Energy: Physical: first, Kayla Turney, Leestown; second, Taelour Turner and Berkeley Parks of Carter G. Woodson Academy;
- Engineering Mechanics: first, Kiera Fehr, Edythe J. Hayes Middle;
- Environmental Engineering; first, Wilson Spangler, SCAPA at Bluegrass; second, Sarah Ferguson, SCAPA; third, Valeria Culp-Millán, Maxwell Elementary;
- Materials Science: first, Maggie Ferguson and Eleanor Badgett, Winburn; third (tied), Thomas Ehrenborg, Morton;
- Mathematics: first (tied) Joseph Vulakh, Meadowthorpe Elementary, and Margo Stuart, Leestown Middle;
- Microbiology: first, Ana Marie Cornea, Winburn; second, Anna Martinez, Beaumont; third, Katarina Salisbury, Glendover Elementary;
- Physics & Astronomy: first, Matthew Klee, Winburn; second, Casey Powell, Beaumont; third (tied), Eric Turney, Leestown;
- Plant Sciences: first, Manya Tiwari, Beaumont; second, Isabella Squire, Leestown; third (tied), Alexander Stumber, Ashland Elementary;
- Robotics & Intelligent Machines: first, Melissa Hanneman, Winburn;
- Systems Software: first, Khalid Rashad, Beaumont; second, Sam Ederington, Winburn.
Middle school special awards
- U.S. Office of Naval Research: Varun Hariprasad, Tates Creek Middle; Isabella Squire, Leestown; and Matthew David Klee, Winburn;
- U.S. Air Force: Kiera Fehr, Edythe. J. Hayes;
- Mu Alpha Theta Award: Margo Stewart, Leestown;
- Dunbar Girls STEM Award: Elke Coenders, Bryan Station;
- Broadcom Masters: Kyle Lewis, Bryan Station; Eli Abernathy, Winburn; Dorottya Gal, Winburn; James William Grant, Bryan Station; Anna Ackerman, Beaumont; Kiera Fehr, Hayes; Wilson Spangler, SCAPA; Matthew Klee, Winburn; Manya Tiwari, Beaumont; Melissa Hanneman, Winburn; Khalid Rashad, Beaumont; and Ethan Mullins, Morton.
High school category awards (all from Dunbar, unless noted)
- Animal Sciences: first, Megan Slusarewicz; second, Sunny Ghuneim; third, Murphy Powell;
- Behavioral & Social Sciences: first, James Brandewie; second, Emily Liu; third (tied), Julie Chen and Amy Cline (group project);
- Biochemistry: first, Sarah Han; second, Akhil Kesaraju; third, Benjamin Xie;
- Biomedical & Health Sciences: first, Francesca Macchiavello-Cauvi; second, Joseph Michael; third, Aurion Vaez;
- Biomedical Engineering: first, Hannah Wang; second, Steven Nguyen;
- Cellular & Molecular Biology: first, Thirushan Wignakumar; second, Rohith Kesaraju; third, Matthew Pitts;
- Chemistry: first, Eric Cao; second, Amit Lohe;
- Computational Biology & Bioinformatics: first, Zsombor Gal; second, Chase Vickery; third, Zachary Ross;
- Earth & Environmental Sciences; first (tied), Lea Yiannikouris and Richard Haywood; third,
- Ashley Liu;
- Embedded Systems: first, Jan Balk;
- Engineering Mechanics: first, Rachel Seevers;
- Environmental Engineering: first, Jin Cho; second, Julia Radhakrishnan;
- Materials Science; first, Brenna Wallin of Lafayette; second, Krista Manche, Dunbar; third, Conor Kilgore, Dunbar;
- Microbiology: first, Kelly Chen; second, Maggie Cook-Allen;
- Physics & Astronomy: first, Ronit Kar; second, Yuke Wang; third, Bobby Bose;
- Plant Sciences: first, Rhyan Moseley of Carter G. Woodson Academy; second, Ananth Miller-Murthy, Dunbar; third, Dorian Cleveland and Francisco Beltran, Carter G. Woodson;
- Robotics & Intelligent Design: first, Nathan Rukavina, Kelly Kral, and Chris Duncan; second, Dina Birioukova; third, Cohen Archibald;
- Systems Software: first, Erin Markel; second, Callie Gardella; third, Andrew Albrecht;
- Translational Medical Medical Science: first, Amy Wang and David Ma; second, Jennifer Lee; third, Ethan Tan.
High school special awards (all from Dunbar, unless noted)
- Office of Naval Research: Aurien Vaez and Kelly Chen;
- U.S. Air Force: Callie Gardella, Rachel Seevers, and Maggie Cook-Allen;
- American Psychological Association: James Brandewie;
- ASM Materials Education Foundation: Brenna Wallin of Lafayette;
- Intel Excellence in Computer Science: Erin Markel’
- ISWEEEP trip award: Jin Cho;
- Ricoh Americas Award: Lea Yiannikouris;
- Society for In Vitro Biology Award: Kelly Chen;
- Stockholm Junior Water Award: Ashley Liu;
- Yale Science & Engineering Association Award: Nathan Rukavina, Kelly Kral, and Chris Duncan.
The March 4 regional science fair was sponsored by the University of Kentucky, Kentucky American Water, and Fayette County Public Schools. For questions, contact UK’s Eddie DeMoll.
Next up is the annual Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair, set for April 1 at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. The top winners at state also qualify for the Intel ISEF later this spring.