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Big Island students won the top awards in the senior and junior divisions at the 45th Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair. Big Isle dominates
Science Fair honors2 winners will represent Hawaii at
an international competition in MayBy Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.comKimberly E. Reinhold, a freshman at St. Joseph Junior and High School, took first place for her senior research project, titled "Artificial Neural Networks: Mechanism of Pattern Recognition and Learning."
Mari Takemoto-Chock, a Waiakea Intermediate eighth-grader, placed first in the junior research division with her project, "Memory Errors and Suggestibility of Adolescents."
Lauren McNally, an Iolani School sixth-grader, won first place in a junior display category with an exhibit on cloning.
Reinhold and Liang "Charley" Wang, a Waiakea High School senior, will represent the Hawaii State Fair at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Louisville, Ky., May 11-18.
More than 400 awards, including about $60,000 in scholarships, bonds and cash, were given to the students during a ceremony concluding the fair yesterday at the Blaisdell Center exhibition hall.
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Shiyana Thenabadu, fair director for the sponsoring Hawaii Academy of Science, said many more students are going to the international competition this year than last year.Judges at both the district and state level said they felt the quality of the projects was better this year, she said. More than 470 youths participated in the fair from 74 public and private secondary schools.
"I hope it's because we have a mentoring program, linking students with scientist mentors," Thenabadu said.
The Hawaii Academy of Science keeps a database of mentors from which students can choose scientists to help them, she said.
Other top winners in the senior research division were Yu-Tzu "Debbie" Liu, a St. Andrew's Priory senior, second place, and Kiani Arkus, a Kamehameha Schools 11th-grader, third place.
"Annotating and Analyzing 140 KBLP Region of Newly Identified Bacteria" was Liu's entry.
Arkus' project was titled "Hala and Hela: Effects of Pandanus ordoratissimus on Human Cervical Cancer Cells. Phase 3: Induction of Apoptotic Cell Death."
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She began that project last year, winning a series of top awards at the International Science and Engineering Fair and at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.Matthew Jachowski, a Maui High School junior, and Wang won honorable mention for their senior research projects.
Also getting honorable mention was the Kauai High School 11th-grade team of Luke Evslin, Grant Teichman and Kalani Lopez.
Wang was selected to join Reinhold to represent the state fair at the international competition because Jachowski will go as winner of the Maui District Science Fair and Arkus and Liu will represent the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.
Dayna Chikamoto and Kyla Teremoto, Iolani School sixth-graders, won second place for junior research with "The Effects of Ginkgo biloba on Memory Retention in Middle-Aged Mice."
Kapena Landgraf, a Hilo Intermediate eighth-grader, placed third in the junior research division with a project on "Solar Absorber Wars."
Receiving junior research honorable mention: Mililani Middle School eighth-graders Jonathan Kim and Robert Wurtz, Waiakea Intermediate seventh-grader Kevin Sagawa, and Braxton Sato, a Benjamin Parker Elementary sixth-grader.
Taylor Michael Wong, an Iolani sixth-grader, won second place for junior displays, and Rannen Tagupa-Kukahiwa, a St. Ann's School sixth-grader, won third place.
Receiving honorable mention in that category were Cheyanna Marsh, a St. Joseph sixth-grader, Ren Ishii, a Kawananakoa Middle School seventh-grader, and Travis Morimoto, an Iolani sixth-grader.
District Science Fair winners going to the international fair include:
>> Kauai, all from Kapaa High School: Ricky Rodrick, Paula-Ann Carvalho and the team of Jeremy Alano, Carrie Esaki and Sam Moats-Messing. >> Leeward: Marlon Gomez and Janette Gerolaga, both of Campbell High School, and the Waipahu High team of Ryan Messina and Maisel Caliva. >> Windward: Chad Nishizuka, Kailua High. Representing the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools besides Arkus and Liu will be the Kamehameha team of Teresa Martinez and Kanana Dang.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin presented a $500 savings bond and a perpetual school trophy to Matthew Jachowski for the best public school senior research project.
Mari Takemoto-Chock won the Chamberlin Perpetual Trophy from the State Department of Education for the best junior research project by a public school student.
Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair