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Students earn global achievement

They will compete in an international science fair.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
Published February 13, 2007

LECANTO - Lecanto High School juniors Shivani Parikh and Sonia Shah were selected to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair May 13-19 in Albuquerque, N.M.

They were selected for the competition at the recent district competition and announced at an award presentation on Feb. 3 at Curtis Peterson Auditorium.

Shivani, 17, participated in the competition last year, while this is the first year for Sonia, 16.

Shivani will take her medicine and health category project, "Production of a Murine Model of Diabetic Nephropathy," while Sonia, 16, will take her environmental project, "The Toxigenic Efficacy of Hydrophobin-3 of Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauvera bassiana Against Insect Manduca sexta."

Shivani says she is looking forward to seeing participants from last year. She said she now is more in tune with what the international judges expect.

Her advice to Sonia: "Just have fun, because the best part is seeing other people's projects and meeting everyone from other countries."

Sonia does not seem worried. "It's a new experience. My sister went there and said it's a lot of fun," she said.

Both students have had years of experience at the state-level competitions, and both have come home winners from those events.

Shivani has gone six times and has received second and third places, an honorable mention and specials. Sonia has gone seven times and has earned two third places, one honorable mention, one merit award and one recognition.

* * *

These students have been invited to this year's state competition.

In the junior division: Jacqueline Dixon, Zeel Patel, Radhika Gandhi and Akshara Patel, all of Lecanto Middle; Dominic Muzzi and Bryce Uzzolino, both of Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Nicole McPhee and Sydney Bennett, both of Crystal River Middle School; Renee Fonseca and Thomas Ivy, both of Inverness Middle.

Alternates are William Aiman, Lecanto Middle, and Connie McCarthy, Inverness Middle.

In the senior division: Sonia Shah, Anuradha Rao, Yogesh Gandhi, Shivani Parikh, Nikesh Shah, Vicki Villanova, Lakshmi Ram and Aarthi Ram, all of Lecanto High school; Tyler van Voorthuijsen and Dakotah Steffener, both of Academy of Environmental Science.

Alternates are Hunter White, Crystal River High School, and Michelle Ball, Academy of Environmental Science.

The Regional Science and Engineering Fair category place winners received first-, second- and third-place trophies. Honorable mentions received white ribbons.

Participation award winners received certificates. The trophies and ribbons were provided by the Citrus County Education Foundation. The science fair was also sponsored by American Pro Dive.

Here is a list of the winners:

Senior division

Behavioral and Social Sciences: First place: Trevor van Voorthuijsen, AES; second place: Connor Moore, AES; third place: Katelyn Cunningham, AES; honorable mention: Katelyn Quigley, AES.

Biochemistry: First place: Yogesh Ghandhi, LHS; second place: Aarthi Ram, LHS.

Botany: First place: Tyler Voorthuijsen, AES.

Chemistry: First place: Michelle Ball, AES; second place: Danielle Tschuschke, Crystal River High School; third place: Heather Snyder, AES; honorable mention: Christina Sowerby, Citrus High School; participant awards: Brandy Strickland, AES; Tiffany Lubee, AES; Sarah Adams, AES; Rebecca Smith, AES; Heather Carpenter, CREST School.

Engineering: First place: Nikesh Shah, LHS.

Environmental Science: First place: Sonia Shah, LHS; second place: Vicki Villanova, LHS; third place: Dakotah Steffener, AES; honorable mention: Lisa-Marie Mueller, AES.

Medicine and Health: First place: Shivani Parikh, LHS; second place: Anuradha Rao, LHS; third place: Lakshmi Ram, LHS.

Microbiology: First place: Hunter White, CRHS.

Team Projects: First place: Dwight Dickens, Sean McWherter, Victoria Delfin, CREST School; second place: Leah Dandridge, Monica Hernandez, Ashley Moudis, Rodric Pryor, Rachel Sota, Willie Wade and Shashu Alugudelli, CREST; third place: Becca Gill, Matt Gosse and Emery Michael, CREST; honorable mention: Felicia Picone and Charlinda Harper, CREST; participation awards: Nina Childs, Romit Kamat, Dylan Patton, Andy Walker-Drayer, Brittany Lonergan, Clayton Larsen, CREST.

Junior division

Behavioral and Social Sciences: First place: Morgan Rea, PJP II; second place: Adam Porambo, PJP II; third place: Jon Franke, PJP II.

Biochemistry: First place: Sydney Bennett, Crystal River Middle School; second place: Austin Porambo, PJP II; third place: Nicole Clamer, PJP II; honorable mention: Ryan Primer, Seven Rivers Christian School

Participation award: Sequoia Doetch, PJP II.

Botany: First place: Thomas Ivy, Inverness Middle School; second place: Angelina Vascimini, PJP II; third place: Connie McCarthy, IMS; honorable mention: Kileigh Huscher, IMS; participation awards: Jared Helmes, CRMS; Elizabeth Suasnavar, CRMS, Willaim Wilson, CRMS.

Chemistry: First place: Scott Goulet, PJP II; second place: Zeel Patel, LMS; third place: Akshara Patel, LMS; honorable mention: Amanda Poliseno, IMS; participation awards: Matt Taylor, CRMS, Jesse Chaffee, PJP II, Savannah Bingham, IMS, Kristen Carney, PJP II, Mollie Griffith, PJP II, Jasmine Fisher, SRCS, Christian Wunderlich, Britanny Cannon, IMS, Caroline Brockett, SRCS, Kaylee Casadona, CRMS, D.J. Hale, CREST, Milena Kacer, SRCS, Erica Suarez, CRMS, Ashlyn Gibbs, IMS.

Computer Science: First place: William Aiman, LMS.

Earth and Space Science: First place: Jacqueline Dixon, LMS; second place: Caitlyn Bryant, IMS.

Engineering: First place: Aaron Johnston, LMS; second place: Adrian Fonseca, IMS; third place: Taylor Pitts, LMS; honorable mentions: A.J. Cloer, CRMS, Rhett Gehring, PJP II; participation awards: Dominic Muzzi, PJP II, Stephanie Collins, CRMS, Andrea Zachar, SRCS, Joshua Mobley, CRMS, Deborah Brannock, IMS, Weyman Gordon, PJP II, Alicia Blood, IMS, Sean Crocker, LMS, James Cali, IMS.

Environmental Science: First place: Renee Fonseca, IMS; second place: Nicole McPhee, CRMS; third place: Alexandria Rawls, IMS; honorable mention: Alicia Indelicato, IMS; participation awards: Brianna Johnson, IMS, Lea Whitley, PJP II, Michele Aultman, CRMS, Kimberly Hafner, CSMS, Angela Ketcham, CRMS, Jacob McGowan, CRMS, Emily Jolly, West Coast Christian School, Elian Choung, SRCS, Melissa Manning, SRCS, Luke Bennett, CRMS.

Mathematics: First place: Ellis Whitaker, CRMS.

Medicine and Health Sciences: First place: James Graves, CRMS; second place: Hunter Earnhart, CRMS; third place: Allison Green, SRCS; honorable mention: Harrison Clark, CRMS; participation: Jessica Decker, IMS, Britanny Wilson, IMS.

Microbiology: First place: Weston Pope, CRMS; second place: Radhika Gandhi, LMS; third place: Gosai Palak, LMS.

Physics: First place: Rebecca Hytovick, CRMS; second place: Alicia Thompson, CRMS; third place: Emma Nalepa, PJP II; honorable mention: Madeline McCoy, CRMS; participation awards: Frank Vascimini, PJP II, Evan Long, IMS, Montana Wallace, SRCS, John Austin, PJP II, Clay Ranallo, IMS, Eric Jones, LMS, Matthew Marrow, CRMS, Derick Hannigan, CRMS.

Team Projects: First place: Tyler Swanson, Nathan Molinero and Crocket Richie, Citrus Springs Middle School; second place: Rigsby Taylor and Austin Johnson, PJP II; third place: Rachel Roth and Kristin Tringali, CSMS; honorable mention: Brandon McKinney and Sean Charlton, IMS

Participation awards: Devon Perrine, Brittany Wright and Cynthia Knyniski, IMS, Kaitlin Kirby, Elisabeth Veal and Sonia Salazar, IMS, Alyssa Vick, Jessica Bunting and Savannah Bingham, IMS, Allison Schriro, Meaghan Kruchek and Chelsea Tafelski, IMS, Ashley Lucas, Anna Dudley and Emily Finck, IMS, Guy Harris, Matt Jackson and Christine Remenar, IMS, Cory Santero, Brandon Howe and Austin Mims, IMS, Aaron Mancha, Tyler Petrucci and Ethan Ortiz, IMS, Victoria Okosh, Zach Zabinski and Timothy Robbins, IMS, Spencer Howard, Thomas Henderson and Rick Morales, IMS.

Zoology: First place: Bryce Uzzolino, PJP II; second place: Courtney Carnahan, CRMS; third place: Tawny Schaw, IMS; honorable mention: Michael Coover, IMS; participation award: Brian Clark, PJP II.

Special awards

Many businesses awarded students certificates, merchandise and cash awards. These are the winners of the special awards:

Ahalya Ra Memorial Award: Nikesh Shah, LHS, Sara Shah, LHS, $500 each.

American Meteorological Society: Jacqueline Dixon, LMS, certificate.

American Pro Diving Center: Vicki Villanova, LHS, underwater camera; Kristen Carney, PJP II, and Aaron Johnston, LMS, underwater MP-3 players.

American Psychological Association: Trevor van Voorthuijsen, AES, certificate.

Arnold Virgilio Insurance and Retirement Income: Harrison Clark, CRMS and Madeline McCoy, CRMS, certificates and mechanical pencils

ASM International Foundation: Rebecca Hytovick, CRMS, certificate and medallion.

Association of Women Geoscientists: Jacqueline Dixon, LMS, certificate

Bruce Stull First Time Award: Christina Sowerby, Citrus High School, $150 cash award.

Herbert Hoover Young Engineer Award: Adrian Fonseca, IMS, certificate and medallion.

Homosassa Civic Club (elementary school projects): Zane Beckner, Jack Enstrom, Katelyn Hannigan, Alex Wiesen, Shawn Richmond, Danielle Ronzo, Max Pyers, Lindsay Moser, Corraine Mackler, Damien Goodpaster, $50 cash award each.

Lindblad Expeditions, Environmental Award: Michelle Ball, AES, cruise to Baja for two ($8,720 value); Tiffany Lubee, AES, Dakotah Steffener, AES, Lisa-Marie Mueller, AES, Radhika Gandhi, LMS, Kimberly Hafner, CSMS, Renee Fonseca, IMS, $50 each.

Mu Alpha Theta: Trevor van Voorthusijsen, certificate.

National Society of Professional Engineers: Aaron Johnston, LMS, certificate and a pin.

RICOH Sustainable Development Award: Renee Fonseca, IMS, certificate, subscription to Science News.

Save the Homosassa River Alliance: Ethan Wilkins, Rock Crusher Elementary School, Marissa Wilder, Homosassa Elementary School, Jacqueline Dixon, LMS, Nicole, McPhee, CRMS, Sonia Shah, LHS, Tyler van Voorthuijsen, AES.

Ron Worthington Award: Shivani Parikh, LHS, $150 cash award.

Scientific American Magazine Award: Christina Sowerby, CHS, Brandy Strickland, AES, Tiffany Lubee, AES, Sarah Adams, AES, Rebecca Smith, AES, Heather Carpenter, CREST, certificate and year's subscription to Scientific American.

Society for In vitro Biology: Anuradha Rao, LHS.

SPIE International Society for Optical Engineering: Nikesh Shah, LHS, certificate

Stockholm Junior Water Prize: Michelle Ball, AES, certificate.

The John and Olga Sloboda Memorial Award: Akshara Patel, LMS, $50, Elizabeth Suasnavar, CRMS, Bryce Uzzolino, PJP II, Renee Fonseca, IMS, Nicole McPhee, CRMS, $25 each.

U.S. Air Force: Dominic Muzzi, PJP II, Aaron Johnston, LMS, Shivani Parikh, LHS, Nikesh Shah, LHS, electronic organizer, pen set, flash drive.

U.S. Army: Sonia Shah, LHS, medallion and shirt; Vicki Villanova, LHS, Hunter White, CRHS, Michelle Ball, AES, Katelyn Quigley, AES, shirt.

U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA: Jacqueline Dixon, LMS, medallion and certificate.

U.S. Metric Association: Nikesh Shah, LHS, certificate.

U.S. Navy and Marines Academy of Applied Science (senior division): Trevor van Voorthuijsen, AES, Yogesh Gandhi, LHS, Vicki Villanova, LHS; (junior division) Bryce Uzzolino, PJP II, Nicole McPhee, CRMS, Mollie Griffith, PJP II, certificate.

U.S. Public Health Service: Shivani Parikh, LHS, certificate.

Yale Science and Engineering Association: Shivani Parikh, LHS, certificate.

Discovery Young Scientist: This award offers the opportunity for selected students in the junior division to apply for competition in a national contest. They were Jacqueline Dixon, Lecanto Middle School, Zeel Patel, Lecanto Middle; Akshara Patel, Lecanto Middle; Dominic Muzzi, Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Nicole McPhee, Crystal River Middle School; Sydney Bennett, Crystal River Middle; Renee Fonseca, Inverness Middle School; Thomas Ivy, Inverness Middle; Radhika Gandhi, Lecanto Middle; Bryce Uzzolino, Pope John Paul II.

Elementary School exhibitors, who were not judged, were invited to the stage to receive recognition, medals and gift certificates to American Pro Diving Center.

This year's Science and Engineering Fair was sponsored by Citrus County schools, D&R Marine Custom Canvas & Upholstery, the Citrus County Education Foundation and American Pro Diving Center and hosted by the Crystal River Mall.

[Last modified February 13, 2007, 06:32:28]