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Young scientists honored for work
By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE © St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 2001 CRYSTAL RIVER -- The blue, red and green trophies gleamed on tables in the stage lights in front of Curtis Peterson Auditorium recently as students and their parents gathered for the announcements of the winners in the 2000 Citrus Regional Science and Engineering Fair. The students were interested in learning who among them had been chosen to go to Fort Myers, April 18-20, to compete in the state competition. That information was saved for the end of the evening, along with the announcement of the two students who would travel to the international fair in San Jose, Calif., in May. Ten projects each from the junior and senior divisions were selected, and the students who researched them were called to the stage and named as representatives of Citrus County for the state event. Then the two students from the senior division chosen to attend the International Science and Engineering Fair were identified. Those from the junior division who will be going to Fort Myers are: Jeremy Dalrymple, Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Shreya Rao, Lecanto Middle School; Sara Shah, Citrus Springs Middle School; Jordan Shapot, Citrus Springs Middle School; Jean Morrow, Crystal River Middle School; Charles Osterhout, Inverness Middle School; Breanna Gawrys, Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Aashish Amin, Lecanto Middle School; Stephanie Prado, Lecanto Middle School; Christopher Ward, Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Allen Godspeed, Pope John Paul II Catholic School. (Ward and Godspeed did a team project.) The senior division state entries are: Amit Patel, Lecanto High School; Shital Patel, Lecanto High School; Nilesh Patel, Lecanto High School; Tina Gurnani, Lecanto High School; Bianca Maura, Academy of Environmental Science; Ankoor Patel, Lecanto High School; Saif Tajwar, Lecanto High School; Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Crystal River High School; Niraj Nathan, Lecanto High School; and Samir Amin, Lecanto High School. Samir Amin and Amit Patel, both from Lecanto High School were selected for the international competition. Samir will enter the microbiology category with his project called the "Application of a Hammerhead Ribozyme Library for Cleavage of mRNA to Identify Mouse Tumor Suppressor Genes," and Amit will take his environmental sciences project "Neutron Activation Analysis for Toxic Elements Found in Fish Muscle Tissue in Coastal Waters: The Affects of Processing Trace Elemental Concentrate Content." (See related story in Spotlight, Page X) The Regional Science and Engineering Fair category winners were awarded trophies for first through third places, and honorable mentions received ribbons. Winners are: Senior division Behavioral and Social Sciences -- First place: Laura Steepleton, AES; Second place: Nilesh Patel, LHS; Third place: Laura Steepleton, AES. Biochemistry -- First place, Shital Patel, LHS; Second place: Tina Gurnani, LHS. Botany -- First place: Nilesh Patel, LHS; Second place: Bianca Maura, AES; Third place: Viraj Patel, LHS. Chemistry -- Honorable mention: Ankoor Patel, LHS. Computer Science -- Honorable mention: Adam Shrout, AES. Earth and Space Science -- Second place: Saif Tajwar, LHS. Engineering -- First place: Jeremy Brunsink, AES. Environmental Sciences -- First place: Amit Patel, LHS; Second place: Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Crystal River High School; Third place: Kevin Chapin, AES; Honorable mentions: Christine Adamson, AES, Morgan Owen, AES, and Tara Peterson, AES. Mathematics -- Honorable mention: Gina Neshewat. Medicine and Health -- First place: Ahalya Rao, LHS; Second place: Travis Barfield, Citrus High School; Third place: William Hinson II, CRHS. Physics -- First place: Nathan Niraj, LHS; Second place: Adam Talley, LHS; Third place: Amanda Lewis, LHS. Zoology -- First place: Elisha Masson, CHS. Team Projects, Physical Science -- First place: Matthew Roach and Ann Marie Slater, CHS. Team Projects, Life Science -- First place: Ciji Jones and Jennifer Pullias, AES. Junior Division Behavioral and Social Sciences -- First place: Gregory Bunts, Crystal River Middle School; Second place, Ann Claire McGuire, Pope John Paul II Catholic School; Third place: Chelsea Pitvorec, PJP; Honorable Mention: Jimmie Heath, Renaissance Center. Biochemistry -- First place: Matthew Miskiewicz, home school. Botany -- First place: Katherine Gage, Citrus Springs Middle School; Second place: Jillian DeRevere, CRMS; Third place: Kenna Bowman, Lecanto Middle School; Honorable Mentions: Chelsea Veres, LMS; Marie Valdez, CSMS; and Melissa Cox, CSMS. Chemistry -- First place: Shreya Rao, LMS; second place: Michael Sheikh, LMS; third place: Farrah Bell, LMS; Honorable mentions: Rachel Edstrom, CRMS; and Zachary Alfosn, Inverness Middle School. Computer -- First place: Jeremy Dalrymple, PJP. Earth and Space Science -- First place: Drew Johandes, PJP; Second place: Nicole Hicks, CRMS; Third place: Jennifer Forni, CRMS. Engineering -- First place: Jordan Shapot, CSMS; Second place: Andrew Colson, PJP; Third place: Caroline Longfellow, CRMS; Honorable mentions: Lauren LaFrantz, CRMS, and Cara Tomlinson, CSMS. Environmental Science -- First place: Jean Marrow: CRMS; Second place: Joshua Williamson; Third place: Charles Osterhout; Honorable mentions: Scott Reinhard, PJP and Gregory Schmidt, CSMS. Medicine & Health -- First place: Aashish Amin, LMS; Second place: Breanna Gawrys, PJP; Third place: Alexandra Balint, CRMS; Honorable mentions: Jehon Amen, CRMS, and Kevin Stewart, LMS. Physics -- First place: Stephanie Prado, LMS; Second place: John Rustek, LMS; Third place: Amy Rundio, LMS; Honorable mentions: Brittney Roth, CSMS, Rebecca DeCesare, CSMS; and Kelly Butler, CSMS. Zoology -- Honorable mentions: Melissa Mielke, CRMS; and Ashley Yermal, CSMS. Team Projects, Life Science -- First place: Christine Bang and Kathi Carter, PJP; Second place: Shannon Straight and Angela Beyer, PJP; Third place: Noris Englund and Paul Bescher, PJP; Honorable mention: Katrina Townsend and Jenifer Rhoades, PJP. Team Projects, Physical Science -- First place: Christopher Ward and Allen Goodspeed, PJP; Second place: Laurie Brooks and Jessica Piramoun, CRMS; Third place: Justin Marks and Chris Hudak, CSMS; Honorable mention: Daniel Albright-Bradford and Daniel Carter, Crystal River Middle School. Many businesses, local and otherwise, awarded students with certificates, merchandise, U.S. Savings Bonds and cash awards. These are the winners of the special awards. American Society of Agricultural Engineers: Viraj Patel -- $10 and a subscription to Discover magazine. American Association of University Women: Sara Shah -- $100 U.S. Savings Bond; Shrey Rao -- $50 U.S. Savings Bond; Lauren LaFrantz -- $50 U.S. Savings Bond. American Meteorological Society: Drew Johandes -- certificate. ASM International Foundation: Amanda Lewis -- certificate and medallion. Association of Women Geoscientists: Ashley Rhodes-Courter -- certificate. Conservation International Award: Bianca Maura -- certificate. Department of the Army: Niraj Nathan, Gina Neshewat, Amit Patel, Amanda Lewis, Bianca Maura -- certificates and backpacks. Department of the Army, Most Outstanding: Amanda Lewis -- medallion. Eastman Kodak Company: Ashley Rhodes-Courter -- certificate and photo kit. Florida Power Excellence in Science, Junior Division: Jeremy Dalrymple; Senior Division: Travis Barfield -- $500 U. S. Savings Bond each. Herbert Hoover Young Engineer Award: Jordan Shapot -- certificate and medallion. Intel Excellence in Computer Science: Jeremy Dalrymple -- certificate and $200. Intel Excellence in Environmental Health and Safety: Amit Patel -- certificate and $200. Lindblad Expeditions, Environmental Award: Chris Garlock, Jordan Shapot, Jennifer Pullias, Ciji Jones, Saif Tajwar, Adam Shrout -- $50 each. National Association of Corrosion Engineers: Nicole Hicks -- certificate. Rotary Club of Inverness Gene Bush Award: Samir Amin -- $100 U.S. Savings Bond. Scientific American Magazine Award: Jeremy Brunsink, Bianca Maura, John Rostac, Nicole Hicks, Sara Shah -- one year's subscriptions. Society for In Vitro Biology: Elissa Masson -- certificate. U.S. Metric Association: Tina Gurnani -- certificate. U. S. Air Force, First place Jr. Division: Jordan Shapot, Senior Division: Kevin Chapin -- day planner and certificate each; Honorable mention Jr. Division: Stephanie Prado, Sr., Division: Amit Patel -certificate and medallion each. U. S. Navy/Marine Corps: Ahalya Rao, Shital Patel, Travis Barfield, Amanda Lewis -- certificates and graphing calculators. Water Environment Federation: Ashley Rhodes-Courter -- certificate. Yale Science and Engineering Association: Samir Amin -- certificate and medallion. The Discovery Young Scientist Challenge offers the opportunity for selected students in the junior division to apply for competition in a national contest. There are 400 nationwide semifinalists selected from these and then 40 finalists chosen who are invited to Washington, D.C., for the final competition with expenses paid for the student and their parents. The top winner in the final competition receives a $15,000 scholarship. The following students received certificates, T-shirts, medallions and applications to the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge: Shreya Rao, LMS; Jeremy Dalrymple, PJP; Jordah Shapot, CSMS; Jean Morrow, CRMS, Charles Osterhout, IMS, Breanna Gawrys, PJP; Aashish Amin, LMS; Sara Shah, CSMS; Stephanie Prado, LMS; Joshua Williamson, CRMS; Kelly Butler, CSMS; Brittney Roth, CSMS; Alexandra Balint, CRMS; Rebecca DeCesare, CSMS. This year's Science and Engineering Fair was sponsored by Citrus County Schools, Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, Florida Power Corporation and the Citrus County Education Foundation and hosted by the Crystal River Mall.
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