Fayette County’s middle and high school students recently took top honors at the 67th Georgia Science and Engineering Fair.
Ten students in the junior and senior divisions of the competition were recognized with first, second, third, and fourth place honors. They are (middle school – junior division) Caitlin van Zyl and Jacqui van Zyl of J.C. Booth Middle, first place honors; Robbie van Zyl of J.C. Booth Middle, second place honors; Kylie Dickinson and Dorothy Lai of J.C. Booth Middle, third place honors; (high school – senior division) Janeen Thomas and Jubin Thomas of McIntosh High, second place honors; Cameron Rothley of McIntosh High, third place honors; Luke Ninnerman of Starr’s Mill High, fourth place honors; and Sushana Sudhi of McIntosh High, fourth place honors.
The students advanced to the state competition after earning first place honors in the regional contest.
Special awards were given to the students by the fair’s judges and representatives of sponsoring organizations. Taking two of the special awards in the senior division were Janeen Thomas and Jubin Thomas of McIntosh High for their project, “Cost Effective Device for Preventing Hot Car Deaths.” They received the Student of Promise Award from the Georgia Academy of Aviation, Mathematics, Engineering and Science; and an award for electrical and mechanical engineering from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-Atlanta.
Janeen and Jubin were also the top winners of the regional science and engineering fair, and are advancing to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May.
The H.O. Lund Entomology Club presented a second place award to Keaton Wimbish of McIntosh High for his project, “Anaylsis of Apis Mellifera Wax: Organophosphate Pesticide Analysis;” the Tellus Science Museum’s Outstanding Exhibit award was received by Luke Ninnerman of Starr’s Mill High for his project, “Save the Grape;” and the University of Georgia Crop and Soil Sciences Department presented its alternate Agronomics Award to Cameron Rothley of McIntosh High for his project, “The Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Agricultural Production.”
J.C. Booth Middle students Caitlin van Zyl and Jacqui van Zyl took three of the junior division special awards for their project, “Science or Magic: Oscillating Chemical Reactions.” They were this year’s Broadcom Masters Nominees, as well as winners of the US Metric Association Award, and the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair Best in Category Chemistry.
