Projects were

judged by professional scientists and working engineers who looked not

only for attractive presentation, but also for evidence that the project

had contributed to new understanding of the subject as well as the level

of understanding exhibited by the student. Only first-place winners in

the Griffin fair were invited to participate in the Georgia Science and

Engineering Fair slated to be held at the University of Georgia. This

year's fair will be the 54th in the state.

In addition

to being selected to compete in the state science fair, one student's

project made such an impact that the judges automatically advanced it

to the international competition. Tony Hung of McIntosh High School was

awarded the advancement for his project titled "Biochemical Insight

of HOP2 into Mechanism of Homologous Chromosome." The Intel International

Science and Engineering Fair will be in Louisville in May.

Students selected

to participate in the state competition are Melinda Murray (Starr's Mill

High School), Shirley Li (McIntosh High School), Carey Owens (Starr's

Mill High School), Alex Crawford and Billy Castillo (Fayette County High

School), Tony Hung (McIntosh High School), Jonathan Smith (J.C. Booth

Middle School), Allison Fratto (J.C. Booth Middle School), Evan Roth (J.C.

Booth Middle School), Joseph Morris, Brian Heufner and Brian Forsyth (J.C.

Booth Middle School), and Ravi Dayabhai (Flat Rock Middle School).

Although their

projects will not advance to the state competition, the following students

did receive second and third place awards at the regional fair: (Second

place) Angela Garza and Erin Patterson (Starr's Mill High School), Don

Williamson (Fayette County High School), Kimberly Capell and Tracy Welch

(Starr's Mill High School), Jacqueslyn Kirsch and Lindsay Anderson (Starr's

Mill High School), Katie Tramonte (Rising Starr Middle School), Michelle

Baily and Natasha Lee (Rising Starr Middle School), Jane Abel, Melissa

Crowell, and Kelcie Wilson (Whitewater Middle School). (Third place) Gretchen

Lawhorn (McIntosh High School), Amy Ladewig (Starr's Mill High School),

and Ginger Dunn (Sandy Creek High School).

Special awards

were also given to six of the projects by national corporations and associations.

Recipients included Allison Fratto, ASM International Foundation; Amy

Ladewig, Eastman Kodak Company and Scientific American; Evan Roth, Herbert

Hoover Presidential Library Association; Melinda Murray, Scientific American;

and Kimberly Capell and Tracy Welch; Conservation International.