On Saturday, February 8, 269 gifted and talented students from across the Roanoke Valley participated in Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology’s 28th annual Student Project Forum. The following students won first place in their categories and will advance to the next level of competition:
Sophia Tailor, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Eutrophication on the Embryonic Development of Danio rerio
Category: Animal Science A
Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Sherry Otruba
Chloe Gardner, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Caterpillar Attack on the Growth of Radishes
Category: Animal Science B
Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Laura Roark
Olivia Stanley, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Various Chemicals on the Visibility of Fingerprints Processed with Cyanoacrylate
Category: Biochemistry/Chemistry/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Mason Wheeler, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Phytotoxic Metals on the Enzyme Activity in Phaseolus vulgaris
Category: Biochemistry/Chemistry/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Sherry Otruba
Gillian Horn, Cave Spring High School
The Effect of Different Biomass Pre-Treatments on Biogas Production
Category: Energy and Transportation
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Yunyun Wang, Hidden Valley High School
Comparison of Different Pre-Treatment Methods on the Efficiency of Bioethanol Production
Category: Energy and Transportation
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Gabe Gibson, James River High School
Howard Huang, Hidden Valley High School
Christopher Pringle, Staunton River High School
The Effect of Separation and Frequency Variation on the Efficiency of Wireless Energy Transfer
Category: Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Nicholas Merrill
Alexus McBride, Franklin County High School
The 360 Shield
Category: Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering A
Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Linda Gooding
Marcus Banks, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Different Ionic Compounds on the Compressive Strength of Concrete
Category: Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering B
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Isaac Frank, Lord Botetourt High School
Gwyneth Strope, Franklin County High School
The Effect of Different Compositions of Granular Media and Soil on the Stability of Retaining Structures
Category: Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering B
Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Brent Holt
McKenna Luzynski, Cave Spring High School
Arsenic and Old Waste: Using Discarded Seashells to Filter Contaminated Water
Category: Environmental Science/Environmental Management A
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Abigail Workman, William Fleming High School
The Effect of Crankcase Oil Concentration on the Heart Rate of Daphnia magna
Category: Environmental Science/Environmental Management A
Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Laura Roark
Sally Greenberg, Hidden Valley High School
Oranges, Apples, and Bananas, Oh My! The Feasibility of Making Bioethanol from Food Waste
Category: Environmental Science/Environmental Management B
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
William Cathey, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of Water Filter Design on the Eradication of E. coli from Water
Category: Environmental Science/Environmental Management C
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Kacey Price, Craig County High School
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Oral Bioavailability of an Acidic Drug
Category: Mathematics/Computer Science
Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Linda Gooding
Colleen McBride, Northside High School
Sebastian Wellford, Cave Spring High School
Using Erastin as an Inhibitor of Colorectal Cancer Cells with a K-RAS Mutation
Category: Medicine and Health
Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Cindy Bohland
Ben Greenawald, Patrick Henry High School
Emily Knopf, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of BH3 Mimetics on Celastrol Treated Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Category: Medicine and Health/Behavioral and Social Sciences
Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Cindy Bohland
Emily Philpott, Franklin County High School
A Comparison of Elementary and High School Students’ Responses to Different Extrinsic Motivators
Category: Medicine and Health/Behavioral and Social Sciences
Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Melissa Harnist
Kean Finucane, Hidden Valley High School
Shreyas Hirway, Hidden Valley High School
The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Lipopolysaccharides on a Glucocorticoid Treated Gastric Cell Line
Category: Microbiology
Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Cindy Bohland
Warner McGhee, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of a Magnetic Field on the Solubility of Various Compounds
Category: Physics A
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Jack Whitehead, Patrick Henry High School
The Effect of the Cost of Swimsuits on the Amount of Water Drag Produced
Category: Physics A
Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Tonja Locklear
Kelly Devens, Glenvar High School
Comparing Shroud Design on the Output and Efficiency of a Small-Scale Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine
Category: Physics B
Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Brent Holt
Ryan Devens, Glenvar High School
Characterization of Muon Flux at Virginia Tech
Category: Physics B
Teacher Sponsor: Mrs. Linda Hanks
Taylor Norman, Hidden Valley High School
Allelopathic Effects of Oak, Maple, and Pine Extracts on Seed Germination and Growth
Category: Plant Sciences A
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Kellen Dunnavant, Patrick Henry High School
Calleigh Lucas, Patrick Henry High School
What’s in Your Supplement? The Use of DNA Barcoding to Validate the Contents of Echinacea Supplements
Category: Plant Sciences B
Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Cindy Bohland
Mary Kathryn McLucas, Lord Botetourt High School
Allison Printz, Hidden Valley High School
Creating an Artificial Host for the Parasitic Plant Cuscuta pentagona
Category: Plant Sciences B
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Steve Smith
Kiara McMillan, Patrick Henry High School
Emily Shafer, Patrick Henry High School
Robot Communication: Mobile Robot Controlled by Defined Hand Signals
Category: Robotic Engineering
Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Doug Divers
The complete list of award winners, major sponsors, and the schedule for the various science fairs that Governor’s School students may attend can be found on the school website, at www.rvgs.k12.va.us.
Very special thanks to:
* The diverse and accomplished panel of over 60 judges who evaluated almost 200 science fair experiments for the 2014 Student Project Forum
* Silent Auction co-chairs Jennifer Brady, Kim Morrill, and Lisa Nielson for their extraordinary efforts in organizing the Silent Auction and annual appeal that raised more than $18,000 to support student research at the Governor’s School
* Over 150 parents, local businesses, and community supporters who generously donated items, services, and cash for the event
