The Rome Academy of Sciences conducted the 59^th Annual Rome Science Fair. The Rome Science Fair is comprised of three separate events. The Jr. Science Fair was held at Staley Middle School on Wednesday, Feb 24^th; the Jr./Sr. Science Fair was held at NY State School for the Deaf on Wednesday, Mar 2^nd, and the Sr. Science Fair was held on Saturday Mar 12^th. The theme for this year’s science fair was “The Future of Drones”

The Junior Science Fair at Staley Upper Elementary School included those students in the 5^th and 6^th grades. There were a total of 103 students competing for ten cash awards plus Trophies.  The three Categories were 1) Display, 2) Demonstration, and 3) Experimentation.  The awards were $50 for 1^st and $25 for 2^nd for each of the three categories. This year we also awarded prizes for best in 5^th and best in 6^th grades. The awards were $50 for 1^st and $25 for 2^nd for each of the two grades.

The Jr./Sr. Science Fair at NYS School for the Deaf Fair was held at the Deaf School. Eleven students participated in this Fair, with six entries in the Junior Division and five in the Senior Division. The awards in the Junior and Senior Categories were $100 for 1^st place, $75 for 2^nd place, and $50 for 3^rd place.

The Senior Science Fair, there were a total of 54 students in 36 entries for 40 awards. For the Categories and Grades, the awards were $100 for 1^st place and $75 for 2^nd place. There were three specialty awards: 1) $100 – Walter J. Gyngell Physics Award; 2) $100 – Teachers’ Award; and, 3) DESTINY Award – this year was a Balloon Car contest, with a rophy for 1^st place.   The “Best of Fair Awards – Senior Science Fair” were subdivided into three major categories: a) Team Awards, 17 teams judged for the Team Awards of $500 for 1^st place and $250 for 2^nd place; b) Eight categories competed for the Applied Sciences Award – $500 for 1^st Place and $250 2^nd place; and, c) STEM Awards – six categories competed for a two-year Presidential Scholarship from MVCC valued at over $7,500 for 1^st Place and $400 for 2^nd Place.

The Rome Science Fair continues to be a total Rome community event. Even during these hard economic times, the Rome Academy of Sciences is proud to say that 31 companies and organizations served as sponsors for this year’s Science Fair. Great job Rome NY! Special thanks to Byrne Dairy, Ferlo’s Bakery, RFA-AFJROTC, and the Rome Board of Education for their continued support.

The Corporate Sponsors for this year’s Science Fair were: a) Jr. Science Fair – Kicks for Kids Foundation; b) Jr./Sr. Science Fair – Rome Sentinel, Rome Rotary, and Wal-Mart; and, c) Sr. Science Fair – Assured Information Systems for Team Awards, Merrill Lynch for Applied Sciences Awards, and MVCC and Berkshire Bank for the STEM Awards.

The following are the award winners and the associated category sponsors:

Junior Science Fair:      Sponsored by   Kicks for Kids Foundation

The winners for the Display Category

2^nd place: Lilly Gilroy & Dominick Gratch, 6th Grade, “Why Doesn’t a Ball Fly Backwards When Thrown in a Moving Vehicle?”

1^st place: Eva Rutkowski, 5th Grade,”Sugar in Soft Drinks”

The winners for the Demonstration Category

2^nd place: Katelyn Boyer, 5th Grade, “Rainbow in a Jar”

1^st place: Alexis Stevens, 5th Grade, “Rainbow Prism”

The winners for the Experiment Category

2^nd place: Lydia Mullen, 6th Grade, “Will Different Types of Vinegar Affect the Outcome of a Self-Inflating Balloon?”

1^st place: Emily Toth-Ratazzi, 5th Grade, “Dry Ice – How Does it Work?’

The winners for the 5^th Grade

2^nd place: Jack Wood & Christian Faroni, “Oobleck”

1^st place: Katelyn Boyer, “Rainbow in a Jar”

The winners for the 6^th Grade

2^nd place: Tanner Brawdy & Eddie Rakowski, “Which Brand of Cube is the Fastest to Solve?”

1^st place: Bethany Beeman, “What Contaminations are in Our Soil and Snow?”

NYS School for the Deaf Science Award: Sponsored by Rome Rotary, Rome Sentinel, and Wal-Mart

Junior Division:

3^rd place: Katie Hence, 5th Grade, “Diffusion”

2^nd place: Evan Hawkins, 6th Grade, “Density”

1^st place: Cody Sharpsteen, 6th Grade, “Surface Tension”

Senior Division:

3^rd place: Jonathan Allen, 8th Grade, “What Melts Ice?”

2^nd place: Arif Cajic, 8th Grade, “Acid Indicator”

1^st place: Hunter Ocmand, 7th Grade, “Making Plastic from Milk”

Senior Science Fair:

Categories:

1. Behavioral and Social Science (sponsor: Birnie Bus Services, Inc.):

2^nd Place: Elizabeth Johnson, “Neurodiversity”, RFA, 12^th Grade

1st Place: Anthony Carambia and Vincent Argenzia, “Transcendence: The Story of Humanity”, RFA, 11^th Grade

1. Biochemistry (sponsor: Price Chopper of Rome [Golub Foundation]):

Sorry, but no Entries This Year

1. Botany (sponsor: Kris Tech Wire):

Sorry, but no Entries This Year

1. Chemistry (sponsor: Revere Copper Products):

2^nd Place: Camryn Stamboly and Jared Smaldon, “Forensics”, RFA, 12^th Grade

1st Place: Nicole Jeselson, “A Replacement for Road Salt”, RFA, 10^th Grade

1. Computer Science (sponsor: Harris Corporation):

1st Place: Rowan Call, “Thermo Electric Effect on PC Cooling”, RFA, 10^th Grade

1. Earth Sciences (sponsor: Deployed Resources LLC)

1st Place: Brendan Kilpatrick and Matt Abreu, “What the Frack?”, RFA, 12^th Grade

1. Engineering (sponsor: Association of Old Crows):

1st Place: Danny Loreto and Dalton Eastup, “Solar Panel Energy”, RFA, 12^th Grade

1. Environmental Sciences (sponsor: FPM Group):

2^nd Place: Katelyn Testa and Carlie Noecker, “Environmental Science”, RFA, 12 Grade

1st Place: Nicholas Wenndt, “H₂O, Do you Know?”, RFA, 11^th Grade

1. Mathematics (sponsor: Mohawk Valley Section of IEEE):

1st Place: Ryan Samuels and Marco Pasqualetti, “Parabolic Equations”, RFA, 12^th Grade

1. Medicine and Health (sponsor: Rome Memorial Hospital):

2^nd Place: Chloe Call, “Dog Sense”, RFA, 9^th Grade

1st Place: Nicole Hanrahan and Kaylee Holmes, “Acid Rain”, RFA, 11^th Grade

1. Microbiology (sponsor: Mohawk Glen Imaging, PC):

2^nd Place: Hannah McCullough and Jamie Fleck, “Bacteria Growth”, Strough, 8^th Grade

1st Place: John George, “Spatial Self-Recognition in Physarum Polycephalum”, RFA, 9^th Grade

1. Physics (sponsor: Alion Science and Technology):

2^nd Place: Victoria Passalacqua and Jade Jarvis, “Calculating the Speed of Light”, Strough, 8^th Grade

1st Place: Sven van Hoesel, “Thar She Blows – Optimizing Balloon Powered Cars”, Strough, 7^th Grade

1. Space Sciences (sponsor: Wal-Mart):

Sorry, but no Entries This Year

1. Zoology (sponsor: Research Associates of Syracuse):

1st Place: Daniel Bailey and Danielle Meyers, “Zoology”, RFA, 12^th Grade

Grades:

7^th: (sponsor: Rome Fire Dept Benevolent Association):

1st Place: Sven van Hoesel, “Thar She Blows – Optimizing Balloon Powered Cars”, Physics, Strough

8^th: (sponsor: AmeriCU Credit Union):

2^nd Place: Victoria Passalacqua and Jade Jarvis, “Calculating the Speed of Light”, Physics, Strough

1st Place: Hannah McCullough and Jamie Fleck, “Bacteria Growth”, Microbiology, Strough

9^th: (sponsor: Wal-Mart):

2^nd Place: Chloe Call, “Dog Sense”, Medicine and Health, RFA

1st Place: John George, “Spatial Self-Recognition in Physarum Polycephalum”, Microbiology, RFA

10^th: (sponsor: Booz Allen Hamilton):

2^nd Place: Rowan Call, “Thermo Electric Effect on PC Cooling”, Computer Science, RFA

1st Place: Nicole Jeselson, “A Replacement for Road Salt”, Chemistry, RFA

11^th: (sponsor: Toccolana Club of Rome)

2^nd Place: Emma Gilroy, “The History in the Trees”, Environmental Sciences, RFA

1st Place: Bethany Weir, “Growing Greener Buildings”, Environmental Sciences, RFA

12^th: (sponsor: Friends of Science):

2^nd Place: David Jeselson, “Deflategate”, Physics, RFA

1st Place: Tessa Zmudosky and Sarah Alshaman, “Environmental Causes of CANCER in Our Area”, Environmental Sciences, RFA

Specialty Awards:

1. Walter J. Gyngell Physics Award (sponsor: Family of Walter J. Gyngell):

1st Place: Victoria Passalacqua and Jade Jarvis, “Calculating the Speed of Light”, Physics, Strough, 8^th Grade

1. Teachers’ Award (sponsor: Rome Teachers Association):

1st Place: John George, “Spatial Self-Recognition in Physarum Polycephalum”, Microbiology, RFA, 9^th Grade

1. DESTINY Award (IESolutions & MANIAC Consulting):

1st Place, Trophy: Sven van Hoesel, “Thar She Blows – Optimizing Balloon Powered Cars”, Physics, Strough, 7^th Grade,

Distances:  27ft 11in, 34ft, and 35ft 6in

“Best of Fair” Awards:

1. Team Awards (sponsor: Assured Information Security, Inc.):

2^nd Place: $250: Hannah McCullough and Jamie Fleck, “Bacteria Growth”, Microbiology, Strough, 8^th Grade

1st Place: $500: Nicole Hanrahan and Kaylee Holmes, “Acid Rain”, Medicine and Health, RFA, 11^th Grade

2.   Applied Sciences Awards (sponsor: Merrill Lynch):

2^nd Place ($250): Nicole Hanrahan and Kaylee Holmes, “Acid Rain”, Medicine and Health, RFA, 11^th Grade

1st Place ($500): John George, “Spatial Self-Recognition in Physarum Polycephalum”, Microbiology, RFA, 9^th Grade

3.   STEM Award (sponsor: MVCC and Berkshire Bank)

2^nd Place ($400): Rowan Call, “Thermo Electric Effect on PC Cooling”, Computer Science, RFA, 10^th Grade

1st Place (Two Year Presidential Scholarship – $7,500): Nicole Jeselson, “A Replacement for Road Salt”, Chemistry, RFA, 10^th Grade