The
53rd Colorado Science and Engineering Fair was held at Lory Student
Center on the Colorado State University campus on April 10 - 12, 2008.
This year, CSEF
winners were chosen from among 282 projects
represented by 315 finalists from 71 schools and 13 regions within the
state. Abstracts for all projects can
be read here. More than 120 professional scientists, engineers and mathematicians
interviewed the students and evaluated their projects before selecting
the Grand Award winners. In addition, over 60 businesses, professional
societies, and government agencies provided more than 150 of their own
representatives to judge exhibits based on their own criteria. They
judged the student finalists and conferred Special Awards which represented
an aspect of the bestowing organization. These included college scholarships,
offers of summer employment, field trips, cash, savings bonds, and calculators.
Over 900 people attended the Awards Ceremony this year.
Scholarships from
Adams State College (ASC), Colorado School of Mines (CSM), and University
of Colorado - Boulder were also presented. Adams State College awarded
fourteen one-year full resident tuition and fees scholarships. The Colorado
School of Mines awarded six four-year half resident tuition scholarships.
The University of Colorado - Boulder awarded four one-year scholarships
ranging in value from $1,500 to $3,000. The Colorado Science and Engineering
Fair also awarded a $2,000 scholarship to a twelfth grader in the name
of Ryan Patterson (Intel ISEF top winner in 2001) for use at the college
or university of their choice.
The 2008 Colorado
Science and Engineering Fair had 24 sponsors. Sponsors included 13 Platinum
Sponsors (providing over $2,500 of support), 5 Gold Sponsors ($1,000
- $2,500 of support each), and 11 Regular Sponsors ($500 - $750 of support
each). In addition, there were 15 Financial Contributors (less than
$500 each). Also, several individuals donated through the Denver Combined
Federal Campaign. Persons interested in supporting the CSEF financially should view the sponsorship/contributor guidelines.
This year, the
CSEF was honored to have guest speaker, William Johns, chief engineer
from Lockheed Martin working on the Orion Crew Exploration.

William (Bill)
Johns is Chief Engineer of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle for Lockheed
Martin. In this role, he is responsible for all of the technical products
and processes for the Orion contractor team. Prior to being selected
to lead the technical effort on CEV, Bill served as Director of Development
for the Atlas V/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). He has worked
on the development, integration, and launch of new or modified upper
stage systems since he started with Martin Marietta in 1980. He has
spent much of his career working on the Centaur cryogenic upper stage,
beginning with the Shuttle/Centaur development activity, and including
the Titan/Centaur and evolved versions of the Atlas/Centaur. He moved
to San Diego in 1983 and back to Denver in 1994 when General Dynamics
Space Systems joined Lockheed Martin.
Bill obtained his
Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University
in 1978 and his Masters of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1979. Bill is a Colorado native and enjoys mountaineering, skiing
and tennis.
2008
COLORADO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR TOP AWARDS
The top Senior
Division individual project exhibitor of the 53rd Colorado Science and
Engineering Fair and winner of an all-expense paid trip to compete in
the Intel International Science
and Engineering Fair was Gwyneth Glissmann, Peak to Peak
Charter School in Lafayette, grade 11, for the project Analyzing
Arctic Solar Flux and Ice Extent Loss Projections. Second place
for best individual project, and also a winner of an all-expense paid
trip to compete at the Intel ISEF was Sarah Guthrie, Boulder
High School in Boulder, grade 11, for the project The Mechanisms
and Actions of Parthenolide on Platelet 5-HT Secretion In Vitro.
Awarded third place for best individual project and winner of an all-expense
paid trip to observe at the Intel ISEF was Ben Armstrong, Monte
Vista High School in Monte Vista, grade 10, for the project Enemies
of the Environment: Estrogen Mimics. The first place Senior Division
team project and winner of an all-expense paid trip to compete in the
Intel ISEF was Danielle Pite, Kelly Lane & Anna Hermann,
Boulder High School in Boulder, grade 12, for the project Didymosphenia
geminata: The Core Question.
The winner of the
Ralph F. Desch Memorial Technical Writing Award was Sarah Guthrie
from Boulder High School in Boulder, grade 11, for the project The
Mechanisms and Actions of Parthenolide on Platelet 5-HT Secretion In
Vitro.
The winner of the
Senior Division Student Choice Award was Chace Carver , Merino
Jr/Sr High School in Merino, grade 11, for the project The Effects
of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonate Plastics on Lumbriculus variegatus.
The Junior Division Student Choice winner was Heather Hilson,
Summit Middle School in Boulder, grade 8, for the project A Century
in the Life of Trees.
The winner of the
Poster Art Contest was Boya Liu, Fairview High School in Boulder.
The winners of
the Pioneers of Science Awards were Brianna Honebein, Ward Middle
School in Ordway, grade 7 for the project Ants in Action; Dirk
Marshall, Cherry Creek Challenge School in Denver, grade 7 for the
project The Eyes Have It: Do Your Eyes Show Your Personality?;
Lizette van Zyl, Boltz Junior High School in Fort Collins, grade
8 for the project Reading in Colors; Melissa Poet, Arriba-Flagler
Public School in Flagler, grade 7 for the project Got "Acidity"
Milk? ; Tanner Dunivan, Walsh Jr/Sr High School in Walsh,
grade 7 for the project Up in Flames; Isaac Beverlin,
Dolores Middle School in Dolores, grade 6 for the project ARCHES:
Solid Rock to Windows in Time; Antonio Huizar, Quest Academy
in Dacono, grade 6 for the project Craters & Meteors: How a Meteor's
Weight Affects the Crater; Jessika Gill, Merino Jr/Sr High
School in Merino, grade 7 for the project Lend Me Your Ears!;
Kayla Boren, St. Columba School in Durango, grade 6 for the project
Burn It Up - Measuring Fuel Efficiency in Manure; Ken Garcia,
Brush Middle School in Brush, grade 8 for the project Investigating
the Magnus Effect Phenomenon; Joshua Steklac, Mackintosh
Academy in Littleton, grade 8 for the project Magnetic Levitation;
Chayenne Jackson, Merino Jr/Sr High School in Merino, grade 7
for the project Is Your Water Glowing? Water Analysis of Colorado;
Carlos Nunez, La Veta Elementary School in La Veta, grade 6 for
the project The Power Within: Conventional vs Non-Conventional Cancer
Treatment; Devon Montague, Centauri Middle School in La Jara,
grade 7 for the project Diabetes the Sweet Disease; Kaley
Kukus, Woodlin School in Woodrow, grade 7 for the project Got
Protein?; Layne McCaleb, Arickaree School in Anton, grade
6 for the project Purell, Does It Really Kill 99.9% Bacteria?;
Dayton Fisher, Yuma Middle School in Yuma, grade 6 for the project
Vary the Viscosities of Crude Oil; Andrew Haines, North
Middle School in Colorado Springs, grade 6 for the project Materials
That Can Shield Sound; Rachael Gessert, West Jefferson Middle
School in Conifer, grade 6 for the project The Science Behind CSI:
Blood Drop Patterns and Angle of Impact; and Madison Dewey,
North Middle School in Colorado Springs, grade 6 for the project Lettuce
Taste the Difference.
The winner of the
CSEF Teacher of the Year Award was Doug Steward of Monte Vista
High School in Monte Vista. Mr. Steward received a $3,000 grant to use
towards scientific research in his classroom and school.
All of the 1st
and 2nd place Junior Division category winners were nominated for the
Society for Science & the Public's Middle School Program. This year,
6 Colorado students were named as Semi-Finalists.
See
the complete list of CSEF Grand
Award winners, Special
Award winners, and Scholarship
winners or print an official 2008 Press Release.