2008 COLORADO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR

The fifty-third 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.

The 2008 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair had 24 sponsors. Sponsors included 13 Platinum Sponsors (providing over $2,500 of support), 5Gold 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.

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.

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 Pennxylvania 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 Flus 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 sixth 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.

See the complete list of CSEF Grand Award winners, Special Award winners, and Scholarship winners.