37th Annual Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair Fair Program March 7, 2018 John Paul Jones Arena University of Virginia www.vprsf.org © 1995-2018 Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair, Inc. a 501c(3) tax exempt non-profit organization Table of Contents Welcome ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 What is the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair? .................................................................................. 2 Why The Fair Is Important ............................................................................................................................. 2 Awards ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Divisions ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Categories ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Winners Advance ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Schedule of the Fair ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Sponsors ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Gold Sponsors ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Silver Sponsors ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Category Sponsors ...................................................................................................................................... 7 In Kind Sponsors ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Volunteers....................................................................................................................................................... 8 2017 Board of Directors ................................................................................................................................. 9 2017 Fair Committee ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Special Awards ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Schools .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Category Descriptions ................................................................................................................................... 19 Junior Division Projects ................................................................................................................................. 22 Senior Division Projects ................................................................................................................................ 62 For post Fair information visit our website at www.vprsf.org. 2018 Program i www.vprsf.org Congratulations to all 2018 Science Fair Participants! 2018 Program ii www.vprsf.org Welcome to the 2018 VIRGINIA PIEDMONT REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR Welcome to the 37th Annual Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair! Science has been a part of my life since the 6th grade when my model of a nuclear reactor won first prize at my elementary school science fair. That experience ignited my interest in science so much that I continued my education in the sciences through college and career, and I believe the Regional Fair has the potential to have the same effect on our region’s bright young students. A science fair is a competition in which students exhibit and demonstrate their projects to the judges and the public. The science fair serves several purposes: it stimulates in young people an active interest in science and engineering; it provides an educational experience to students in addition to the classroom through exposure to mentors, judges and the public; and it provides a forum for talented students to interact with peers with similar interests and to receive public recognition for their work. This year we invite students to share their experiences in real time using Facebook and Twitter. We hope our students’ science fair experience contributes to their decision to enter a science or engineering profession and that the relationships they forge through their Fair experience will prosper for years to come. On behalf of our organization, let me take this opportunity to congratulate all the participating students from our region. This year, over 400 students from our Region have worked diligently to prepare projects involving mathematic, scientific or engineering principles. Although certain students will be singled out for special recognition, every participating student is a winner. We would like to thank the parents and teachers of these students for their support. We know that without the guidance and encouragement of parents, and the dedication and skills of teachers and mentors, our students could not carry out their projects to successful completion. We sincerely thank our sponsors and volunteers for their support of our region’s young students. Your contributions will encourage their continued interest and involvement in the sciences and engineering and recognize their discovery and learning through competing in our Regional Science Fair. We also appreciate your attendance. Your presence confirms the importance of this event and of the educational achievements of our youth. We hope to see you here again next year. Congratulations and best of luck to all our students! Adrian Felts Fair Director 2018 Program 1 www.vprsf.org What is the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair? The Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair is an opportunity for students interested in the science and engineering fields to earn recognition and participate in an inspiring learning experience. The Fair is affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair and is open to all 6th – 12th grade students in the Piedmont Region. Students compete in their school fairs where projects are selected to participate in our Regional Fair. At our fair they are interviewed by a panel of volunteer judges who are often from a scientific or engineering field themselves. The winners are announced the evening of the Fair. Why The Fair Is Important Much more than a competition, the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair is an educational and motivating experience for the students. Your involvement as a teacher, mentor, sponsor or volunteer is an opportunity to encourage young people who have already begun to show serious interest in science and engineering. Math, science and engineering have long been identified as critical skill development areas by state and federal government. Today, China and India graduate 14 engineers for every one graduated in the USA. With your support the Fair can help inspire many of our students to pursue careers in science or engineering and keep the USA competitive internationally. Students from Piedmont Virginia representing more than thirty different schools from over a dozen school divisions are eligible. Middle School students (Junior Division) and High School students (Senior Division) are judged separately in each of 17 science and engineering categories. Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, King George, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties are in the Science Fair region. The Fair is open to students in public, private, parochial and home schools in the region. We welcome the participation of all 6th through 12th grade students in our region even when their school does not include the Fair in their science program. 2018 Program 2 www.vprsf.org 2018 Program 3 www.vprsf.org Awards Our philosophy is that all students who participate in the science fair are winners. School programs are strengthened by students doing independent projects, developing displays, having work judged by professionals, sharing similar interests with other students, competing for awards, and receiving recognition for their academic work. First, second and third place are awarded in each category and division. More than 100 special awards are presented by more than 30 organizations. Divisions Junior Division – students in grades 6 through 8 (J-series of exhibits). Senior Division – students in grades 9 through 12 (S-series of exhibits). Categories Categories in the Senior Division are in accord with ISEF categories. Categories in the Junior Division are the same as the Senior Division. Junior Division Senior Division J01 Animal Sciences S01 Animal Sciences J02 Behavioral & Social Sciences S02 Behavioral & Social Sciences J03 Biochemistry S03 Biochemistry J04 Cellular & Molecular Biology S04 Cellular & Molecular Biology J05 Chemistry S05 Chemistry J06 Computer Science S06 Computer