Young minds with an aptitude for science proved their hypotheses and emerged victorious in a statewide competition.
Five Thomas County Central High School students earned recognition at the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair, held March 30-April 1 at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Ashlyn Quattlebaum earned first, C’lee Kornegay earned second, Eli Kosciw received third, and Katelyn Hancock got fourth honors. Also, Kornegay earned a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award and Gretchen Turnbull won a Society for In Vitro Biology Award.
“Honors” in relation to this science fair means the project placed within a top percentage of all projects, based on number. For example, a first honor means the project was in the top 10 percent of all projects in its category.
Ashlyn Quattlebaum worked at University of West Florida last summer. She extracted and quantified capsaicin from various kinds of peppers. For her project research, she used nuclear magnetic resonance and a mass spectrometer.
“Competing amongst 500 other competitors at state level allowed me to make new friends and gain advice for my future research endeavors,” Quattlebaum said. “I am incredibly honored to be part of the top 10 percent and receive first honors. My science fair journey has given me a great experience of what research is, and I plan to conduct more research in college.”
C’lee Kornegay studied how diversity affects algal response to ocean acidification. Her inspiration for the project was the increased acidity in oceans due to higher levels of carbon dioxide. Her project tested whether a diverse collection of algae would respond differently than single algae to lowering the pH of ocean water.
“I enjoy going to state science fair because I love to look at projects that other high school students can do,” Kornegay said. “They always impress me with the unique solutions they come up with to solve real-world problems.”
Eli Kosciw’s project centered around microbial fuel cells. A newer form of clean energy, he said, it has a basic electro-chemical system in which bacteria feed off something to make an electric current. Kosciw adds none of his four judges had heard of this type of cell.
“I felt I had picked a great topic to research and study because it was little-known,” he said. “Getting third honors and placing in the top 30 percent of all projects assured that all of my hard work in to this project made it valid and scientifically significant.”
Gretchen Turnbull studied how a magnetic field affects the regeneration of planaria.
“The critique and advice the judges gave me helped me develop a better understanding of the opportunities that are ahead in my future,” she said. “They also guided me into what I can possibly do next year to strengthen my project and allow it to grow in the direction I was looking forward to.”
The Society of In Vitro Biology Award is designed “to highlight creativity,” Turnbull said.
“The award is given to honor creativity in projects related to the study of tissue, cells, tumors, and plants,” she said. “I earned the award for the creativity in my project by studying how magnetism effects the cell regeneration of planaria rather than studying how UV radiation effects the organism. In the future, I plan to study how magnetism effects tissue regeneration.”
Katelyn Hancock studied how a growth hormone (auxin based rootone) affects the development of black-eyed pea seeds.
“Completing these projects gives students a chance to experience science and answer questions of their own choosing,” TCCHS Science Department Chair Laura Kornegay said. “They learn to evaluate their own work as well as the work of others. This is an extremely important skill that will help them no matter what area they pursue for their futures.”