PIQUA — One-hundred-sixty-five students from Miami, Darke, Shelby and Champaign counties competed in the Ohio Academy of Science Upper Miami Valley District Science Day at Edison State Community College in Piqua, March 11.
Students exhibited projects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Science Day (Fair) program has been in Ohio since the 1940s. Students who complete and present a science or engineering project at a local science fair in their school or at a county event may qualify to compete at the district level. Ohio now has 17 districts, the newest of which is the Upper Miami Valley District.
This was the second year for the event, and student participation increased by 40 percent. Almost $3,400 was distributed in awards, provided by area sponsors.
All Upper Miami Valley students who received a superior rating at their respective local or county Science Days in February were eligible to compete during the district Science Day.
Local students participating and receiving superior ratings were as follows:
Anna High School: Nathan Osborne, Lucas Huber, Kyle Christman, Jane Homans, Ally Cisco, Bradley Axe, Briana Fanaff, Courtney Hollenbacher.
Holy Angels Catholic School: Emma Westerheide, Angelieh Behr.
Lehman Catholic High School: Abigail Jones, Megan Neumeier, Angela Brunner, Maegan Titterington, Ann Deafenbaugh, Hailey Wick, Hope Anthony, William Hoersten, Melanie Brunner, Lyndsey Jones, Alanna O’Leary, Brendan O’Leary, Isaiah Winhoven, Mikey Rossman, John-Henry Frantz.
Versailles High School: James McClure, Ben Davis, Morgan Heitkamp, Alec Barga.
Local students presented with special awards were Nathan Osborne, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Award in Mechanical Engineering; Abigail Jones, Southwest Ohio Water Environmental Association and Edison State Community College Scholarship; Megan Neumeier, Fresh Eyes Editing Award for Outstanding Biomedical Research.
Sponsored category awards included the following: Chemistry, Maegan Titterington; Medicine & Health Sciences — Premier Health, Megan Neumeier; Microbiology, James McClure; Zoology—Tipp City Veterinary Hospital, Angela Brunner; and Award for Best Abstract—Fresh Eyes Editing, Sheila Cherry, PhD, to Brianna Fanaff.
All of the projects receiving superior ratings in the Upper Miami Valley District Science Day will proceed to the state Science Day at the Ohio State University in Columbus, May 13, where over $1 million in scholarships and special awards will be presented.
Those receiving excellent ratings were Lehman students: Mehak Kaur, Lauren McFarland, Yutong Shi, Kaija Steward, Madelyn Wiseman and Sophia Flood.
