CRMC rewards RI students for winning science fair projects

March 24, 2008, WAKEFIELD – The RI Coastal Resources Management Council has awarded savings bonds to six Rhode Island junior, middle and high school students for their winning projects in the 2008 Amgen Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair.

This year’s science and engineering fair took place on March 15 at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick, and showcased engineering, science and environmental projects from 70 schools and students from grades 6 through 12. This year students showed a total of 476 projects, and the CRMC awarded bonds for projects ranging from water quality and public access to current hot topics like climate change and alternative energy sources.

The six students were winners of the individual science fairs at their schools; teachers are allowed to send as many as 15 winners per school. The CRMC awarded prizes in the special awards category, which allows organizations and groups to set their own criteria and choose their own winners.

In the Senior Division, for students in grades 9-12, the first place prize of a $100 savings bond from the CRMC was awarded to Emilia Raimondo from LaSalle Academy for her project, “The Unrecognized Menace in Narragansett Bay: Phosphorous Does Affect Eutrophication in Salt Water.” Krista Hoffman, also of LaSalle Academy, was awarded the second place prize of a $50 savings bond for her project, “Is There a Correlation between Current Arsenic Levels in Surface Soils and Historical Land Use in Rhode Island?” Third place and a $50 savings bond went to Diandra Verbeyst from St. Mary Academy Bay View for her project, “Too Much of a Good Thing II.” Nicole Coumoyer from Smithfield High School received honorable mention from this division for her project, “Water of the Future.”

The CRMC also awarded three savings bonds in the Junior Division for students in grades 6-8. The winner of the first place $100 savings bond was Alexia Malone Oliver from St. Philomena School for her project, “How Quickly can Oysters Clear Different Concentrations of Algae from Filtered Water?” The second place savings bond for $50 went to Nicholas Simone from St. Mary’s School for his project, “Would a Windmill be good for Johnston?” Anthony Macari, III from N.A. Ferri Middle School received third place and a $50 savings bond for his project, “Melting Away Our Future.” The honorable mention award for the junior division went to Taylor Chelo from St. Philip School for her project, “America’s Best Sand for Castles.”

The students received congratulatory letters and certificates from the CRMC, and will receive their savings bonds at the end of May. The Council has been giving out special awards for the science fair for more than 10 years.

“As part of our educational outreach, the CRMC is honored to take part in events like the science and engineering fair, which encourage students to get interested in environmental science and other science-related research,” said CRMC Chairman Michael M. Tikoian. “It is vital that we, as Rhode Islanders, provide resources and opportunities for the next generation to learn about their environment and how to manage it responsibly. It was quite evident from this year’s fair that our future is in the hands of some very intelligent and imaginative young people.”

This is the 60th year of the science fair, and the second year that Amgen has served as the title sponsor. Special awards were established as a way for local businesses and organizations to promote what they do and get students interested in science and engineering-related research.

The RI Science and Engineering Fair – which is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair – offers 15 science and engineering-related topics for students to choose from. The top two winners of the Rhode Island fair’s general awards category go on to compete in the international science fair, this year in Atlanta, Ga.