CRMC rewards RI students for science fair projects

April 11, 2011, 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 2011 Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair.

This year’s science and engineering fair took place on March 26 at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick, and showcased engineering, science and environmental projects from 50 schools and more than 360 students from grades 6 through 12. This year students showed a total of 336 projects, and the CRMC awarded bonds for projects ranging from acid salt water impacts on mussel shell mass, tidal turbines and garden rooftops to oil spill remediation, hurricanes and tsunami protection barriers.

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 Fiona Paine of Barrington High School for her project, “Sustainable Solution to Oil Spill Remediation.” Olivia Phillips of Mount Hope High School was awarded the second place prize of a $50 savings bond for her project, “Warmer Sea Temperatures and the Effects on Hurricane Strength.” Third place and a $50 savings bond went to Nick Murgo of Mount Hope High School for his project, “The Crude Killer.”

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 Emily Gleason from Saint Philomena School for her project, “The Effects of Acidified Salt Water on the Mass of Mussel Shells.” The second place savings bond for $50 went to Jennifer Yates, also from Saint Philomena School, for her project, “Is the area underneath the Sakonnet River Bridge in Tiverton, RI a good place for a tidal turbine?” Thomas Pawlitschek of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy received third place and a $50 savings bond for his project, “Gardens on Rooftops: How cool are they?”

The students received 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 a decade.

“The CRMC is honored to continue in judging the projects at the Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair,” said CRMC Chairman Michael M. Tikoian. “It is so important for students to get excited about science and related fields, and to learn about their environment and how to manage it responsibly. Each year the students participating in the fair amaze us with their grasp of local and national environmental and engineering issues and concepts.”

This is the 63rd year of the science fair. 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.