Joyner will recognize science fair award winners

Superintendent of Schools, Dr Joseph Joyner, will recognize several St Johns County students who received awards at the 57th Annual State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida during the May 15 School Board meeting, according to an announcement received by Historic City News.

The competitive event, held in Lakeland April 3 – 5, selected seven students in the Senior Division to receive awards.

Caroline Snowden of Ponte Vedra High School won first place in the Medicine and Health division for her project entitled “The Association Between Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Psoriasis: Examining a Common Biology of Hyperlymphoproliferative Disorders.” She received $150 in cash awards and was nominated to receive a $10,000 scholarship per year from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Joseph W. Paul III of PVHS placed second in the same category with his project entitled “Depletion of pgrn-1 Induces Cleavage of Exogenous Human TAR DNA Binding Protein-43 in C Elegans.” Joseph will also represent St. Johns County at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, PA on May 13-18.

Maya Goldman from PVHS placed third in the Environmental Sciences division; Kurt Hennigar from St. Johns Virtual School was entered in the Computer Science division and received $250 from the Robert and Judy Kryger Family, a $100 Savings Bond and a Silver Medallion for Excellence from the United States Army.

Alexa Burch from PVHS received an honorable mention and $100 from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Florida Section.

David DiMare from Pedro Menendez High School received recognition and $250 from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Florida Section.

Lucinda Ford from PVHS received recognition in the Biochemistry division.

Nine students in the Junior Division were also recognized at the science fair.

Harrison Snowden from Landrum Middle School was awarded first place in the Zoology division for his project entitled, “Assessing the Effects of Artificial Sweeteners on Drosophila Melongaster” and received $100 Florida Association of Science Supervisors as well as a nomination to compete in the National Broadcom MASTERS Competition for middle school.

Adam Snowden received second place and Perry Bechtle III received third place in the Engineering division. Both students attend Landrum Middle School.

Third place in the Environmental Sciences division went to James Carpenter from Fruit Cove Middle School.

Ava and Audrey DuBose from FCMS received third place in the Medicine and Health division for their team project.

Wilson Erickson from LMS received fourth place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences division.

In the Physics and Astronomy division, Dylan Tovey from R. J. Murray Middle School received an honorable mention and Kaitlin Haines from Liberty Pines Academy received recognition for her project.

All 67 Florida counties are represented by 37 regional fairs at the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida. This year, 925 finalists from the regional fairs presented 865 team and individual projects for competition at the state science fair. Fifty-three percent of the 21 St. Johns County projects competing at the state level won awards or recognition.

Mark Lewis and Marna Fox, program specialists for elementary and secondary science, served as the River Region East science fair co-directors; and Pat Gay, executive secretary for Instructional Services, served as logistical coordinator.