Forty students participated in the Southeast Regional Science Fair, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education, on Saturday, March 1. Eleven students advance to the state competition of the Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences on April 11.
The five senior high state finalists are from Beatrice High School, with guidance from their teacher, Dr. Joan Christen: Alexis Foster, Holly Irmer, Johannes Kolm, Aaron Vogel and Jacob Wagner. Fifteen senior high projects were judged at the regional competition.
All six finalists from the junior high division are from Lux Middle School in Lincoln, with guidance from teacher Lucas Luxford: Ina Bhoopalam, Thomas Clare, Alex Petty, Andrew Voss, Kelvin Wertz and Enya Zhu. Twenty-five junior high students participated in the regional competition.
These regional winners received a gold medal and will present the results of their scientific research before a panel of judges at the annual state competition. The top 10 senior high winners at the state level are eligible to attend the American Junior Academy of Sciences meeting in Washington, D.C.
The students who advanced from the first round to the second round of the regional and received silver medals were: Khayman Bird, Hunter Cook, Allana Daubendiek and Courtney Jurgens of Beatrice High school; Keith Tran of Goodrich Middle School; Kali Dubas of Lincoln Lutheran High School; Changhui Han, Mitch Hill, Mallory Hilligoss, Carson Kasl and Reagan Rediger of Lux Middle School; Max Doty and Hannah Rohrs of North American Martyrs; and Jaicee Dalton, Corie Gleason, Joseph Gatchenko, Chaz Maschman, Parker Nagengast and Caden Rubenking of Waverly Middle School.
The Southeast Regional welcomes schools from the following Nebraska counties: Butler, Cass, Clay, Fillmore, Gage, Hamilton, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Otoe, Pawnee, Polk, Richardson, Saline, Saunders, Seward, Thayer and York.
The Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences was founded to promote scientific interest in the youth of Nebraska.
To participate in next year’s regional fair, please go to: http://go.unl.edu/sciencefair.