Winners of the 35^th Annual Loudoun County Regional Science Fair

On March 16 and 17^th, students in Loudoun County presented projects they have been working on for a majority of the year. There are many categories students are applicable for including, Behavior and Social Sciences and Cellular and Molecular Biology.

1. Akingbesote, Ngozi
   1. Award: Honorable Mention for Cellular and Molecular Biology.
   2. Project: Decreasing Fungal Pathogenicity by Breaking Disulfide Bridges in the Yap-1 Protein.
2. Begley, Anne
   1. Award: Honorable Mention for Behavioral and Social Sciences.
   2. Project: The Displacement of the Mountain People into Mental hospitals During the Creation of the Shenandoah National Park.
3. Carney, Ashley
   1. Award: Third Place in Animal Sciences.
   2. Project: Enzymatic Digestion of Cryptocaryon Irritansâ Exoskelton: A Cure for Ich
4. Megan Donovan
   1. Award: Second Place for Federal Water Quality Association Award.
   2. Award: American Meteorological Society Award (DC Chapter)
   3. Award: Ricoh Americas Corporation Award
   4. Award: U.S. Public Health Service DC COA Award – HM
5. Edwards, Austin REHAU Energy & Env Sustainability Award-HM
6. Ezera, Nnenna
   1. Award: Third place in STEM for Her Girls in Technology/Women in Technology
7. Helmann, Jacob
   1. Award: Second Place in Robotics and Intelligent Machines.
   2. Project: High-Strength Artificial Polymer Muscles.
8. Kane, Lauren
   1. Award: American Industrial Hygiene Association Award
9. Melton, Rachel
   1. Award: Honorable Mention for Earth and Environmental Science.
   2. Project: The Effect of Sea Surface Temperatures on Aggression in Sharks.
10. Nilsson, Megan
    1. Award: First place for Mathematics.
    2. Award: Aerospace Corporation Award.
    3. Project: Application of Turing Equations to the Analysis of Gastropod Pigment Production.
11. Rodriguez-Vasquez, Kelly
    1. Award: Third Place for Environmental Engineering.
    2. Project: Stabilization of Soil Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Coir Mats: A Solution for Loess Plateau Erosion
12. Solini, Grace
    1. Award: Inova Loudoun Hospital Special Award
13. Tarro, Hannah
    1. Award: LC Office of Mapping & Geographic Info
14. Jessica Wimberly
    1. Award: Second Place for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.
    2. Project: Analysis of the Phylogenetic Basis of the Evolution of Plancitoxin in Acanthaster Planci (Crown-of-Thorns Starfish)

15. Virk, Ranjit
    1. Award: S. Public Health Service DC COA Award – HM
16. Zargham, Donya
    1. Award: Second Place for Environmental Engineering,
    2. Project: Heavy-oil Displacement via Circular Capillary.

Students not in ISR, but still participated in the Competition

1. Meghna Gorrela
   1. Award: First Place for Microbiology.
   2. Project: Investigating the Bactericidal Efficiency of Different Arrangements of Nanopillars Found on Insect Wings.
2. Gravallesse, Tara-Marie
   1. Award: Geological Society of Washington
   2. Award: Keep Loudoun Beautiful Award
   3. 2^nd Place for Loudoun SWCD- Leslie W. King Award
   4. Award: First Place in Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Award
3. Jeevna Prakash
   1. Award: Second Place for Earth and Environmental Sciences.
   2. Award: NASA Earth Science Award
   3. Award: First Place for Geological Society of Washington
   4. Award: NOAA, Taking Pulse of the Planet Award
   5. Project: Combating the Algae Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay Using the Photosynthesis Inhibiting Toxin of the Bacterial Vibrio Shilonii.
4. Matthew Traenkle
   1. Award: Third Place for Plant Science.
   2. Project: Increasing of the photosynthetic Efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris Algae Using Doped Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles