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VIRTUAL FAIRFEBRUARY 13-19, 2021
Action / ReactionRochester Regional Science & Engineering Virtual Fair2021Project and Paper PresentationsFebruary 17-18, 2021Awards CeremonyFebruary 19, 2020 at 6 PMwww.rochesterce.org/enrichment/youth/rrsef facebook.com/RochRSEFRochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair Est. 1957
1Action / ReactionRochester Regional Science & Engineering Virtual Fair2021Project and Paper PresentationsFebruary 17-18, 2021Awards CeremonyFebruary 19, 2020 at 6 PMwww.rochesterce.org/enrichment/youth/rrsef facebook.com/RochRSEFRochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair Est. 1957Rochester Regional Science & Engineering FairNorthrop Community Educaon Center201 8th Street NW • Rochester, Minnesota 55901-6820February 2021Dear Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair Participants,Welcome to the 63nd Annual Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair! As a participant in the Science and Engineering Fair, you follow in a long tradition of student and community engagement in the elds of science and engineering. Your projects and papers show that you are making tomorrow matter today, and we are so excited to see all of your hard work showcased at this event.The Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair is one of eight regional science fairs held each year in Minnesota. This year the Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair will advance ve high school research papers to the Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium and forty projects to the Minnesota Academy of Science State Science and Engineering Fair. Both events will be held virtually March 22 through April 2, 2021. Two outstanding high school projects will also be selected to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) being held virtually the week of May 9-14, 2021.We are fortunate again this year to partner with GATEway, Rochester’s chapter of the Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented, to handle donations for awards and prizes. This year, we received nearly $6,000 from various community groups, local businesses, and individuals who provided operating support for this year’s event, not to mention considerable gifts this year for student awards and prizes. We also received $4,000 from the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair to help defray costs of this year’s virtual event. Without such generous support from our community, the Rochester Regional Science and Engineering Fair simply would not be possible.Special thanks to the parents, teachers, and community members who have given their time to work with students, helping them with projects as mentors or serving as volunteers and judges for the fair. The virtual fair was so different from other years, and those who were in the background helping students manage paperwork and technology alongside scientic research deserve a hearty round of applause. I would also like to thank Dr. Maria Lapid for her tireless leadership of the Scientic Review Committee. With her guidance, we were able to review over 30 projects this fall and over 100 projects prior to the Fair to ensure they completed the necessary paperwork to qualify for competition. Special thanks are also due to Amanda Garcia and the entire Community Education Ofce, who work diligently to help keep our Fair running.Sincerely, Lisa HiggsFair DirectorCommunity Education
2LETTER FROM THE 2021 SRC/IRB CHAIRWelcome to the 63rd Annual Rochester Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and our rst ever virtual science fair for Rochester. It is such an exciting time, and you are all making history!We all have felt the impact of COVID-19 one year into the pandemic, however the challenges have provided us wonderful opportunities to adapt, innovate, and maintain our yearly science fair. This year we are learning how to conduct the fair virtually, and we are taking notes for enhancements for next year. And yes, we are already starting to plan for RRSEF 2022 so stay tuned for next year’s dates.Despite all the changes in this pandemic life, the RRSEF mission has remained a constant, which is to provide an opportunity for students in the Rochester Public Schools and Rochester area to conduct and present STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) research. Our goal is to get students interested in science and engineering, learn and appreciate science, and hopefully also nd science inspiring.In the past year we have had number of accomplishments that indicate we are meeting our goals. We have seen an increase in student participation from more schools this year. There is an increased interest in science among students from schools that have programs funded by the state thru the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant. There are many teachers, community members, Mayo Clinic scientists, and RRSEF alums who have actively created mentoring programs for students to conduct science projects. We have been fortunate to receive a grant from ISEF this year to help with science fair costs, and last year the Mayo Clinic Community Contributions Program to support our community-based youth enrichment program. This year, we also welcome students from the Southeast Region who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate in a regional science fair.Of course, in order to make the RRSEF possible, it takes a village! We are grateful to all individuals, groups, communities, and sponsors for making it possible for our students to have a science fair. This includes the Rochester Community Education staff, Rochester Public Schools teachers and staff, Mayo Clinic scientists and staff, volunteer scientic reviewers and judges, and many other volunteers. Ms. Lisa Higgs, our fearless Science Fair Director, keeps us all on the right track and moving forward.And lastly and most importantly, the science fair would not exist without the students. So students, congratulations to all of you! You have all worked so hard, and we wish you the best. We also thank your parents and adult sponsors for helping you get to the RRSEF. It will be a great event, and we are excited to see you soon! Sincerely,Maria I. Lapid, M.D.RRSEF SRC/IRB Chair
3PARTICIPANTSANIMAL SCIENCESMS-ANIM-039: Does Age of a Dog Affect Object Permanence Ella Brinkman Friedell Middle School – 6th grade BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCESMS-BEHA-010: Does Age Affect MemorySrinidhi BabuFriedell Middle School – 7th grade MS-BEHA-024: Do more men or women experience pareidolia?Aurora Blas & Emily DayJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-BEHA-105: How does xylene affect the stress level of a zebrash?Lucas DoLincoln K-8 – 8th grade MS-BEHA-041: How does music affect memory?Stella HaakensonFriedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-BEHA-027: Social Media Causing and Worsening Anxiety and StressPaige HershbergerJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-BEHA-006: Project PortionIsy KohlerFriedell Middle School – 7th grade MS-BEHA-014: How Ya Doin’? with COVID-19Tiffany KungFriedell Middle School – 7th grade MS-BEHA-034: Gender and MemoryLillian Scurlock Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-BEHA-043: Studying the Impact of Facial Cues and Expressions on Others Emotions Farrah Shawki Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-BEHA-036: The Effects of Exercise on MemoryNisha WetterKellogg Middle School – 8th grade HS-BEHA-060: Level of Visual Imagery Among Various High School ActivitiesCaroline CardenasShattuck-St. Mary’s School – 12th grade HS-BEHA-013: A survey to understand whether self-reported resilience protective factors are related to views and attitudes toward the policeJames KungMayo High School – 12th grade HS-BEHA-074: Investigating Dreaming in non-REM sleepSiyoung LeeShattuck-St. Mary’s School – 12th grade BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRYMS-CHEM-095: The Speed of Lactose Digestion Karthik AnandKellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-CHEM-040: Can you take microplastics out of water?Mitansh Bansal John Adams Middle School – 7th grade MS-CHEM-092: Substituting and Modifying CookiesHope BerseBluffview Montesori – 7th grade MS-CHEM-033: Which brand of toothpaste kills the most bacteria in the human mouth.Elizabeth BeyderFriedell Middle School – 7th grade MS-CHEM-042: Soaking RiceBrianna Farmer, Kensley Thaler & Julia Walters John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-CHEM-009: Are Water Clarity and Water Quality Related?Addy Feenstra, Maggie Rubin & Taylor SkaerJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-CHEM-077: Soda ExplosionRyan Fridlund & Daelyn WilliamsJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-CHEM-031: What food helps stop spice the best?Krishna KadirvelKellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-CHEM-097: Health Benets and pH levelMahadev KrishnanKellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-CHEM-047: Vinegar ReactionsLillian LetourneautFriedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-CHEM-082: What is the best at removing rust?Tahe LiuWillow Creek Middle School - 6th grade
4MS-CHEM-094: The Effect of Fat Content on Ice Cream Melt RateJillian MaconBluffview Montesori – 8th grade MS-CHEM-012: Mold and FoodRick Ivan MamarilJohn Adams Middle School – 6th grade MS-CHEM-087: Can Baking Soda Substitute for Baking Powder?Keeli MeyerBluffview Montesori – 8th grade MS-CHEM-079: Effects of Osmosis on Gummy BearsEmerson SheggebyJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-CHEM-030 Elizabeth Thompson: Can Baking Soda Substitute for Baking Powder in a Recipe?John Adams Middle School – 8th grade BIOINFORMATICS, MATHEMATICS, AND SYSTEMS SOFTWAREMS-BMS-089: Investigating the Correlation between Population Density and Coronavirus CasesEmily Ma Kellogg Middle School – 8th grade HS-BMS-062: Cross-Cultural Interpersonal Distance Preferences and Covid-19 Case FrequencyGwen Eichfeld Shattuck-St. Mary’s School – 12th grade HS-BMS-090: Enhancing Precision Medicine: Developing a Computational Tool to Identify Treatment Candidates for Carcinogenic Mutations.Margaret Hu & Jenny YanCentury High School – 11th grade BIOLOGY: CELLULAR, MOLECULAR, MICROMS-BIO-023: Do nano-crystals applied to high touch surfaces kill bacteria? Tej Bhagra Friedell Middle School – 7th grade MS-BIO-019: Genetically Engineer E. Coli CellsRathan Duggirala Friedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-BIO-108: Microorganisms vs. Metal Anders Gulbranson Kellogg Middle School – 6th grade MS-BIO-032: Effects on Sanitization on Microbial GrowthMaggie Huebert Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-BIO-106: How’s it Growing? Chase VanFossen Bluffview Montesori 8 MS-BIO-020: What’s on your mask? Rosetta Walker Friedell Middle School – 6th grade BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCEMS-BMED-104: Is Omnipresent Xylene Carcinogenic?Aisharya Bhattacharya & Amelia CalderonLincoln K-8 8 Is Omnipresent Xylene Carcinogenic?MS-BMED-083: How are type one and type two Diabetes different?Paige Cardwell John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-BMED-016: Does The Amount of Soap Affect the Outcome of Handwashing?Elizabeth Chadwick John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-BMED-059: Bread Mold Ella Feenstra & Paige GroslieJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-BMED-084: Wear a Mask, Save a Life Ammaar Rizvi Friedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-BMED-044: Morning Vs Evening Exercise – Heart Rate IntensityShourya Toshniwal Willow Creek Middle School – 6th grade MS-BMED-088: Does sugar erode your teeth? Eric Yang Kellogg Middle School – 8th grade HS-BMED-071: Does cleaning door handles helpSichu Chen Shattuck-St. Mary’s School – 12th grade HS-BMED-046: Menopause and its health implications: the experiences and perceptions of midlife women Isha Kapoor Mayo High School – 9th grade HS-BMED-063: Difference in Neuromuscular Control Between Female Soccer and Hockey PlayersMichelle Nutescu Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Fairibault – 12th grade HS-BMED-045: Cure of Breast Cancer - Year 4: First Discovery of New Target Therapy for Aggressive Hormonal Breast Cancer using Clinical Database and 3D ModelChristine Song Mayo High School – 10th grade HS-BMED-065: Investigating Whether the Increased Presence of Gamma and Theta Waves Predicts Recall in Teenagers Rubye Strickland Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Fairibault – 12th grade HS-BMED-051: The Development of a Rapid, Scalable, and Low-cost Home Test Kit for COVID-19 Richard Xiong Century High School – 11th grade
5BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICAL SCIENCEMS-BET-091: Fabric Face Off Clare Fogelson Friedell Middle School – 7th grade HS-BET-061 David Kim Shattuck-St. Mary’s School – 12th grade EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEMS-EAEV-072: What do crystals tell us about the ocean oor? Hailey Armstrong John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-EAEV-054: Water Dams QualityVennela Doppalapudi & Seetaram MuguJohn Adams Middle School – 6th grade MS-EAEV-022: Plant MazeAllan Grunwald & Keyan O’ConnorJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade HS-EAEV-085: Effect of Topography on Tornado Formation Jacob Guenther Cochrane Fountain City – 11th grade MS-EAEV-066: Simple Deicers Saabir Mohamed John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-EAEV-078: Survey of Rochester Topsoil Depths: Effects of Locations and Use Ben Weingarten Friedell Middle School – 8th grade MS-EAEV-057: Hot and SaltyElise Weingarten Friedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-EAEV-076: How do pesticides affect plants Quinn Williams Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade MS-EAEV-073: Does water affect mushrooms? Kashia Yang John Adams Middle School – 8th grade HS-EAEV-069: The Effect of Microplastics on Radish Growth Hans Xu Century High School – 11th grade ENERGY: SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND DESIGNMS-EGSD-096: Impact of Virtual Learning on Home Energy UseAvalynn Arnold Patterson Kellogg Middle School – 6th grade MS-EGSD-067: Black or White Roof at John Adams?Brock Clarey, Peyton Eckhoff & Jaxsen FlattJohn Adams Middle School – 8th grade HS-EGSD-093: Triboelectric NanogeneratorNathan Dietz Chateld – 12th grade ENGINEERING: MECHANICS AND ENVIRONMENTALMS-ENG-055: Airfoil Efciency Annika Bartucz Kellogg Middle School – 8th grade MS-ENG-058: Using Probability to Optimize the Chances of Drawing a Good Hand in Magic: The Gathering Gus Wiedenman Friedell Middle School – 7th grade HS-ENG-035: The Automation of Shinkei jimeTanmay Iyer & Ian SeremetMayo High School – 11th grade HS-ENG-086: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: The Development of an Innovative, Reusable, and Energy-Efcient Filter for Microplastics Created Through Tire Wear Jennifer Oettinger Mayo High School – 12th grade
6MATERIALS SCIENCEMS-MATS-028: Rethink Your Drink Claire Bogenrief, Maya Mack & Ella Simmons-GaylesJohn Adams Middle School 8 MS-MATS-110: How do I make caramel stick to apple esh?Elizabeth Petersen Kellogg Middle School – 8th grade MS-MATS-099: My Hair Project - Diameter, Elasticity, and Hair-Care Products Susannah Petersen Kellogg Middle School – 6th grade MS-MATS-017: What’s The Best Affordable Paper For Art? Txujci Yaj John Adams Middle School – 8th grade PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY MS-PHYS-056: Project Paper Planes Tyler Ackman John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-PHYS-048: Tennis at TemperatureBergen Jacob Friedell Middle School – 6th grade MS-PHYS-098: Eggs Under Pressure: Implications for the Physics of Black Holes Eliot Zastrow Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade PLANT SCIENCESMS-PLNT-015: Sunlight / UV light effects on plant growth Owen Franken John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-PLNT-070: Cacao Sequencing and Pathogens Tennyson Fuhrer John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-PLNT-053: How well plants grow under different light sources Kara Koch John Adams Middle School – 8th grade MS-PLNT-052: Effects of Coffee on Plant Growth Ruby Lewis Kellogg Middle School – 8th grade MS-PLNT-050: How to ripen avocados with apples.Mohamad Ali Meroueh John Adams Middle School – 6th grade MS-PLNT-015: Sunlight / UV light effects on plant growthMinh Nguyen John Adams Middle School – 8th gradeMS-PLNT-100: Green Bean Grow Erica Ruppert Bluffview Montesori – 8th grade ROBOTICS AND INTELLIGENT MACHINESMS-ROBO-111: Python Edge DetectionPranavagurubaran Senthilkumar Kellogg Middle School – 7th grade HS-ROBO-102: A Novel Deep Learning Approach for Low Cost Mobile Diagnosis of Diabetic RetinopathyPramod Anandarao John Marshall High School – 11th grade HS-ROBO-101: Autoplay onwards: Musical Genre Classication using Deep LearningStephen Wu Century High School – 12th grade
7AWARDSRIBBONS AND CATEGORY AWARDSEach participant receives a participation ribbon at the conclusion of judging. Purple ribbons are awarded to students selected to attend the Minnesota Academy of Science State Science and Engineering Fair. The top project from each category will receive a medal and a $25 Visa gift card. Honorable mention certificates will be given in categories with a large number of projects.LOCAL AWARDSDirector’s Outstanding Service Award(Certicate) Gr. 12For Consistent Contributions as a Volunteer to the Rochester Regional Science and Engineering FairEntrepreneurial Excellence AwardSponsored by ONB(Certicate, $100) Gr. 6-12Outstanding Middle School Project and High School Project with Most Potential to Become a BusinessFriedell Middle School Promise Awards(Certicate, $25) Gr. 6-8Two Awards for Middle School Students Who Show Diligence and Great Promise in STEM FieldsJohn Adams Middle School Promise Awards(Certicate, $25) Gr. 6-8Two Awards for Middle School Students Who Show Diligence and Great Promise in STEM FieldsKellogg Middle School Promise Awards(Certicate, $25) Gr. 6-8Two Awards for Middle School Students Who Show Diligence and Great Promise in STEM FieldsLincoln K-8 School Promise Awards(Certicate, $25) Gr. 6-8Two Awards for Middle School Students Who Show Diligence and Great Promise in STEM FieldsMost Promising New Scientist AwardSponsored by Annie Sun(Certicate, $75 for Top 11th grader; $100 for Top $12th grader) Gr. 11-12Top 11th and 12th Grade Projects that Demonstrate Promise in a Future Scientic CareerOutstanding First Year ProjectSponsored by Annie Sun(Certicate, $50) Gr. 6-12First Time Participant Award for Middle School and High SchoolOutstanding Statistical AnalysisSponsored by Rich & Kathy Diedrich(Certicate, $150) Gr. 6-8Best Statistical Analysis for a Middle School ProjectOsman Elfadil Award for an Aspiring ScientistSponsored by Osman Mohamed Elfadil(Certicate, $100) Gr. 6-12Outstanding Scientic Project in Biology, Health, Environmental or Social SciencesWillow Creek Middle School Promise Awards(Certicate, $25) Gr. 6-8Two Awards for Middle School Students Who Show Diligence and Great Promise in STEM FieldsYoung Skeptics AwardSponsored by Rochester Area Freethinkers(Certicate, $150) Gr. 9-12(Certicate, $75) Gr. 6-8Outstanding Application of Critical Thinking and Skeptical Inquiry for Middle School and High SchoolZumbro Valley Audubon Environmental AwardSponsored by Zumbro Valley Audubon(Certicate, $50) Gr. 9-12Outstanding High School Project in Earth and Environmental Sciences
8REGIONAL AWARDSAmerican Meteorological Society(Certicate) Gr. 9-12Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in an Atmospheric Science ExhibitAmerican Psychological Association(Certicate) Gr. 6-12Outstanding Research in Psychology in the Category of Behavioral & Social SciencesASM Materials Education Foundation(Certicate) Gr. 6-12Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials ScienceAssociation for Women Geoscientists(Certicate) Female Gr. 6-12Female Student with High Standards of Innovative Scientic Excellence in the GeosciencesNASA EARTH System Science Award(Certicate) Gr. 6-12Project with the Greatest Insight into Earth’s Interconnected SystemsNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award(Certicate & Medallion) Gr. 6-12Project that Demonstrates Principles and Technical Innovations with Greatest Potential to Improve Understanding of Earth’s Dynamic ProcessesRicoh Americas Corporation: Sustainable Development Award(Certicate) Gr. 6-12Project that Demonstrates Principles and Technical Innovations with Greatest Potential for Sustainable DevelopmentSociety for In Vitro Biology(Certicate) Gr. 11Outstanding Project in the Area of Plant or Animal In Vitro Biology or Tissue CultureStockholm Junior Water Prize(Certicate, Nomination for State SJWP Competition) Gr. 9-12Project Related to Water Quality, Water Resource Management, Water Protection, Water Treatment, or Wastewater TreatmentU.S. Metric Association(Certicate) Gr. 6-12Best Use of The International System of Units (SI)Yale Science and Engineering Association(Certicate) Gr. 11Outstanding Exhibit in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or ChemistryPAPER AWARDSOutstanding First Year PaperSponsored by Annie Sun(Certicate, $50) Gr. 6-12First Time Participant Award for Middle School and High School Research PapersOutstanding Scientific Writing Award(Certicate, $50) Gr. 6-12Top Middle and High School Research Paper
9STATE AWARDSTwenty middle schoolers and twenty high schoolers will be nominated to the Minnesota Academy of Science State Science and Engineering Fair to be held virtually March 22 through April 2, 2021. Each project winner receives a purple State Finalist rosette ribbon.High School Research PapersUp to 5 research papers will advance to the North Central Regional Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium to be held virtually March 22 through April 2, 2021. NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDSBroadcom MASTERS(Certicate) Gr. 6-8Top 10% of middle school participants are eligible to complete an online application for an opportunity to compete for valuable awards and a trip to Washington, DC for the nals.Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair(Trophy, Trip) Gr. 9-12Project winners (up to 2) will advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held virtually May 9-14, 2021. The Lemelson Early Inventor Prize ($100) Gr. 6-8The Lemelson Early Inventor Prize is being offered to 270 ISEF-afliated fairs that also award the Broadcom MASTERS nominations.
10MENTORSMAYO CLINIC GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORSCJ Prestegard of the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences collaborated with RRSEF Director Lisa Higgs and Ms. Debra Las of John Adams Middle School to oer an afterschool mentorship opportunity for students interested in STEM. With the help of Paige Arneson, mentorship guides were created for this pilot program, and mentors met with the students every other week (virtually) to help students focus on how to design a project, from hypotheses to procedures and data analysis. The program was originally designed to last from October to December, but the mentors developed such a great connection with the middle schoolers, most stayed through January to help the students get their projects finished. This program has engaged students in STEM that may have otherwise been discouraged, and certainly that would not have been possible without the involvement of Ms. Las, who inspired the students every week and kept up positive energy, even though we had all our meetings virtually. Paige ArnesonPh.D. StudentWhile science is an incredibly fulfilling career, it can also be frustrating, no matter what stage of your science journey you are on. Helping the middle schoolers work through their scientific hiccups and witness their progress has reminded me of the joys of science and left me feeling refreshed to do my own science. Cody FisherPh.D. Student Attending and participating in science fairs while I was in school taught me about the scientific method and seeded my love for science. Now that I am following a scientific career, it is an honor to be able to help mentor students in the same way that I was when I was in their shoes. Sydney Hillan Ph.D. StudentGrowing up my only science role models were my science teachers and Bill Nye. I know it would have been incredibly helpful to me to have more role models closer to my age to get a better understanding of what it is really like to be a scientist, so getting involved in mentoring has always been a priority to me!Shafiq ShaikhPh.D. StudentMentoring kids in their respective STEM project is my way of contributing to science education. It is also very gratifying to see kids thinking about their respective science projects and come up with ideas or possible solution to their problems. Additional Mentors from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences include:Taylor Levee, Brooke Paradise, and Stephanie Zawada.
11ORACULI ALUMNI MENTORSCo-founders: Annie Sun, David Jiang, Marcus GomezOraculi was founded with a mission to inspire and foster the next generation of scientists, engineers, and thinkers. We are a STEM mentorship organization, pairing young professionals with middle-school students interested in research and scientific inquiry. Over the past few months, students met weekly with a STEM mentor who guided them through the science research process, supporting them in brainstorming, designing, and conducting their science project.Sahil ChhuganiSoftware EngineerApruveGrowing up, science fair was one of the ways I could express my scientific interests in a more applied setting. Involvement with experimentation and the process of trial and error taught me the values of persevering, being fastidious, and flexible when things don’t go perfectly. Above all, science fair lead me to memorable experiences with friends, showing me that learning and sharing knowledge about unique topics with your peers can be so much fun! As a mentor, I would like to create these memories for my fellow science lovers. David CoventryAerospace Software EngineerThe MathWorks, Inc.Getting the next generation of engineers and scientists excited about the future and seeing them start to ask tough questions is the best part about being a mentor. Early exposure to the scientific process like these science fairs helped me become the engineer I am today. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to help others like me reach their fullest potential.Avery DriscollResearch assistant, plant ecologyUniversity of UtahScience fair mentoring fosters inclusivity, creativity, and fun in science.Lisa FuSoftware EngineerGoogleI’m so thankful for the opportunity to be able to give back to my hometown and science fair community. Science fair has made a tremendous impact on my academic and career decisions, by helping me decide where I want to be and teaching me valuable life/technical skills. This year, being a mentor has proven rewarding on numerous levels, from being a tangible part of a student’s growth to learning with them through inquiry and exploration.
12Yugene GuoUndergraduate StudentUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesTo me, mentoring is a way of me passing forward the help I’ve gotten from all the mentors in my life when I was a budding scientist (still am, really). I like to think I’m continuing one big chain of mentorship that encourages who-knows-how many people to become scientists in the future.David JiangAssociate Health Services AnalystMayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care DeliveryScientific inquiry and reasoning are the key fundamentals that constructed everything we have today. Having the opportunity to teach the next generation of young Americans how to think scientifically is a truly a great honor.Andrea LiPathologists’ Assistant StudentEastern Virginia Medical SchoolI love that I get the chance to revisit the feeling of not knowing the breadth and depth of scientific writing, while being able to teach aspects of that writing to someone else. It’s super cool to see our mentees learning and utilizing concepts I didn’t even fully grasp at their age.Annie SunAssociate ConsultantL.E.K ConsultingGetting the amazing opportunity to inspire and support the scientists and engineers of tomorrow!Additional Oraculi Mentors include: Mohamed Addani, Roshini Asirvatham, Neehar Banerjee, Rachel Geroux, Marcus Gomez, Gavin Mai, Sachchit Murali, Kenwyn Shriner, and Ishtpreet Singh.
13PAST ISEF FINALISTS1957 Los AngelesJohn Emmett Jr. (Rochester Senior) 1959 HarfordGeorge Hallenbeck, Jr. (John Marshall) 1960 IndianapolisRobert Barker (John Marshall) 1961 Kansas CityJohnathan Grindley (John Marshall) 1962 SeattleJohn Rome (John Marshall) 1968 DetroitJames Shultz (Mayo)Robert Atwood (John Marshall) 1971 Kansas CityJeffrey Moran (Mayo)William Gedge (John Marshall) 1973 San DiegoWilliam Gedge (John Marshall) 1974 Notre DameMichael Brown (Mayo)Carl Taswell (Mayo) 1975 Oklahoma CityCindy Johnson (Mayo) 1976 DenverJames Bowie (Mayo) 1977 ClevelandDavid Bowles (Mayo) 1978 Orange County Delano Freeberg (Mayo) 1979 San AntonioSamual Pfaff (John Marshall) 1980 St. PaulJon Callies (Mayo)Kevin Gorman (Mayo) 1981 MilwaukeeBrian MacGregor (Kellogg)Silva Leonard (Mayo)Nathaniel Larson (Kellogg) 1982 HoustonSilva Leonard (Mayo)Nathanial Larson (John Marshall) 1983 AlbuquerqueScott Clough (John Marshall) 1984 ColumbusLorrie Sheets (John Marshall) 1985 Shreveport/BossierScott Evans (Mayo)1986 Fort WorthKathryn Feldt (Mayo)Charles Li (John Marshall) 1987 San JuanPamela Brindley (Mayo)Jason Felsch (John Marshall)Robert Rossi (John Marshall)1988 KnoxvilleJason Felsch (John Marshall)Brian Adair (John Marshall)Scott Thede (Mayo)Sameer Srivastava (John Marshall) 1989 PittsburghPeter Mucha (Mayo)Matthew Reuer (John Marshall)Michael Thompson (Mayo) 1990 TulsaJeffrey Henderson (Mayo)Matthew Reuer (John Marshall) 1991 OrlandoBryce Nelson (John Marshall)Laurie Adam (John Marshall)Katherine Hoag (Mayo)1992 NashvilleRobert Bunge (John Marshall)Robert Fix (Mayo) 1993 Mississippi BeachJennifer Rand (Mayo)Evan Reed (John Marshall)1994 BirminghamPeter Shen (Mayo)Evan Reed (John Marshall) 1995 Hamilton, OntarioPeter Shenn (Mayo)Misha Dewan (John Marshall) 1996 TucsonSarah Bradley (Mayo)Robin Shumway (Mayo) 1997 LouisvilleEster Rodriguez (Mayo)William Greenleaf (Mayo) 1998 Fort WorthLianne Habinek (Mayo)Daniel Bahr (Mayo) 1999 PhiladelphiaZhang Pan (Century)Justin Palmen (Mayo)
142000 DetroitZhang Pan (Century)Brandon Palmen (Mayo)2001 San JoseJonathan Schwartz (Mayo)Brandon Palmen (Mayo) 2002 LouisvilleHa Lu (John Marshall)Brandon Palmer (Mayo) 2003 ClevelandMichael Diedrich (Century)Christopher Lust (Century)Rahal Suresh (John Marshall) 2004 PortlandKristina Johnson (Mayo)Patrick Grogan (Century)Paul Schwingler (Century)2005 PhoenixKristina Johnson (Mayo)Nicole Ward (Century) 2006 IndianapolisJames Hanson (Century)Robert Manduca (Century)Alyssa Edlund (John Marshall)Elizabeth Sullivan (John Marshall) 2007 AlbuquerqueAlex Diedrich (Century)Hillary Topazian (Century) 2008 AtlantaJames Hanson (Century)Catharine Ishitani (Mayo) 2009 RenoRaghav Chandra Catherine Ishitani (Mayo) 2010 San JoseKate Geschwind (Mayo)Cathryn Manduca (Century)Spencer Berglund (Mayo)David Campeau (Mayo) 2011 Los AngelesKate Geschwind (Mayo)Riya Madan (Century)Xiugi Cao (Century)Ying Xiong (Century)David Campeau (Mayo)Michael Zaiken (Century) 2012 PittsburghSpencer Berglund (Mayo)David Campeau (Mayo)Lisa Fu (John Marshall)Ying Xiong (Century)Garvin Mai (Century)Marcus Gomez (Century) 2013 PhoenixMarcus Gomez (Century)Alana Bram (John Marshall)Lisa Fu (John Marshall)Michelle Campeau (Mayo) 2014 Los AngelesAlanna Bram (John Marshall)Robert Kitaoka (Mayo)Andrea Peterson (Mayo) 2015 PittsburghMichelle Campeau (Mayo) Annie Sun (Mayo) Roshini Asirvatham (Century) Jason Tri (Century) 2016 PhoenixYuxuan Geng (Mayo) Robert Kitaoka (Mayo) 2017 Los Angeles Gaurav Behera (Century) Hemanth Asirvatham (Century) 2018 Pittsburgh Gaurav Behera (Century) Michelle Mai (Century) 2019 Daniel Fleury (John Marshall) Meredith Kottom (Schaeffer Academy) 2020 Hemanth Asirvatham (Century) Andrew Cao (Century) Christine Song (Mayo) Benjamin Yan (Century)
15CONTRIBUTORSThank you to the following individuals, organizations, and businesses for contributing operational and awards funding for the 2020 Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair.78PtPlatinum Contributors ($2000+)Anonymous ONB Bank79AuGold Contributors ($1000+)Anonymous IBM Corporation Olmsted Medical Center 47AgSilver Contributors ($500+) Mayo Foundation Chapter of Sigma Xi Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. Rochester Commercial Banks AssociationAnnie Sun 28NiNickel Contributors ($250+) Anonymous Richard and Kathy Diedrich Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences29CuCopper Contributors ($100+) Osman Mohamed Elfadil Mayo Employees Credit Union Medical Innovations International Mill Creek Life Sciences John and Michaela Park Rochester Area Freethinkers COLLABORATORSGATEway, Rochester’s Chapter of MCGTMayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesOraculi
16THANK YOUThe Rochester Regional Science & Engineering Fair relies on numerous volunteers to help with the Scientic Review Committee^, event logistics, and judging*. We would like to thank the following individuals for the generous donation of their time in support of our event. This list was up-to-date at the time of the Fair beginning – to anyone we may have missed, we also appreciate your commitment to our event.Asma Ali *Yahya Almodallal *Paige Arneson *Jennifer Arroyo ^ Roshini Asirvatham *Abraham Baez Suarez *Rachel Bayer *Laura Becher *Supriya Behl *Renata Budaszewski *Angel Alejandro Campos *Audry Chacin Suarez *Yogesh Chawla *Jun Chen *Sahil Chhugani *Justin Choe *Jean Clegg *Aneesha Dasgupta ^Ester Dohnalkova *Madison Doolittle *Sanam Ebtehaj *Aaron Evans *Richard Fishbune *Cody Fisher *Mario Franzone *Lisa Fu *Bob Gaffron *Robert Galbraith *Rachel Geroux *Prithwish Ghosh *Joanina Gicobi *Julie Goswami *Leigh Grifths ^ *M Bakri Hammami *Beth Haukebo *Cynthia Hengel *Sydney Hillan *Momina Iftikhar *Nidhi Jalan-Sakrikar *David Jiang *Avni Joshi *Vidhu Joshi *Parijat Kabiraj *Benjamin Kendall *Shalil Khanal *JungJin Kim *Toby Kohler ^ *Emily Koubek *Simon Kung ^Hawley Kunz *Ethan Law *SeungBaek Lee *Nicole Leibman *Taylor Levee *Ivete Martinez *Rachel Maus *Crystal Mendoza *Kelly Michie *Sarah Michet Osman Mohamed Elfadil *Wazim Mohammed Ismail *Joel Morales *Douglas Moseley *Syed Saad Mujtahedi *Harish Narasimhan *Brijesh Patel *Dustin Peskey * Kevin Petersen *Kodi Peterson Martinez *CJ PrestegardMelissa Primitivo *Glancis Luzeena Raja Arul *Yash Raval ^ *George Romano *Jeff Ruedinger *Himanshu Sajja *Jim Salutz *Paul Schollmeier *Likhita Shaik *Guneet Sidhu * Romil Singh *Sachi Singhal *Bryant Song *Annie Sun *Sonja Suvakov *Lowell Thomason *Krista Thompson *Jason Tri *Zachary Villanueva *Dee VodalJohn Weber *Drew Wilfahrt *Sandra Woodward *Sepideh Yadollahi *Nasibeh Zanjirani Farahani *Sherry Zhou *
17 PLATINUM SPONSOR78Pt GOLD SPONSORS79Au