NC Student Academy of Science District 8 Virtual Competition 2021

NC Student Academy logo NC Student Academy of Science

 

Hosted by the University of North Carolina Asheville

Schedule of Events

1:00 pm: Welcome and Introduction to the Student Academy of Sciences

NCSAS District 8 Competition 2021 Webinar >

  • Meeting ID: 970 2777 7930
  • Passcode: 568829
  • Zoom links for concurrent sessions are available to participants, only. If you are a participant and do not have the links, please reach out to your teacher.

NCSAS District 8 Co-Directors:

  • Becca Hale, UNC Asheville
  • Caroline Kennedy, UNC Asheville
  • Jennifer Williams, Brevard High School

1:05-1:40 pm: Keynote Presentation – Webinar Room

Life between worlds: The Ecosystems of the Ocean’s Surface – Dr. Rebecca Helm, Assistant Professor of Biology, UNC Asheville

1:45-3:15 pm: Student Presentations – Presentation Zoom Rooms

Each presentation should be 10 min, followed by 5 min for questions and transition, for a total of 15 min maximum per presentation. Presentations will begin at the end of questions for the previous talk, regardless of whether all 15 minutes have been filled. Only judges will be allowed to ask questions, per NCSAS rules. There will be time for peer questions during feedback sessions.

NCSAS District 8 Competition 2021 Room 1

  • Engineering and Technology, Middle School: Audrey Goins and Emma Roberts. Hanger Hall School for Girls. A Machine to Increase the Sanitation and Cleanliness of Hands Efficiently while Avoiding Public Sinks.
  • Engineering and Technology, High School: Joshua Kupras, Brevard High School. Computational Evaluation of a Vectored Channel Wing.
  • Earth and Space, High School: Isaiah Lefler and Graham Green, Brevard High School. An Evaluation of Hydroponic Cultures Growing Spinach Utilizing Nitrifying Bacteria in Conjunction with Martian Resources Screen Reader Support Enabled.
  • Chemistry, High School: Justin Stegeman and Victoria Valadez, Brevard High School. A Spectrophotometric Analysis of Hydrogen Peroxide Efficacy and Antibacterial Activity in Local Western North Carolina Honeys.
  • Biotechnology, High School: Kathryn Hart, Brevard High School. The Effects of Zero-Valent Iron and Iron (III) Oxide on the Performance and Hydrogen Production Potential of Microbial Fuel Cells.

NCSAS District 8 Competition 2021 Room 2

  • Biological Science, Middle School:
    • Mary Hudson Harrelson, Hanger Hall School for Girls. Heart Rate’s Effect on Middle School Student’s Test Scores.
    • Bentley Zaffino, Hanger Hall School for Girls. The Effects of Caffeine on Middle School Girls Academic Performance.
    • Molly Green, Hanger Hall School for Girls. The Effect of Music on Dogs’ Pulse.
  • Biological Science, High School:
    • Ben Caroway, Satchel Malo, and Frank Parsons, Brevard High School. Comparing Different Methods of Measuring Algal Cell Growth within Carrageenan Hydrogel.

NCSAS District 8 Competition 2021 Room 3

  • Environmental Science, Middle School:
    • Eleanor Railey and Penny Trudrung, Hanger Hall School for Girls. Slime Mold: A Study in which Physarum polycephalum Will Be Challenged with a Lethal Situation.
    • Andie Jones, Hanger Hall School for Girls. The Effect of Different Mutagens on Clover.
  • Environmental Science, High School:
    • Townsend Dierauf, Brevard High School. Comparing Lignolytic Enzymes from Lentinus tigrinus and Local Volunteer Fungi Isolated from Soil Samples in the Transylvania County Landfill.
    • Zorabella Adrignola and Sullivan Malo, Brevard High School. Analysis of Water Quality and the Presence of Microplastics and Macroinvertebrates in the Little River.

  • Environmental Science, High School Advanced: Andy McKibbon and Lucy Murray, Brevard High School. An Analysis of Change in Bird Mist-Net Captures and Overall Bird Density Between 2008-2019 at Big Bald Banding Station and the Greenville Doppler Radar Tower.

NCSAS District 8 Competition 2021 Room 4

Behavioral Science, Middle School:

  • Margot Buddy, Hanger Hall School for Girls. An Investigation into How Labeling Impacts Consumer Behavior.
  • Celia Noble, Hanger Hall School for Girls. An Investigation into the Various Responses to Optical Illusions.
  • Olivia Eggena and Ann Louise Atherton, Hanger Hall School for Girls. Belief in Zodiac and how that Affects Personality Traits.
  • Kate Jarzyna, Hanger Hall School for Girls. Variables that Impact Familiarity in Visual Images.
  • Anna Couzins, Hanger Hall School for Girls. How Covid-19 and Virtual Learning have Affected Teen’s Mental Health.
  • Willa Everett, Hanger Hall School for Girls. How Social Media Impacts Middle School Girls’ Mental Health.

3:15-3:25 pm: Judges confer in presentation Zoom Rooms

Students, teachers, and parents should leave the room during this time.

3:25-3:45 pm: Judges and students convene in presentation Zoom Rooms to provide feedback and encouragement.

This is an opportunity to ask questions about/provide feedback on peers’ projects, as well.

3:45 pm: Awards ceremony – Webinar Room


We extend our thanks to the judges and speakers who have contributed their knowledge and time to this event:  Dr. Rebecca Helm, Dr. Darren Bernal, Jacob Boone, Dr. Rusty Bryant, Dr. Patrick Foo, Dr. David Gillette, Dr. Melinda Grosser, Kristen Hillegass, Dr. Jonathan Horton, Dr. Bruce Ikelheimer, Dr. Oksana Love, Natrieifia Miller, Dr. Michael Neelon, Jonathan Reynolds-Engel, and Mark Watman. This event is made possible by support from the NC Academy of Sciences, the UNCA Office of the Deans, and the UNCA Biology Department.