HOLDEN — Science was the focus, and projects at the state science fair included a variety of topics.
Wachusett Regional High School students who participated impressed the judges, with some walking away from the Massachusetts Science Fair with substantial wins, including a Holden freshman taking a top spot.
“We haven’t had this level of success in a number of years,” science teacher Nicholas Guerin said.
Sierra Kelch took the top prize, the Sanofi Award, which came with a $10,000 prize. In addition, it includes $7,500 for the school to use to buy equipment and teaching resources, and $2,500 for Sierra’s teacher, Eric Chandonnet, to use for professional development or equipment in his own classroom to better his instruction, Guerin said.
Other students collected additional prize money, with more than $75,000 in cash, internships and scholarships, Guerin said.
The prize for Sierra’s project — Sip Sustainably: The Rheology and Durability of Single-Use Environmentally Friendly Alternatives for Plastic Straws — included a spot at the Harvard Summer SecondarySchoolProgram, a seven-week summer program where she can take a class at Harvard and get college credit.
“My project was inspired by a vacation I took to California last summer. Plastic straws are banned there, so I used many paper straws that became soggy and fell apart in my drink,” said Sierra, a freshman from Holden.
“I wondered if there were any plastic straw alternatives that are good for the environment and durable. I researched types of single-use plastic straw alternatives, and then thought about ways to test the durability of a straw. I decided to test the change in force needed to bend each straw, water absorption, and how much a straw breaks down.
“My favorite part of this experience was talking about and sharing my project. Getting to discuss my results with judges and showing what I discovered to other students was fun and rewarding,” she said.
As a freshman, Sierra said, “I am still deciding what career I want to pursue. I am thinking about roles like becoming a doctor, where I can apply knowledge of science to helping people.”
Verena Welch’s project — The Effects of Probiotics on Malnourished Drosophila melanogaster — earned her a $250 second place prize.
Verena, a junior from Holden, said she was “inspired by the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically on malnourished and low-income populations. Around 10% of the global population is undernourished. Although this issue is more prevalent in other areas than the local community here in Massachusetts, solutions are still needed, and steps still need to be taken to fight malnutrition.
“I also wanted to explore the use of probiotics, which are a relevant topic today and have sparked widespread conversations concerning their health benefits. With my project, I hoped to explore the interconnection between the two fields of malnutrition and probiotics, and to further determine how probiotics may be a solution to combat the negative effects of undernutrition,” she said.
“I enjoyed the ability to complete independent and hands-on science. It was powerful to know that I could complete such an extensive project using my own research, ideas and resources that allowed me to perform experiments at home. The project also introduced me to the problem-solving process involved in any science or STEM field, which I know will be vital in my future in science. I enjoyed being challenged beyond the classroom setting and learning so much beyond ordinary textbook learning,” Verena added.
She sees herself pursuing a science-related course of study in college and career.
“Although my classes in school initially led me to enjoy science, working on an independent research project allowed me to develop my passion and become sure that science is my future. There are endless opportunities and fields to explore, which is one of the reasons I love science so much. I look forward to developing my passion more in college and finding my path in STEM,” Verena said.
Ekaavli Daga also won a second place prize of $250 for her project: The Effectiveness of Algae in Desalination.
Ekaavli, a sophomore from Holden, said, “I really wanted to do a project that involved addressing the limited supply of freshwater, especially because due to climate change, which is becoming more of an issue each day. My dad was the one who told me about an article he read about algal desalination, and I actually found myself really interested. From there, I researched a lot and troubleshooted to create my project and experiment.”
“I loved being able to talk to judges and other students about my project and see their interest and ideas. There were so many cool suggestions, and everyone was so supportive. I also really enjoyed seeing others’ projects and all of the amazing things they had accomplished,” Ekaavli said. “The science fair was an awesome experience for me, and definitely a great introduction into the world of STEM.”
Holden sophomore Jocelyn MacDonough focused on sleep deprivation, winning a second place award and $250.
“As many people experience stress regularly, and especially in school, I wanted to see if there was a way that the negative effects of stress could be reduced,” Jocelyn said of her project, The Effect of Magnesium on Sleep Deprivation in Drosophila melanogaster.
“I enjoyed the process of experimentation,” Jocelyn said.
Nathaniel Dziewietin of Paxton took a third place award, $75, for his project: Agitating for Pond Health: Controlling Algae Growth Using a Surface-Level Underwater Impeller. The WRHS junior also won the UMass Boston College Scholarship for $10,000 each year, renewable up to four years.
“Every summer, I visit a pond near Acadia National Park for a vacation, and while talking with the residents there, I had learned about problems regarding the pond’s algae overgrowth,” Nathaniel said of the inspiration for his project.
“I had it on my mind during the summer, with other local ponds closing for similar issues, and it had occurred to me that I hadn’t heard of such issues in rivers and oceans or moving waters. So, after lots of research and planning, I decided to see whether it would be possible to replicate the process of water movement in still waters to reduce algae overgrowth in ponds. Eventually, I had four fish tanks in my living room full of algae, with 3D-printed turbines agitating the water for my experimenting,” he said.
“My favorite part of the project can also be my least favorite part. During a science project like this, many problems come up, which can be really stressful, but I always enjoy trying to be creative in coming up with alternate solutions, like soldering batteries to get enough power for my motors, or using sprinkles to see how water moves with a propeller. I also always love talking to the judges at the fairs themselves; they are always really interesting people, and I frequently end up having long conversations with them after judging,” Nathaniel said.
A science-related career could be in his future.
“While I am still not sure exactly what I hope to do for a career, this science project has definitely solidified my passion for environmentalism and using creative problem- solving to protect our environment,” Nathaniel said.
Nikhita Varma of Holden, a junior, won a third place $75 award for her project: The Effect of Microplastics on the Stress Response of Daphnia magna.
“I was inspired to do my project from my experience in India, witnessing the widespread pollution of plastics,” Nikhita said.
“I always wondered how organisms living in contaminated waters could survive, so I decided to study how microplastics would affect aquatic organisms. For my project, I used an organism called Daphnia magna(a water flea) and I exposed them to different concentrations of plastics to measure their stress response.
“I like how my project addresses a current problem in the world. Microplastics are currently a very hot topic among researchers. Plastic is used in our daily lives, and its effects on a multitude of organisms are detrimental to our future on Earth,” Nikhita said.
“I definitely see myself pursuing a career in science. Participating in the science fair helped me gain a new appreciation for science. … Seeing all the innovative projects presented by the students showed me how sharing research and collaborating in a science community can solve many of the world’s problems,” Nikhita said.
Two other students made a good showing but did not win state prizes.
Paxton junior Haley Dow placed in the Wachusett school fair and was a “direct entry” to the state fair but did not place. Her project was The Effect of Stress due to Social Isolation on Fruit Flies’ Memory and Learning.
Alexander Teymurazyan, a Princeton junior, placed at the regional fair but did not place at the state fair. His project was titled Investigation Of The Effects Of Microplastics On Yeast Cell Growth Rates
Yearlong projects
The projects emerged from the students’ honors science classes, Guerin said, which requires a yearlong independent science project.
“This project, however, is different from doing a report about a topic or your classic middle school volcano. These honors projects have the students formulating a hypothesis on a topic and actively designing an experiment to test their hypothesis, and then statistically analyze their data to come to conclusions about their ideas,” Guerin said.
“This project has students actually ‘doing science’, as opposed to just learning material for a test. Students can elect to participate in Science Fair if they want.”
Students get to the State Fair by competing in their school fair. Wachusett had 42 students compete in its school fair, with the top 12 projects going to the regional fair at WPI in early March. The top 40% moved on to the state fair at MIT the first weekend in May, with 260 projects judged at that level.
“The success directly relates to the quality of the students and education at Wachusett,” Guerin said. “Our students are inquisitive, but also have the drive to take their idea and really run with it. This takes a lot from the student to not get discouraged when things do not work out (which is often in science), and also they need to meet some strict deadlines for class and the science fair. This is all while they are taking a full course load of classes.
“We as teachers help guide the students once they develop their ideas and help them develop their experiment and ways in which they collect and analyze data. However, this whole process is 99% the students’ own work. Project sophistication can range from pretty basic to highly sophisticated graduate level science of kids working in a lab.
“Sierra’s project stood out because even though it was simple, it was carried out with great detail and also helped solve a bigger real world problem. This is something the judges love. For those students who take advantage of our honors program, Science Seminar, and Science Fair, they get an education in science that is one of the best in the state,” Guerin said.
