Alaudeen Umar, a 6th-grade student at Annur Islamic School in Schenectady, N.Y., displays his science fair project on magnets, titled “Why is it sticking?”
				Katelyn Loughman, an 11th-grade student at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, N.Y., explained her project on developmental genetics, titled “Mapping genes important to vessel formation in mice.” She is working with Bruce Herron, a research scientist at the Wadsworth Center, on her research.
				Rotem Rusak, a 9th-grade student at Shaker High School in Latham, N.Y., shows her project, titled “A 150-mile voyage along the Hudson River: Checking the water quality in northeastern New York.”
				Sarah Phelan, a 12th-grade student at Shaker High School in Latham, N.Y., explains her project, titled “Heavy metal medicines in the 18th and 19th centuries,” to an interested science fair attendee. Photos by Rensselaer/Tiffany Lohwater

Approximately 100 local middle and high school students participated in the 16th annual Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair and Science Congress on Saturday, March 18 in the Walker Laboratory at Rensselaer. The science fair was the regional competition for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and New York State Science Congress.

Several special awards and recognitions were presented to students at the conclusion of the competition. Two winners in the senior division (grades 9-12) will attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Indianapolis, Ind. The top six project winners in the junior division (grades 6-8) may be eligible to enter the 8th annual Discovery Young Scientists Challenge.

Max Alley, an 8th grader at Shaker Junior High School, received first place in the junior division with the project titled “Are lacrosse helmets necessary?” Sarah Mousa, a 12th grader at Columbia High School, received first place in the senior division with the project titled “Cellular and molecular mechanisms of nicotine’s proangiogenesis activity: Potential impact on different disease processes.” Robert Lovelett, an 11th grader at Columbia High School, received a $20,000 scholarship to Rensselaer with the project titled “Fuel cell: Gas diffusion layers and nafion membranes.”

In addition to Rensselaer, major sponsors of the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair included: Eastern Section of the Science Teachers Association of New York State, GE Global Research, GE Engineers, and Albany College of Pharmacy.

Published March 20, 2006