John Jay Junior Wins 48th Annual Dutchess County Regional Science Fair at DCC

Release Date March 26, 2007

John Jay Junior Zhong Zhuang took first place in the senior division of the 48th Regional Science Fair held Saturday, March 24 at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie. The College hosted the fair and was a major contributor, providing exhibit space and facilities.

Zhuang’s project comparing ethanol and gasoline showed, among other things, that ethanol actually produces more nitrogen oxide pollution, but less carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide pollution. Zhuang’s win earns him an all-expense-paid trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held May 13 through 18, 2007.

This year’s fair attracted 240 students in grades 5 through 12 from 36 Dutchess County schools – all top place winners from their local school or district science fairs. Winners came from John Jay High School, Roy C. Ketcham High School, Van Wyck Jr. High School, Wappingers Junior High School, and Gayhead, Kinry Road, Fishkill, Fishkill Plains, and Myers Corners Elementary Schools in the Wappingers District; Arlington High School; Haviland Middle School in the Hyde Park District; Hagan School in the Spackenkill District; Alden Place Elementary School in the Millbrook District, and several parochial schools, including Our Lady of Lourdes High School, St. Denis/St. Columba School, St. Martin de Porres School, St. Peter’s School, and St. Mary’s Fishkill School.

The Dutchess County Science Fair is one of the longest running science fairs in the world affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair organization. It was started in 1959 in response to the successful launching of Sputnik by USSR. The Science Fair’s objective is to stimulate in young people an active interest in science and engineering. Students in grades five through 12  perform and present scientific experiments in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, earth and space sciences, environmental sciences, behavioral and social sciences. The competition is based on the quality of research projects done by the students, the results of which are reported through exhibits and oral presentations.

Each student or team was judged by four different judges – 180 volunteers from volunteers Dutchess Community College, Vassar College, Marist College, IBM, and other industries and scientific organizations. Approximately 100 judges ranked projects for competitive awards in each grade level, and another 80 judged awards for approximately 160 prizes awarded by 60 local and national organizations.

But the value of participation goes far beyond winning, according to Science Fair organization Dr. Maung Htoo. “Whether you win an award, you have won a very valuable experience,” he told an enthusiastic crowd of students, parents, grandparents, and guests. “After the award goes somewhere in the closet, these students will go forward with the skills they learned doing scientific research and organizing their display, as well as the communication skills they learned.”

Winners by Division:

Senior Division

1st Place: Zhong Zhuang, John Jay High School

2nd Place: Caitlyn Smart, Roy C. Ketcham High School

3rd Place: Manushi Shah, Roy C. Ketcham High School

Honorable Mention: Thomas Gleason, Our Lady of Lourdes High School; Teresa Medina, John Jay High School; Stephanie Lin, Arlington High School; Jenny Wong, John Jay High School

9th Grade:

1st place: Elias Wynshaw, Roy C. Ketcham High School

2nd Place: Michael Schepis, Our Lady of Lourdes High School

3rd place: Laya Varanasi, Roy C. Ketcham High School

Honorable Mention: Melissa Rose, Roy C. Ketcham High School; Megan Mihans, Roy C. Ketcham High School; Manoj Arra, John Jay High School; Kristen Duke, Roy C. Ketcham High School

8th Grade:

1st Place: Bradford Thomas, St. Mary’s Fishkill

2nd Place: Parker Swenson, Wappingers Jr. High School

3rd place: Zachary Kellerman, St. Mary’s Fishkill School

Honorable Mention: Kevin Corliss, St. Mary’s Fishkill School; Donato Forlenza, St. Denis/St. Columba School; Gina M. Camilleri, St. Denis/St. Columba School

7th Grade

1st place: Robert Verkuil, Wappingers Junior High School

2nd place: Trevor Haskell, Haviland Middle School

3rd place: Joshua Hughes, St. Mary’s Fishkill

Honorable Mention: Devon Williams, Haviland Middle School; Patrick Forlenza, St Denis/St Columba School; Courtney Kurkela, St. Denis/St Columba School; Daniel Fadden, St. Martin de Porres School

6th Grade Individual

1st Place: Richard Coffin, St. Denis/St. Columba School

2nd Place: Kathryn Lisewski, St. Denis/St Columba School

3rd place: Hanna Brandow, St. Denis/St. Columba School

Honorable Mention: Fancesco Giancaspor, Kinry Road School; Barry Pelkey, St. Peters School; Emily Walsh, St. Peters School; Rebecca Daves, Van Wyck Jr. High School; Lindsay Milliken, Kinry Road School; Alex Gaidis, Kinry Road School; Lauren Stanco, St. Mary’s Fishkill School

6th Grade Team

1st Place: Lana Tatai and Ashley White, Myers Corners School.

2nd Place: Cassandra Deger and Jacqueline Deefe, Myers Corners School

3rd Place: Zain Newsheiwat, Assila Bataineh, Van Wyck Jr. High School

5th Grade Individual

1st Place: Nicole Seward, Gayhead School

2nd Place: Brandon Smith, St. Mary’s Fishkill School

3rd Place: John Stanco, St. Mary’s Fishkill School

Honorable Mention: Camille Weidner, St. Denis/St. Columba School; Ryan Smith, Fishkill Elementary School; Dana Jackson, Hagan School; James Patrick Dolan, St. Denis/St. Columba; Hanna Coffin, St Dennis St Columba; Jenna LaColla, St. Mary’s Fishkill School

Fifth Grade Team

1st Place: Laura Goetz and Bridget Reidy, Fishkill Plains School

2nd Place: Audrey Ouimet and Amanda Critelli, Alden Place School

3rd place: Nicole Cavallo and Sofia Villalon, Gayhead School

NEWS & EVENTS | Dutchess Community College HOME

Comments and questions about this page can be directed to the Office of Community Relations.

Copyright © 2007