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| Illinois Junior Science
and Humanities Symposium
1998 in Review
The 20th Annual Illinois Junior Science & Humanities Symposium was held on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) on March 22-24, 1998. The program was made possible through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, The Academy of Applied Science, and the College of Science at SIUC. Additional program support at SIUC was provided by Aerospace Studies (AFROTC), Army Military Science (ROTC), College of Agriculture, College of Engineering, Illinois State Police Southern Illinois Forensic Science Centre, New Student Admission Services, Office of Intramural Recreational Sports, SIU School of Medicine, and University Bookstore.
Twenty-six teachers and 90 students participated in the 1998 Illinois JSHS program, and represented 28 schools from 22 counties. The schools represented include:
- Bethany High School, Bethany, IL
- Bunker Hill High School, Bunker Hill, IL
- Bureau Valley High School, Buda, IL
- Carbondale Community High School, Carbondale, IL
- Century Unit 100, Ullin, IL
- Crescent-Iroquois High School, Crescent City, IL
- Elverado High School, Elkville, IL
- Herrin High School, Herrin, IL
- Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest, IL
- Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL
- Lebanon High School, Lebanon, IL
- Manteno High School, Manteno, IL
- Mattoon High School, Mattoon, IL
- McLeansboro High School, McLeansboro, IL
- Midland High School, Varna, IL
- Mt. Pulaski High School, Mt. Pulaski, IL
- Naperville Central High School, Naperville, IL
- North Chicaago Community High School, North Chicago, IL
- Rochester High School, Rochester, IL
- Sesser-Valier High School, Sesser, IL
- Southeastern High School, Augusta, IL
- St. Bede Academy, Peru, IL
- Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL
- Tremont High School, Tremont, IL
- University High School, Normal, IL
- Villa Grove High School, Villa Grove, IL
- Woodland High School, Streator, IL
- York Community High School, Elmhurst, IL
In all, about two dozen young scientists from over a dozen high schools made presentations to their peers. The high school scientists also visited the laboratories of SIUC researchers to learn about ongoing efforts in agriculture, behavioral and social sciences, biotechnology and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, forensics, geology, mathematics, microbiology, natural resources, physics, physiology, plant biology, and zoology. Over 150 persons--faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, undergraduate students, and external agencies--volunteered their time and resources in assistance of the program.
Congratulations to Vikram Devisetty of Adlai E. Stevenson High School who won the regional competition with his paper presentation "Ceramic Capacitors: A Technique Utilizing Anodization to Create a Dielectric Composed of Aluminum Oxide." Vikram received a $4,000 undergraduate tuition scholarship to the university of his choice. Kristin Garis, Vikram's sponsoring teacher, received the $500 Faculty Award.
Vikram presented his paper at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 30-May 3, 1998.
The second place finalist, Eve Poynter of Rochester High School, received an SIUC Academic Scholarship, valued at up to $4,500, to major in science at SIUC. Congratulations, Eve. We welcome you to SIUC!
Five finalists from the IJSHS research paper presentations were awarded expense-paid trips to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 30-May 3, 1998. The five finalists, their schools, their sponsoring teachers, and the titles of their papers are:
- Ashley Allen, Naperville Central High School, Ms. Patricia Kenton, "Serial Reconstruction of Mazon Creek Flora"
- Vikram Devisetty, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Ms. Kristin Garis, "Ceramic Capacitors: A Technique Utilizing Anodization to Create a Dielectric Composed of Aluminum Oxide"
- Eve Poynter, Rochester High School, Mrs. Carolyn Long, "A Census of the Exotic Cladoceran, Daphnia lumholtzi in Lake Springfield with Respect to Water Temperature and Depth"
- Ellen Preece, Carbondale Community High School, Ms. Cynthia Young, "The Effect of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Rat Offspring"
- Valerie Wappelhorst, Lake Park High School, Dr. Beverly Friend, "A Longitudinal Study of the Chemical and Microbiological Quality of Private Well Water"
Ashley Allen, Naperville Central High School, did not attend National although she was one of the top 5 finalists. Alternates, Jeff Crank from Midland High School and Matt Spector from Carbondale Community High School, were permitted to attend. Jeff's paper was entitled "Utilizing Otolith Annuli Information to Analyze the Growth of Lake Tanglewood Bluegill Populations." Jeff's sponsoring teacher was Mr. Eric Rittenhouse. Matt's paper was "Corn Pitch as a Viable Insulator" and his sponsoring teacher was Ms. Cynthia Young.
Pooja Jain of York Community High School won 1st place in the Illinois JSHS Poster Session with "The Effect of Serial Dilutions of Gibberellic Acid on the Growth of Rosette Brassica rapa." Congratulations, Pooja!
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