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| Illinois Junior Science
and Humanities Symposium
1999 in Review
The 21st Annual Illinois Junior Science & Humanities Symposium was held on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale March 7 - 9, 1999. The program is 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.
Over 180 SIUC faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, undergraduate students, and student organizations, as well as several external agencies, volunteered their time and resources in assistance of the program. Program support at SIUC was provided by Chancellor Jo Ann E. Argersinger, Aerospace Studies (AFROTC), Army Military Science (ROTC), Center for Advanced Friction Studies, College of Agriculture, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Cooperative Fisheries Research Laboratory, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, New Student Admission Services, Office of Intramural Recreational Sports, SIU Foundation, SIU School of Medicine, Special Events & Projects, Student Development, and University Bookstore.
Participating student organizations included: Agbassadors, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery, Math Club, Microbiology Student Organization, Minority Engineering Program, Pre-Professional Association, SIU School of Medicine Caduceaus Guild, Society of American Foresters, Society of Women Engineers, Student Alumni Council, and Zoology Graduate Student Organization.
Outside program support was provided by Illinois State Academy of Science, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Police Southern Illinois Forensic Science Center, Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, and SIU Credit Union.Twenty teachers, five guests, and 93 students (118 total) attended the 1999 Illinois JSHS program, representing 23 schools from 20 counties across the state (7 Northern, 10 Central, 6 Southern). The program is budgeted (housing, meals, etc.) to accept only 100 students and 25 teachers from across the state of Illinois. This year's participating schools included:
- Bethany High School, Bethany, IL
- Carbondale Community High School, Carbondale, IL
- Century Unit 100, Ullin, IL
- Crescent-Iroquois High School, Crescent City, IL
- Elverado High School, Elkville, IL
- Grant Park High School, Grant Park, IL
- Herrin High School, Herrin, IL
- Highland High School, Highland, IL
- Lockport Township High School, Lockport, IL
- Macomb Senior High School, Macomb, IL
- Mahomet-Seymour High School, Mahomet, IL
- Manteno High School, Manteno, IL
- Mattoon High School, Mattoon, IL
- Midland High School, Varna, IL
- Monticello High School, Monticello, IL
- Mt. Pulaski High School, Mt. Pulaski, IL
- N.C.O.E. High School, Norris City, IL
- Rochester High School, Rochester, IL
- Sesser-Valier High School, Sesser, IL
- St. Bede Academy, Peru, IL
- Tremont High School, Tremont, IL
- University High School, Normal, IL
- Woodland High School, Streator, IL
In all, almost two dozen young scientists from over a dozen high schools made presentations to their peers. The high school scientists and their teachers also visited the laboratories of SIUC researchers to learn about ongoing efforts in environmental archaeology, lasers, forensic science, biomedical engineering, developmental neuropsychology, wetlands restoration, advanced friction studies and more.
The event is one of 48 such symposia conducted nationwide. Five finalists from the IJSHS research paper presentations were awarded expense-paid trips to participate in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, May 13 - 16, 1999, in San Diego, California, in cooperation with the San Diego science and technology community. The five finalists, their schools, their sponsoring teachers, and the titles of their papers were:
- Raleigh Blasdell, Rochester High School, Mr. Don Wohlers, "Longevity of the Latent Fingerprints of Children vs. Adults"
- Matt Spector, Carbondale Community High School, Ms. Cynthia Young, "Using Corn Pith as an Aggregate Substitute in Concrete"
- Amul Tevar, Macomb Senior High School, Mr. Brian O'Neill, "Co304 Doping on Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x Superconductors"
- Erica Travelstead, Herrin High School, Mr. Larry Kepple, "Stimulation and Suppression of Appetite by Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Female Rats"
- Richard Weers, Midland High School, Mr. Eric Rittenhouse, "Planning for the Future: Identifying Corn Cultivars that are Ultraviolet Light Tolerant"
Raleigh Blasdell of Rochester High School won the regional competition with her paper presentation "Longevity of the Latent Fingerprints of Children vs. Adults." Raleigh presented her paper at the National JSHS and placed first in the category
of Biophysics and Forensic Science. In addition to the $4,000
scholarship she received at the Illinois JSHS, she will receive an
additional $16,000 from the National JSHS. These scholarships are sponsored
by the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and may be used at
the university of her choice. She will also receive a two-week, expense
paid trip to the London International Youth Science Forum.
Mr. Don Wohlers, Raleigh's sponsoring teacher, was the recipient of the $500 Faculty Award, honoring his contributions to advancing student participation in research.
Congratulations Raleigh and Mr. Wohlers!
The second place finalist, Erica Travelstead of Herrin High School, will receive an SIUC Academic Scholarship, valued at up to $4,500, to major in science at SIUC. Congratulations, Erica!
Erinn Deshinsky of Midland High School won 1st place in the Illinois JSHS Poster Session with "Further Investigations in the Growth of Bluegill in Lake Tanglewood." Her research team partner was Nathan Montgomery. Congratulations, Erinn and Nathan!
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