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| Illinois Junior Science
and Humanities Symposium
2006 in Review
The 28th Annual Illinois Junior Science & Humanities Symposium was held on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale April 2-4, 2006. 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.
SIUC faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students, Air Force and Army ROTC officers and cadets, as well as student organizations, Illinois JSHS alumni, and external agencies volunteered their time and resources in assistance of the program.
Participating campus programs and units included: Aerospace Studies (AFROTC), Army Military Science (ROTC), Center for Advanced Friction Studies, Center for Archaeological Investigations, College of Agriculture, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Fisheries & Illinois Aquaculture Center, IMAGE, Library Affairs, Office of Intramural Recreational Sports, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Epsilon Kappa Chapter, Plant and Service Operations - Recycling, SIU School of Medicine, Undergraduate Admissions, and the Vice Chancellor for Research.
Outside program support was provided by Southern Illinois Healthcare - Carbondale and Pepsi MidAmerica.
Twenty-two teachers, 7 guests, and 78 students (107 total) attended the 2006 Illinois JSHS program, representing 24 schools (5 Northern, 8 Central, 11 Southern) from 21 counties across the state. This year's participating schools included:
- Bunker Hill High School, Bunker Hill, IL
- Carbondale Community High School, Carbondale, IL
- Carterville High School, Carterville, IL
- Delavan Community High School, Delavan, IL
- DuQuoin High School, DuQuoin, IL
- Elverado High School, Elkville, IL
- Freeburg Community High School, Freeburg, IL
- Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, IL
- Grant Park High School, Grant Park, IL
- Heritage High School, Broadlands, IL
- Herrin High School, Herrin, IL
- Home School, Cobden, IL
- Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Aurora, IL
- Macomb Senior High School, Macomb, IL
- Midland High School, Varna, IL
- Okaw Valley High School, Bethany, IL
- Pope County High School, Golconda, IL
- Quincy Senior High School, Quincy, IL
- Rochester High School, Rochester, IL
- St. Bede Academy, Peru, IL
- St. Teresa High School, Decatur, IL
- Trinity High School, Carbondale, IL
- Villa Grove High School, Villa Grove, IL
- Waterloo High School, Waterloo, IL
The keynote presentation, "Genetic Engineering of Mice to Study Infertility, Neurological Disorders, and Cancer," was delivered by Dr. Michael W. Collard, Associate Professor of Physiology, SIU School of Medicine.
The banquet presentation, "Cougars in the Midwest," was delivered by Clayton Nielsen, Ph.D., wildlife ecologist and SIUC alumnus (Ph.D. '01, Zoology).
All presenters received Illinois JSHS medals at the banquet at Giant City State Lodge.
Young scientists and their teachers visited the laboratories of SIUC researchers to participate in hands-on activities and learn about ongoing research efforts.
The event is one of 48 such symposia conducted nationwide. Five finalists and alternates from the IJSHS research paper presentations were extended the opportunity of expense-paid trips to participate in the 44th National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, April 26-30, 2006, in Albuquerque, NM, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force and the Greater Albuquerque area scientific community. Those who attended the national symposium in California included Linda Martin, director of the statewide IJSHS event and assistant dean of the SIUC College of Science, and high students Xin (Cindy) Wang of Geneva,Yi-Meng (Sally) Tan of Lisle, William Chen of Naperville, Aneesa Lehman of Carterville, and Rachel Skinner of Cobden.
Here are those who competed in the paper session at the regional competition, listed alphabetically. Entries also include information about their high schools, teacher, regional finish, and science research topics.
Katherine Binder: St. Teresa High School, Mrs. Barbara Gottemoller, "Sensory Preferences of Artificial Sweeteners by Adolescents."
Mi (Amy) Chen: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, "Chronotropic Incompetence in Single Ventricle Patients."
William Chen: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, "Identity Configuration of the Sandpile Group."
Aneesa Lehman: Carterville High School, Mrs. Mary Jo Osborn, alternate fourth-place attendee at nationals, "Locating the Lost Strahan Cemetery Using Non-invasive Geological and Geophysical Remote Sensing Techniques."
Charlie Mooney: Rochester High School, Mr. Don Wohlers, "Improving Search and Rescue Efficiency Through Computer Simulation."
Jonathan Naber: Waterloo High School, Mrs. Debbie Clinebell, fourth-place paper, "The Electrical Conductivity of Amorphous Metal Ribbons at Cryogenic Temperatures."
Sukrit Ranjan: Glenbrook North High School, "The Influence of Topography on Martian Polar Clouds."
Kashyap Tadisina: Carbondale Community High School, Mrs. Judy Martinko, "Nanotube Array Based Lithography."
Yi-Meng (Sally) Tan: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, third-place paper, also went to nationals as second-place presenter, "Engineering Multifunctional Nanoemulsions for Image Guided Cancer Therapy."
Iboro Umana: Carbondale Community High School, Mrs. Judy Martinko, "Design of Novel Controlled Release Systems for Delivery of Ocular Medications from Biocompatible Gel Materials."
Xin (Cindy) Wang: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, first-place paper, also went to nationals as first-place presenter, "nm2608A, A New Naturally Arising Mouse Model for Human Autosomal Recessive Achromatopsia 2."
Mengfei (Sherry) Yin: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, fifth-place paper, "Design and Synthesis of Novel Macromolecular Peraza-Cryptand and the Search for Dihydrogen Bonding in H6Peraza[2.2.2]cryptand¥NaBH4."
Letian Zhang: Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Dr. Peggy Connolly, second-place paper, "GLY Conjecture on Upper Estimate of Integral Points in Real Tetrahedra."
A closer look at those who presented posters at the regional, listed alphabetically, along with their high schools, teacher, and science research topics:
Cobden:
Rachel Skinner, Home School, Mr. Geoffrey Skinner, first place poster, "Faunal Taxa and Depositional Environment of the Energy Shale in Williamson County, Illinois." Rachel attended National as the fifth-place attendee.
Delavan:
Carolyn Morris, Delavan High School, Mrs. Mary Kay Wonders, "Effects of Sweeteners on Saccharomyces cerevisiae."
DeSoto: Andrew Bevis, Herrin High School, Mr. Peter Rose, "Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein Induces Cell Proliferation in PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells."
Macomb:
Andrea Cumbie, Macomb Senior High School, "The Application of the Titius-Bode Law to Various Orbiting Bodies of the Galaxy."
Katie Gettinger, Macomb Senior High School, "The Effects of Common Hand Soaps and Disinfecting Wipes Upon Common Bacteria and the Relation of Cost to Effectiveness."
Peru:
Adam Gnidovec, St. Bede Academy, Br. Luke McLachlan, "Filtering Water Like Nature."
Michael Gnidovec, St. Bede Academy, Br. Luke McLachlan, "The Invisible Truth as Detected by Chemiluminescence."
Jennie Zermeno, St. Bede Academy, Br. Luke McLachlan, "Tensile Strength of Spider Silk vs. That of Steel Wire."
Quincy: Jennie Williams, Quincy Senior High School, Mrs. Sarah Stewart, "Inhibiting Plaque Growth and Dental Caries with Sorbitol and Xylitol Solutions."
Rochester: Anna Czapar, Rochester High School, Mr. Don Wohlers, "Expanded Uses of Black Walnut Extracts for Controlling Weeds: Response of Waterhemp."
Xin (Cindy) Wang of the Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy won the regional competition and received a $2,000 undergraduate tuition scholarship, Letian Zhang of the Illinois Math & Science Academy placed 2nd, Yi-Meng (Sally) Tan of the Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy received 3rd place and a $1,500 undergraduate tuition scholarship, and Jonathan Naber of Waterloo High School placed 4th and received a $1,000 undergraduate tuition scholarship. The scholarships are provided through funding from the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Cindy and Sally presented their papers and competed at the National JSHS.
Dr. Peggy Connolly, Cindy's sponsoring teacher, received a $500 Faculty Award, honoring her contributions to advancing student participation in research.
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