Young Island scientists gain recognition
Senior division medalists at the 52ne annual Science Fair are (l-r) Kyle Burns, Luke Lowell-Liszanckie, Roilando Carbajal, Lauren Gurney, Emma Gallagher, Keith Taplin, Henry Binder, Lyng Coyne, Daniel Martin and Abigail Kotula. Ms. Gallagher took best in fair in the senior division that included students in grades nine through 12.
Young scientists displayed their talents Friday night at the Shelter Island School 52nd annual Science Fair. The fair was dedicated to teacher Sharon Gibbs, who is out on sick leave this year.
Despite her absence, Ms. Gibbs worked on logistics for the event that she has directed for many years.
“You never know how much someone does and how much someone means to you until they are not there,” the program for the fair stated.
Best in show were Emma Gallagher in the senior division — grades 9 through 12 — and Grace Olinkiewicz in the junior division — grades 7 and 8.
Emma’s’s project explored the effect of soda on protein expression and the growth of yeast colonies.
Grace’s project was on arthritis.
Other senior medal winners were: Kyle Burns, with his project titled “Bacteria Beach;” Luke Lowell -Liszanckie with his project entitled “Branch Strength.” Roilando Carbajal on how to power flowers; Lauren Gurney, on the mutations of yeast on painkillers; Keith Taplin, on the effects on water of soil texture, structure and porosity; Henry Binder, on how salinity and temperature impact algae growth; Lyng Coyne on identifying the area of the science classroom with the largest variety of bacteria; Daniel Martin on yeast and supplement growth; and Abigail Kotula on the effect of vitamins on the growth of yeast.
Junior division medalists are (l-r) Katherine Ramos-Nieves, Theodore Olinkiewicz, Matthew Strauss, Grace Olinkiewicz, Katharine Doyle, Nicholas Mamisashvili, Jane Richards and Emma Teoduru. Ms. Olinkiewicz took best in fair in the junior division that included students in grades seven and eight.
In the junior division other medal winners were: Katherine Ramos Nieves who examined laundry detergents to determine which are best; Theodore Olinkiewicz with his project on whether friction is fact or fiction; Matthew Strauss with his project called spark or dark; Katharine Doyle with her project on the Yarkovski Effect related to the sun’s reaction on small asteroids in which she examines whether that can kill us; Nicholas Mamisashvili with his project on the effectiveness of serious versus funny advertisements; Jane Richards with a project on the strongest fruits; and Emma Teodoru with a project aimed at determining the whether diet Coke can cause uncontrolled cell growth in yeast.
There were 15 judges, including seven from the Plum Island USDA Agriculture Research Service; one from Brookhaven National Laboratory and another from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; one Shelter Island teacher; one Board of Education member; representatives from Eastern Long Island Hospital, The Nature Conservancy and Coecles Harbor Marina and Boatyard; and a retired veterinarian from the North Fork Animal Hospital.
