PIQUA — A total of 110 students from Miami, Darke, Shelby and Champaign Counties competed in the Ohio Academy of Science Upper Miami Valley District Science Day, held at Edison State Community College, Piqua, Ohio on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Students exhibited projects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics which they worked on from September through February of this year. The Science Day (Fair) program has been in Ohio since the 1949. Students who complete and present a science or engineering project at a local science fair in their school, or at a county event, may qualify to compete at the District level.

This was the eighth year for the event at Edison State Community College. Organizers included area educators, STEM professionals and business representatives. About $7,500 was distributed in awards, provided by area sponsors including many businesses and individuals interested in supporting STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The students were accompanied by many parents, teachers and guests on Saturday, in a tremendous show of support of the students’ efforts.

All Upper Miami Valley students participating at District Science Day and receiving Superior ratings were: from Anna High School – Meredith Klein, Gabriel Daniel, Bree Metzler, Jadyn Huber; from Ansonia High School – Marissa Shook; from Arcanum Butler High School – Mariah Kreusch, Elanie Hollinger, Jacob Rice; Allison Brumbaugh, Lauren Gower, Arianne Garrison, Karis Wright, Caleb Hartman; from Bethel High School – Julie Sebastian; from Bethel Middle School – Kamryn Dumbra; from DeColores Montessori – Haley Miller, Nevan Miley, Teddy Miller, Joe Dusek, Kierstin Drew, Micah Perry, Sierra Matamoros; from Graham Elementary – Brandon Lockery; from Holy Angels – Eden Snow, Sandy Lee, Elizabeth LaForme; from Lehman High School – William Axe, Calvin Linson, O’Keefe Cooper; from Miami East Junior High School – Kara Hale, Maddix Jefferis; from Miami East Elementary – Jackson Gray; Milton-Union High School/Middle School – Liam Hartley; from Piqua Catholic Elementary – Benton Verrill; from St. Patrick of Troy – Ernesto Flores, Alex Goubeaux, Dean Russell; from Tippecanoe High School – Sadhil Mehta; from Tippecanoe Middle School – Aubrey Ernst, Audrey Jackson, Ela Van Oss, Kendall Echeman, Cameron Koenig; from L.T. Ball Intermediate Tipp City – Isabella Everhart, Dawson Vocke, Everett Henry, Claire Sutton, Hadassah Morrison, Natalie Pierson; from Upper Valley Career Center – Jaedon Cole; from Urbana High School – .Ethan Botkin.

Scholarships awarded included: College of Wooster – Buckeye Women In Science, Research & Engineering (B-WISER) Camp. Ten summer camp scholarships value each $100 to Ashriel Alvarez, Kiersten Drew, Kara Hale, Erin Higgins, Elizabeth Laforme, Sierra Matamoros, Nevan Miley, Eden Westerheide and Hadley Galentine.

Ohio Tuition Trust Authority – College Advantage 529 Savings Plan Scholarship – value each $250 to Ernesto Flores – St. Patrick and Eden Snow – Holy Angels.

Edison State Community College Scholarships (value each $500 good for one 3 credit hour course) Ethan Botkin, Liam Hartley, John Weddle, Hannah Kendig and Carley Rieman.

Special Awards included: Ohio Soybean Council Biosciences each $100 to Ben O’Leary – Holy Angels and Leah Meyer – Anna High School; Southwest Ohio Water Environmental Association, first place $100 to Berton Verrill – Piqua Catholic, second place $75 to Leah Meyer – Anna High School, third place $50 to Alex Dixon and Avari Jenkins – Urbana High School; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Awards, each $50 to Marissa Shook – Ansonia High School, Samantha Williams – Lehman High School, Meredith Klein – Anna High School, Sadhil Mehta – Tippecanoe High School, Julie Sebastian – Bethel High School; Tippecanoe Masonic Lodge No.174 Award for Outstanding project in Engineering each $100 to Ethan Botkin – Urbana High School and Julie Sebastian – Bethel High School; Troy Fish & Game Club Award in Animal Science $100 to Kiersten Drew – DeColores Montessori; Troy Fish & Game Club Award in Environmental Sciences $100 to William Axe – Lehman High School; Premier Health – UVMC Award for Medicine & Health Sciences $100 to Mariah Kreusch – Arcanum High School; Premier Health – UVMC Award for Microbiology $100 to Marissa Shook – Ansonia High School; Cargill Awards in Plant Science each $100 to Ashriel Alvarez – Holy Angels and Sandy Lee – Holy Angels; Cherry Family Award in Medicine & Health Sciences $100 to Allison Brumbaugh and Lauren Gower – Arcanum High School.

Emerson Topic Category awards– each first place $100 / second place $50 if offered:

Award for Animal Science first, Hadassah Morrison and Natalie Pierson – L.T. Ball Intermediate, second, Nevan Miley – DeColores Montessori; Award for Behavioral Science first, Meredith Klein – Anna High School, second, Elaine Hollinger and Jacob Rice – Arcanum High School, Award for Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology first, Elizabeth Laforme – Holy Angels; Award for Biomedical & Health Sciences first, Jaeden Cole – Upper Valley CC, second, O’Keefe Cooper – Lehman High School; Award for Chemistry first, Arianne Garrison and Karib Wright – Arcanum High School, second, Brandon Lockery – Graham Elem.; Award for Earth & Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering first, Teddy Miller – DeColores Montessori; Award for Energy first, Sadhil Mehta – Tippecanoe High School, second, Maddix Jefferis – Miami East High School; Award for Material Science first, Eden Snow – Holy Angels, second, Calvin Linson – Lehman High School; Award for Microbiology first, Kara Hale – Miami East High School, second, Marissa Shook – Ansonia High School; Award for Physics & Astronomy first, Ernesto Flores – St. Patrick, second, Dean Russell – St. Patrick; Award for Plant Science first, Sandy Lee – Holy Angels, second, Leah Meyer – Arcanum High School; Award for Software Systems first, Micah Perry – DeColores Montessori; BASF Creating Chemistry Awards first, $200 Sierra Matamoros – DeColores Montessori, second, $100 Claire Sutton – L.T. Ball Intermediate; BASF Awards in Medicine & Health Sciences first, $200 Mariah Kreusch – Arcanum High School, second, $100 Bree Metzler – Anna High School; BASF Award for Best Presentation of Data first, $200 Sadhil Mehta – Tippecanoe High School, second, $100 Leah Meyer – Anna High School; Cherry Family Award for Best Abstract $200 Meredith Klein – Anna High School.

All of the projects receiving superior ratings at the Upper Miami Valley District Science Day will proceed to the State Science Day held in April.

The Upper Miami Valley District Council would like to thank the 40 plus judges and event volunteers for their time and efforts which made this event possible. We also give a huge thanks to the event and awards sponsors, including: Title sponsors ($5,000) Emerson, Sidney, and BASF, Greenville; and Major Sponsors ($1,000-plus) – Tipp City Rotary Club, Cargill Inc., The College of Wooster, Edison State Community College; Major Sponsors ($500 – $999) – Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, Premier Health – UVMC, Troy Fish & Game Club, Wayne Health, New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank, the Cherry Family; Partner ($250 – $499) Ohio Soybean Council, Tippecanoe Masonic Lodge 174; Patron ($100 – $249) – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Southwest Ohio Water Environmental Association. Special thanks goes to Edison State Community College, its administration, faculty & staff for making this event a wonderful experience for these students.