PIQUA — One-hundred-sixty 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, in Piqua, on Saturday, March 10.

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 1940s. 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.

Ohio now has 17 districts, the newest of which is the Upper Miami Valley District comprising the four aforementioned counties.

This was the third year for the event at Edison State Community College. Organizers included area educators, STEM professionals and business representatives. Over $7,000 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 several hundred parents, teachers and guests on Saturday, in a tremendous show of support of the students’ efforts.

All Upper Miami Valley students who received a superior rating at their respective local or county Science Day in February were eligible to compete at the District Science Day.

Students participating at district and receiving superior ratings from Shelby County were Rachel Shoemaker and Jake Kovacs, of Anna High School; Adith Joshua George, Samantha Sargeant, Emilee Van Skiver, Ethen Stiver, Ashlyn Hamblin, Michael O’Leary, David Rossman, of Holy Angels in Sidney; Abigail Jones, Jacquie Schemmel, Maximilian Schemiesing, Melanie Brunner, of Lehman High School in Sidney.

Special awards winners included:

• Boonshoft Museum of Discover: Audrey Kinninger (family membership)

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers Awards in Mechanical Engineering: Ashley Martin (first place, $75), Jacob Osborne (second place, $50) Erin McKinney (third place, $25)

• Tippecanoe Masonic Lodge No.174 Award in Engineering: project of Karr Stump and Vance Wetzel, project of Trevor Coppess and Avery Ernst ($100 each)

• Chaney Family Award for Engineering Design: Ashley Martin (trophy plus $100)

• Fresh Eyes Editing Award for Biomedical Research: Jenna Parker ($50)

• Premier Health Award for Medicine and Health Sciences: Will Moddeman ($100)

• Cargill Awards in Plant Science: Abigail Jones, Jacquie Schemmel ($100 each)

• Ohio Soybean Council Biosciences: Abigail Hissong, Abigail Jones, Jacquie Schemmel ($100 each)

• Troy Fish and Game Club Award in Animal Sciences: Cooper Strader ($100)

• Troy Fish and Game Club Award in Environmental Sciences: Marissa Shook ($150)

• Southwest Ohio Water Environmental Association: Adith George (first place, $100), Zachary Miller (second place, $75), Bryanna Sears and Marissa Hollon (third place, $50)

• Miami Soil and Water Conservation District Award in Environmental Sciences: Zachary Miller ($50)

• Mackenzie E. English Award for Earth Science: Demi Show ($50)

• College of Wooster–Buckeye Women In Science, Research and Engineering (B-WISER) Camp: Marissa Shook, Ella Strawn, Lexi Slade, Amelia Campbell, Marissa Sypolt, Skylar Fletcher, Kate Garber, Mara Flood, Kelly Witwer, Minaxi Pandey ($100 camp scholarship each)

• Ohio Tuition Trust Authority–College Advantage 529 Savings Plan: Samantha Sargeant, Eva Dexter ($250 scholarship each)

• Edison State Community College: Lauren Menke, Victoria Jacobs, Landon Muhlenkamp (course scholarships)

• Emerson Awards (new this year): for Animal Science, Samantha Sargeant; for Behavioral and Social Sciences, Sarah Riley; for Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Melanie Brunner; for Chemistry, Sadhil Mehta; for Earth and Environmental Sciences, Marissa Shook; for Embedded Systems and Software Systems, Holden Lapham and Bill Yang; for Energy, Graham Milligan; for Engineering Mechanical, Molly Greene; for Material Science, Brandon Hood; for Mathematics, Leena Vyas; for Medicine and Health Sciences, Jenna Parker; for Microbiology, Maximillian Schmiesing; for Physics and Astronomy, Jake Kovacs; for Plant Science, Logan Garber; for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Derek Borsody (trophy plus $100)

• BASF Awards in Chemistry (new this year): Audrey Kinninger (first, $200), Julie Sebastian (second, $150), Ash Williams (third, $100)

• BASF Awards in Medicine and Health: Jenna Parker (first, $200), Lauren Menke (second, $150), Ella Strawn and Lexi Slade (third, $100)

• BASF Award for Best Presentation of Data: Emilee Van Skiver ($100)

• Award for Best Abstract from Fresh Eyes Editing, Sheila Cherry, PhD: Leena Vyas ($100)

Eight students were selected to compete at the Buckeye Science and Engineering Fair on Saturday, April 1, at The Ohio State University, including one from Shelby County: Rachel Shoemaker, of 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 at The Ohio State University, in Columbus, on Saturday, May 12, where over $1 million in scholarships and special awards will be presented.

Over 80 judges and event volunteers were present at The Upper Miami Valley District Science Day. The day was also made possible with the help of the following sponsors:

• New title sponsors ($5,000): EMERSON, Sidney; and BASF, Greenville.

• Major sponsors ($1,000+): Tipp City Rotary Club; Cargill, Inc.; The College of Wooster; Edison State Community College.

• Major sponsors ($500-$999): Ohio Tuition Trust Authority; Troy Rotary Club; Dungan and LeFevre Co. LPA; Dayton Society of Natural History.

• Partner ($250-$499): Premier Health; Ohio Soybean Council; Tippecanoe Masonic Lodge 174.

• Patron ($100-$249): American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Dayton Section; Fresh Eyes Editing, Sheila Cherry, PhD; Chaney Family; Dill Family; Southwest Ohio Water Environmental Association.

• Friends of Science (up to $99): Miami Soil and Water Conservation District; Mackenzie E. English.

For more information about Upper Miami Valley Science Days, contact Dr. Martin English, 1470 W. Main Street, Tipp City, by phone at 937-667-3217, by email at [email protected], by visiting www.ohioumvsd.com; or contact Angela McMurry, Darke County Educational Services Center, 5279 Education Drive, Greenville, by phone at 937-548-4915, ext. 221.