NIWA: Winners of Wellington Science Fair Announced

NIWA Media Release Winners of Wellington Science Fair Announced

Winners announced! The 2011 NIWA Wellington Regional Science and Technology Fair has again been a resounding success, with nearly 600 intermediate and secondary school students taking part.

NIWA’s Education Coordinator Dr Julie Hall says that “the winning ideas, 'The effect of Ponni Rice on blood glucose levels', 'Treatment of Farm Effluent Using Osmosis', 'What do Kiwi Kids Eat for Lunch?', and 'A Hole Lot of ****!', are really very clever ideas and it's exciting to see such a high standard this year.”

The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Fair is open for public viewing Friday 26 August and Saturday 27 August at Victoria University of Wellington. The Prizes will be awarded, Saturday 27 August, starting at 1pm.

The Chief Science Fair Judge Dr Gillian Turner says, “It shows that science and technology are alive and thriving in the secondary and intermediate schools of Wellington and the Hutt Valley. The 450 exhibits which packed the undergraduate laboratories of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Victoria University evidenced the enormous level of enthusiasm and innovation of the next generation of scientists and the dedication of their teachers, parents and caregivers in supporting them.

“Each project was individually conceived, designed and carried out and almost all explored applications way beyond the traditional school curriculum showing, for example concern for the environment, for sustainability and health issues. If yesterday’s fair is any indication, we will be in excellent hands when this generation of students moves through tertiary education and into the work force.”

NIWA prize-winners:
Cheyaanthan Haran, a Year 13 student from Wellington College, won the $1000 Royal Society of New Zealand Wellington Branch prize for best overall exhibit with his project: “The effect of Ponni Rice on blood glucose levels”. Cheyaanthan conducted an experiment to determine whether Ponni Rice lowers blood glucose levels, which would be useful for people living with diabetes. Cheyaanthan also won the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Science Innovation Prize, a nomination for Genesis Energy Realise the Dream, and was also judged first in Class 5.

Lachlan Sim, a Year 8 student from Wellesley College, won the Victoria University Faculty of Science prize of an iPad for the best Class 1-4 (Years 7 - 10) exhibit. Lachlan’s project “Treatment of Farm Effluent Using Osmosis” investigated how to reduce run-off and local pollution when applying effluent to farm land. Lachlan was also judged first in Class 2.

Other age class winners:
Jessie Cartmell from Seatoun School with “What do Kiwi Kids Eat for Lunch?”, and Imogen Graham and Emma Munro from Kelburn Normal School with “A Hole Lot of ****!” were judged first equal in Class 1 (Year 7): .

Class 3 (Year 9):
Adrina Venayagam from Tawa College for “Breath of Life”. Adrina also won a nomination for Genesis Energy Realise the Dream.

Class 4 (Year 10):
Georgia Hulme-Moir from Bishop Viard College for “Pests of Whiteria Park”. Georgia also won a nomination for Genesis Energy Realise the Dream.

Other winners:
Charlotte Hann, a Year 11 student from Wellington East Girl’s College, won the University of Otago Prize of a trip to 2012 Hands on Science summer school. Her exhibit was “Coprosma Leaf Adaptations”.

Details of the main prizewinners:
Details of the main prizewinners, and the first prizewinner in each class are posted at: www.sciencefair.org.nz.

Public viewing:
Laby Building, Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington
9am – 5pm, Friday 27 August
9am – 12.30pm, Saturday 28 August

Prizegiving:
1pm, Saturday 28 August, Maclaurin Lecture Theatre 3, Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington.

ENDS

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