Winners announced in national science fair

Winners have been announced in the 2013 RIT National Science Fair for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students held at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

More than 50 contestants from across the country brought their exhibits to Rochester, N.Y., during the competition, held March 22–24.

The goal of the Science Fair, in its eighth year, is to promote interest in technology, science, engineering and math among 6^th through 12^th graders who are deaf or hard of hearing.

First-, second- and third-place cash prizes were awarded to middle school students, high school students and in team divisions. First place winners in each division were awarded $500; second-place winders received $300 and third-place winners received $200. Each winner also received a plaque.

The winners are:

High School Individual Division

• 1^st place: Victoria Pon, of Jackson Heights, N.Y., from Lexington School for the Deaf in East Elmhurst, N.Y., for “Mouthwash Kills Bacteria.”

• 2^nd place: Tricia Delph, of Plymouth, Mass., from Bristol Plymouth Technical School in Massachusetts, for “Lily the Robot.”

• 3^rd place: Ryne Beachley, of San Pedro, Calif., from Port of Los Angeles High School in San Pedro, for “Effects of Pressure on Divers.”

High School Team Division

• 1^st place: Anthony Claypool, of West Valley, Utah, and Josette Savea, of Salt Lake City, from Jean Massieu School for the Deaf and Blind in Salt Lake City, for “Can You Lie to Me?”

• 2^nd place: Andrea Crouch and Courtney McCarty, both of Springfield, Mo., from the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton, for “Which Energy Drink Affects You The Most?”

• 3^rd place: Sarah Sharp and Susan Sharp, identical twins from from St. Augustine, Fla., from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, for “Peripheral Vision.”

Middle School Individual Division

• 1^st place: Rhett Carbine, of Salt Lake City, Utah, from Jean Massieu School for the Deaf and Blind in Salt Lake City, for “How do Planarian React to Magnets?”

• 2^rd place: Kacper Kania, of Ludlow, Mass., from Clark School for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, Mass., for “Can a Solar Panel Power a Remote-Controlled Car?

• 3^rd place: Decker Ayers, of Owego, N.Y., from Owego-Apalachin Middle School in Owego, for “Frost Bitten Hearing Aids.”

Middle School Team Division

• 1^st place: Amanda Ortiz, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Yeny Reyes, of Croydon, Pa., from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia, for “How Much Electricity Causes Lights to Go Out?

• 2^nd place: Zachary Williams, of Palm Coast, Fla., and Reeba Brooks, of Sebring, Fla., from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, for “Light Up Your World.”

• 3^rd place: Javier Castenda a of St. Augustine, Fla., and Tyler Powell, from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, for “Solar Cells.”

Plans are under way for the 2014 National Science Fair. Details will be posted on the Science Fair website.

RIT is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, sustainability and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

RIT enrolls 18,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

NTID, one of nine colleges of RIT, was established by Congress in 1965 to provide college opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who were underemployed in technical fields. Today, 1,530 students attend NTID; more than 1,350 are deaf or hard of hearing. Others are hearing students enrolled in interpreting or deaf education programs. Visit: www.rit.edu/NTID.