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2020 Award Winners

Congratulations to all 2020 Southern Appalachian Science & Engineering Fair award winners! Browse the categories below to see all 2020 SASEF Awards. Due to the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair being cancelled, and SASEF being held virtually, award amounts in 2020 were higher than in previous years. Also below is the full virtual awards ceremony in its entirety.

Place Student Teacher School Project Prize
1st Eric Armstrong Sharon Thomas Oak Ridge High School The Effect of Pseudomonas, Piriformispora indica and Laccaria bicolor on the Growth of Gossypium hirsutum $1,500
2nd Veda Seay & Andrew Brady Jessica Williams Oak Ridge High School NRDAA: A Machine Learning Algorithm for Fitting Neutron Reflectometry Data $750/each
3rd Edward Moran & Logan Roeling Jessica Williams Oak Ridge High School Predicting the Impact of Urban Growth on Water Discharge Rates in Philadelphia $250/each
4th Sofia Tomov & Baylor Burchette Beverly Tomov Tomov Home School WAMBAT: A Novel Computational Approach to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trafficking $125/each
4th Ethan White Michelle White White Home School The Effects of Manipulating Microenvironments in Stem Cell Production of Kidney Cells $125
5th Melanie Lick Tom Rutherford Sullivan South High School Designing and Building a Solar-Powered Mechanical Prosthetic Arm $75
5th Clara Winn Bryan Schultz L&N STEM Academy Modeling Microplastics in our Watershed $75
5th Jacob Weston & Jonah Weston Tina Weston Weston Home School Finding Fractal Forms in the Forest $75/each

In the senior division, the Certificate of Excellence Award is given to those students whose project was determined by the judges to be of exceptional merit and deserving of higher honors. Each Certificate of Excellence winner will receive at least $50.

 

Computer Science Category (S-CS-1021)

NRDAA: A Machine Learning Algorithm for Fitting Neutron Reflectometry Data

By: Veda Seay and Andrew Brady from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical Category (S-EE-1049)

Designing and Building a Solar-Powered Mechanical Prosthetic Arm

By: Melanie Lick from Sullivan South High School (Tom Rutherford)

 

Environmental Management Category (S-EM-1026)

WAMBAT: A Novel Computational Approach to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trafficking

By: Sofia Tomov and Baylor Burchette from Tomov Home School (Beverly Tomov)

 

Environmental Sciences Category (S-EV-1025)

Predicting the Impact of Urban Growth on Water Discharge Rates in Philadelphia

By: Edward Moran and Logan Roeling from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Environmental Sciences Category (S-EV-1124)

Modeling Microplastics in our Watershed

By: Clara Winn from L&N STEM  Academy (Bryan Schultz)

 

Mathematical Sciences Category (S-MA-1099)

Finding Fractal Forms in the Forest

By: Jacob Weston and Jonah Weston from Weston Home School (Tina Weston)

 

Medicine and Health Sciences Category (S-ME-1136)

The Effects of Manipulating Microenvironments in Stem Cell Production of Kidney Cells

By: Ethan White from White Home School (Michelle White)

 

Plant Sciences Category (S-PS-1018)

The Effect of Pseudomonas, Piriformispora indica and Laccaria bicolor on the Growth of Gossypium hirsutum

By: Eric Armstrong from Oak Ridge High School (Sharon Thomas)

Behavioral and Social Sciences Category (BE)

The Variability Hypothesis and Distribution of Standardized Test Scores

By: Irene Mamontov from Mamontov (Eugene Mamontov)

 

Influence of Video Games in the Tactical Shooter Genre on Youth’s Perception of U.S. Involvement in Current or Future Foreign Conflicts

By: Peter Wildgruber from Oak Ridge High School (Sharon Thomas)

 

Relationship Between Extracurricular Interests and Predisposition to Lucid Dreaming

By: Ashlyn Riikola from Oak Ridge High School (Sharon Thomas)

 

Chemistry Category (CH)

Computing the correlation between Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) position data and the size of gold nanoparticles.

By: Jessica Jacyno from Oak Ridge High School (Sharon Thomas)

 

Computer Science Category (CS)

Using Iterative Image Reconstruction to Preserve Image Quality in Computed Tomography

By: George Wang and Anhaar Ajaz from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Comparing a Tobii DynaVox to an iPad Pro for Augmentative and Alternative communication Devices

By: Matthew Shelton from Shelton Home School (Sharon Shelton)

 

Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical Category (EE)

HAM Radio Design: Improved World-Wide Communication of an Amateur Radio

By: Ryan Rearden from L&N STEM Academy (Bryan Schultz)

 

Environmental Management Category (EM)

A Solution to Cigarette Filter Pollution

By: Camryn Herrin from Powell High School (Tyler Thompson)

 

Evaluation of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Varieties

By: Jonathan Shelton and Darun Lawson from Shelton Home School (Sharon Shelton)

 

Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering Category (EN)

The Relationship of Buoyant Forces between Water and Fluidized Air Beds

By: Bryson Myers and Ethan Owens from Heritage High School (Chelsie Sells)

Energy and Transportation Category (ET)

Assessing the Effects of Installing Solar Panels in Communities

By: Jina Jiang from Oak Ridge High School (Sharon Thomas)

 

Environmental Sciences Category (EV)

High Grade Filtered Water vs River Water

By: Sophie Hayes and Alissa Ramoie from Heritage High School (Chelsie Sells)

 

Improving Waste Collection in Second Creek, Knoxville TN

By: Meredith Mincey from L&N STEM Academy (Bryan Schultz)

 

Mathematical Sciences Category (MA)

Modeling Complex Fluid Motion of Axisymmetric, Incompressible Viscous Fluids Using the Navier-Stokes Equations

By: Melody Guo from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Mathematical Sciences Category (MA)

Boundary Integral Solution of The Navier-Stokes Equations

By: Jacob Cheney from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Physics and Astronomy Category (PH)

Analyzing Chaotic Islands in a Toroidal Plasma Magnetic Confinement Device

By: Justin Blanchard from Oak Ridge High School (Jessica Williams)

 

Plant Sciences Category (PS)

Are Synthetic Or Natural Herbicides More Environmentally Friendly And Efficient on Viola wittrockiana?

By: Allyssa Blas from Heritage High School (Chelsie Sells)

 

Is Juniperus virginiana Ring Growth Affected by Aridity?

By: Jonas Carrigan from Heritage High School (Chelsie Sells)

Place Student Teacher School Project Prize
1st Alaina Duty Angel Duty Duty Home School Rubber Rebound $250
2nd Anjali Ananthula Lisa Reis University School Does music affect short-term memory? $175
3rd Adithya Sastry Christy Tucker Farragut Middle School Material Identification Using Arduino Powered Surface Spectroscopy for Improved Recycling $125
3rd Lilah von Gruenigen Patrick Davis Powell Middle School The Ingestion of Microplastics by Benthic Aquatic Invertebrates in the Upper Tennessee River Basin $125
4th Victoria Corbett Marsha Sega Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge There MITE BEE a Problem $75
4th Teebro Paul Lisa Reis University School Painkillers – Generic or Brand-Name? $75
4th Landon Vandergriff Rosemary Calvert Saint Joseph School Fish Luring $75
5th Victoria Bales Lisa Walker Maury Middle School How Might Sounds be Related to Shapes in the Human Mind $50
5th Mason Marlowe Diana Brach St. John Neumann Catholic School Password Security $50
5th Claire Cheadle Rosemary Calvert Saint Joseph School Bye-Bye E. coli $50
5th Orly Berry Kaylah Rogers Christian Academy of Knoxville Breathless – The Impact of Breathing Patterns in the 50 Freestyle Race $50

Broadcom Mathematics, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars (Broadcom MASTERS)

The Certificate of Excellence Award is given to those students whose project was determined by the judges to be of exceptional merit and deserving of higher honors. Each Certificate of Excellence winner will receive at least $50. In the Junior Division, all CE winners are also nominated for the Broadcom: Mathematics, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars (Broadcom MASTERS).

 

The Broadcom MASTERS program is a competition for 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade science fair competitors.  Top projects from these grades earn the opportunity to compete nationally for prizes and awards including a grand prize of $25,000.  Entries are judged during the summer and 300 top projects will be announced on September 2, 2020. From these Top 300 MASTERS, 30 finalists and one parent/guardian will win an all-expense-paid trip to the national finals in Washington, DC to showcase their projects, compete in teams and visit sites that celebrate innovation through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Our 2020 winners are:

 

Animal Sciences Category (J-AS-1080)

There MITE BEE a Problem

By: Victoria Corbett from Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge (Marsha Sega)

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences Category (J-BE-1033)

Does music affect short-term memory?

By: Anjali Ananthula from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences Category (J-BE-1061)

How Might Sounds be Related to Shapes in the Human Mind.

By: Victoria Bales from Maury Middle School (Lisa Walker)

 

Biochemistry Category (J-BI-1040)

Painkillers – Generic or Brand-Name?

By: Teebro Paul from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

Computer Science Category (J-CS-1001)

Password Security

By: Mason Marlowe from St. John Neumann Catholic School (Diana Brach)

 

Computer Science Category (J-CS-1114)

Material Identification Using Arduino Powered Surface Spectroscopy for Improved Recycling

By: Adithya Sastry from Farragut Middle School (Christy Tucker)

 

Environmental Sciences Category (J-EV-1069)

The Ingestion of Microplastics by Benthic Aquatic Invertebrates in the Upper Tennessee River Basin

By: Lilah von Gruenigen from Powell Middle School (Patrick Davis)

 

Environmental Sciences Category (J-EV-1097)

Fish Luring

By: Landon Vandergriff from Saint Joseph School (Rosemary Calvert)

 

Microbiology Category (J-MI-1107)

Bye-Bye E. coli

By: Claire Cheadle from Saint Joseph School (Rosemary Calvert)

 

Physics and Astronomy Category (J-PH-1051)

Breathless – The Impact of Breathing Patterns in the 50 Freestyle Race

By: Orly Berry from Christian Academy of Knoxville (Kaylah Rogers)

 

Physics and Astronomy Category (J-PH-1092)

Rubber Rebound

By: Alaina Duty from Duty Home School (Angel Duty)

At SASEF, we award the distinction of honorable mention to those students whose projects were determined by the judges to be of exceptional merit.

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences (BE)

How Does Exercise Affect Memory?

By: Diya Reddy from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

Artificial Blue Light and Working Memory

By: Trishita Paul from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

What color text works bet for reading comprehension for middle schoolers?

By: Sathvik Ramu from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

“Mind Boggling?” The Stroop Effect

By: Ja’Liyah Carter and Zoe Birchfield from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Do you hear what I hear?

By: William Frunza from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Does Color Affect Memory?

By: Avery Miles from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Biochemistry (BI)

What’s In Your Bottle?

By: Astha Patel from University School (Lisa Reis)

 

Dropping Like Flies

By: Tennison Barnes and Isabella Zolnierczuk from Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge (Marsha Sega)

 

Chemistry (CH)

Mint vs Temp

By: Hailey Myers and Davan Riddle from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical (EE)

The Sound Of Flickering

By: Hannah Ulrich from Maury Middle School (Lisa Walker)

 

Music to My Ears

By: Maverick Queern from Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge (Timothy Queern)

 

To Break or Not To Break

By: James Biddix from St. John Neumann Catholic School (Diana Brach)

 

Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering (EN)

Is it Worth Dying For?

By: Sarah Duhamel from Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge (Marsha Sega)

 

Set Them Up and Knock Them Down

By: Jonas Tilson from Saint Mary’s School – Oak Ridge (Timothy Queern)

 

Environmental Sciences (EV)

Oily Oceans

By: Kailin McEnery from St. John Neumann Catholic School (Diana Brach)

 

Mathematical Sciences (MA)

What Girl Scout Cookies Sell Best?

By: Azia Wright from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Medicine and Health Sciences (ME)

Fighting the flu: how your immune system uses its memory

By: Neel Reddy from University School (Lisa Reis)

Exercising the Brain

By: Maria Wilson from Saint Joseph School (Rosemary Calvert)

 

Microwave vs. Stove

By: Sana Al Mafrachi from Annoor Academy of Knoxville (Anna Edwards)

 

Microbiology (MI)

Bacteria and Human Byproducts

By: Alexandra Metcalfe from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Physics and Astronomy (PH)

Can Helium Effect The Future Of Football

By: Carson Ross from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Does Psi Affect How Far You Can Kick A Football

By: Chase Marlow and Kyler Teto from Rockwood Middle School (Kimberly Carroll)

 

Plant Sciences (PS)

Fresh Strawberries: store-bought or homemade wash

By: Emeri Seaton from Gibbs Middle School (Lynn Berney)

 

Plants VS Caffeine

By: Hasti Fattah from Annoor Academy of Knoxville (Anna Edwards)

American Meteorological Society

The AMS national organization presents an award for creative scientific endeavors in atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences.

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

Jina Jiang (Teacher: Sharon Thomas School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association rewards outstanding research in the behavioral and social sciences.

Ashlyn Riikola (Teacher: Sharon Thomas School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

ASM Materials Education Foundation

This award recognizes the project with best materials engineering and best use of materials related concepts.

Adithya Sastry (Teacher: Christy Tucker School: Farragut Middle School)

 

Association for Women Geoscientists

The Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) recognizes a female student whose project exemplifies high standards of innovativeness and scientific excellence in the geosciences.

Lilah von Gruenigen (Teacher: Patrick Davis School: Powell Middle School)

 

Lemelson Early Inventor Prize

The Lemelson Early Inventor Prize is given to a middle school student who displays entrepreneurial thinking by developing a tangible invention which may improve the lives of others.

Adithya Sastry (Teacher: Christy Tucker School: Farragut Middle School)

 

Mu Alpha Theta

Mu Alpha Theta, The National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Club, provides an award to the project demonstrating the most challenging, thorough and creative investigation of a problem involving modern mathematics

Melody Guo (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

NASA Earth Systems Science Award

The NASA award is given to the student with an outstanding project offering the greatest insight into Earth’s interconnected systems.

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet award is given to the student whose project best emphasizes NOAA’s Science, Service, and Stewardship mission.

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

Office of Naval Research

The Office of Naval Research sponsors three Junior Division awards for excellence in Science or Engineering.

Adithya Sastry (Teacher: Christy Tucker School: Farragut Middle School)

Claire Cheadle (Teacher: Rosemary Calvery School: Saint Joseph School)

Lilah von Gruenigen (Teacher: Patrick Davis School: Powell Middle School)

 

The Office of Naval Research also sponsors two Senior Division prizes for excellence in Science or Engineering.

Ethan White (Teacher: Michelle White School: White Home School)

Melanie Lick (Teacher: Tom Rutherford School: Sullivan South High School)

 

Ricoh American Sustainable Development Award

This award recognizes the student whose technological and scientific innovations best reflect the principles of sustainability – balancing economic development with environmental responsibility.

Adithya Sastry (Teacher: Christy Tucker School: Farragut Middle School)

 

USAID Science Champion Award

The US Agency for International Development Award goes to a project that shows outstanding work toward solving a global development challenge.

Meredith Mincey (Teacher: Bryan Schultz School: L&N STEM Academy)

Jina Jiang (Teacher: Sharon Thomas School: Oak Ridge High School)

 

U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force recognizes outstanding projects in science, technology, math, engineering or medicine that are of interest to the Air Force.

Jacob Cheney (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

Melody Guo (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

Ryan Rearden (Teacher: Bryan Schultz School: L&N STEM Academy)

Alaina Duty (Teacher: Angel Duty School: Duty Home School)

 

U.S. Metric Association

The U.S. Metric Association recognizes students, usually in the Senior Division (but this year from the Junior Division) whose project involves quantitative measures and best uses the metric system for those measures

Alaina Duty (Teacher: Angel Duty School: Duty Home School)

 

U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Price

The Water Environment Federation recognizes projects involving water quality, water resource management, water protection, or water and wastewater treatment.  The winners receive a certificate and a chance to compete for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize state competition.

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

Melody Guo (Teacher: Jessica Williams School: Oak Ridge High School)

Meredith Mincey (Teacher: Bryan Schultz School: L&N STEM Academy)

 

Yale Science and Engineering Prize

The Yale Science and Engineering prize goes to a Junior in High School with the top project in engineering or the physical sciences.

Camryn Herrin (Teacher: Tyler Thompson School: Powell High School)

American Chemical Society, East Tennessee Section

The East Tennessee Section of the American Chemical Society presents $50 cash to the best projects in the chemical sciences in each division.

Junior Division winner: Hailey Myers and Davan Riddle, Rockwood Middle School, Teacher Kimberly Carroll

Senior Division winner: Jessica Jacyno, Oak Ridge High School, teacher Sharon Thomas.

 

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

The Oak Ridge/Knoxville Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers presents $75 cash awards and certificates to the top project in each division for the applications of chemical engineering principles or practices.

Junior Division winner: Adithya Sastry, Farragut Middle School, teacher Christy Tucker

Senior Division winner: Jessica Jacyno, Oak Ridge High School, teacher Sharon Thomas

 

American Meteorological Society – Smoky Mountain Chapter

The Smoky Mountain Chapter of the American Meteorological Society is proud to present two cash awards of $100 each and a certificate to outstanding projects involving meteorology, climate, or atmospheric or related oceanic science.

Jina Jiang, Oak Ridge High School, teacher Sharon Thomas

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling, Oak Ridge High School, Teacher Jessica Williams

 

Biology Teacher Award

Anonymous donors provide an award for excellence in life science research.

Eric Armstrong, Oak Ridge High School, teacher Sharon Thomas.

 

IEEE – East Tennessee Section

The East Tennessee Section of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers is pleased to award $100 cash awards for the best demonstrations of electrical or electronics design or computer science.

Junior Division winner: Adithya Sastry, Farragut Middle School, teacher Christy Tucker and Senior Division winner: Sofia Tomov and Baylor Burchette, Tomov Home School, Teacher Beverly Tomov.

 

Jewelry Television

JTV (Jewelry Television®) is one of the largest jewelry retailers in the United States, supporting over 1,400 jobs on its 16-acre Knoxville campus, and they provide JTV Brilliance Awards to outstanding projects that they select, and send them a JTV gift package.

Junior Division winner: Adithya Sastry, Farragut Middle School, teacher Christy Tucker

Senior Division winner: Melanie Lick, Sullivan South High School, Teacher Tom Rutherford

 

Knox County Superintendent’s Award

The Knox County Schools Superintendent’s Award of $50 recognizes:

Adithya Sastry, Farragut Middle School, teacher Christy Tucker

 

Oak Ridge National Lab

We are pleased to announce a new award for excellence in computing by one of our largest sponsors of the fair, the Oak Ridge National Lab. This prestigious award of $500 and letters from the director of the lab goes to:

Senior Division team: Veda Seay and Andrew Brady, Oak Ridge High School, Teacher Jessica Williams

 

SASEF 

Southern Appalachian Science and Science and Engineering Fair staff presents $50 cash awards and certificates and to our favorite projects.

 

Junior Division winners:
Emeri Seaton, Gibbs Middle School, Teacher Lynn Berney
Fattah Hasti, Annoor Academy of Knoxville, Teacher Anna Edwards
Alexandra Metcalfe, Rockwood Middle School, Teacher Kimberley Carroll
Maverick Queern, St. Mary’s School, Teacher Timothy Queern

 

Senior Division winners:
Team of Sophie Hayes and Alissa Ramoie, Heritage High School, Teacher Chelsie Sells
Irene Mamontov, Mamontov Home School, Teacher Eugene Mamontov.
Team of Jonathan Shelton and Darun Lawson, Shelton Home School, Teacher Sharon Shelton.

 

Society for Women Engineers, Smoky Mountain Section

The Society for Women Engineers, Smoky Mountain Section presents two $75 Awards to recognize sound applications of engineering principles.

Kailin McEnery, St. John Neumann Catholic School, Teacher Diana Brach

Claire Cheadle, St. Mary’s School, Teacher Rosemary Calvert

 

Tau Beta Pi

The Great Smoky Mountain Alumni Chapter of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society is a new member of our group of local sponsors. They award $100 cash and certificates to outstanding projects in engineering.

Junior Division winner: Adithya Sastry, Farragut Middle School, teacher Christy Tucker

Senior Division winner: Ryan Rearden, L&N STEM Academy, Teacher Bryan Schultz

 

Tennessee Science Teachers Association

TSTA presents a $50 cash award and certificate to a project that exemplifies outstanding adherence to the scientific method.

Melanie Lick, Sullivan South High School, Teacher Tom Rutherford

 

Strata G

Strata-G presents an award to a project that speaks to what is important to us—one that addresses stewardship and sustainability of the environment.

Edward Moran and Logan Roeling, Oak Ridge High School, Teacher Jessica Williams

 

Joanne Logan Sustainability Prize

The $50 Joanne Logan Sustainability Prize honors a student whose project has the sustainability mission at its core. Also, in keeping with Dr. Logan’s passion for teaching, the student’s teacher receives a $100 prize.

Sofia Tomov and Baylor Burchette, Tomov Home School, Teacher Beverly Tomov