Home » HVCHS Student Takes Top Prize at Mercer Science and Engineering Fair

HVCHS Student Takes Top Prize at Mercer Science and Engineering Fair

by MercerMe Staff

A tenth grade student at Hopewell Valley Central High School took the top prize this week at the Mercer Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF) held at Rider University. The event, which has been held for more than 50 years, is run by the Mercer Science and Engineering Club and is open to Mercer County students in grades 4 through 12.

Sonja Michaluk,a 10th grade student at Hopewell Valley Central High School received top awards and recognitions for “A Novel Device for Preservation and Remote Monitoring of DNA Barcode Benthic Macroinvertebrate Samples: The PEBBLE (Preservation and Evaluation for Benthic Barcode Life Elements)”, which included the Mercer Science and Engineering Fair Grand Prize — an award that also includes an all-expense paid trip for herself and a parent to compete at the global level at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.  This year, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, in which high school students from over 75 countries compete, will be held in Pittsburgh, PA.

Additional awards include:

  • Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award;
  • Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional Water Prize Award;
  • NJWEA/SJWP Water Resources Award (one of five people state-wide who will be recognized at a conference in Atlantic City);
  • Rider University Award for Most Superior Senior Project;
  • Mercer Science and Engineering Fair First Place Award for Environmental Engineering; and
  • Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2018 Finalist.

Hopewell Valley Regional School District had three more big winners:

Lucas Zapata-Sanin, a 6th grader at Timberlane Middle School, received  Honorable Mention, Junior Division of Biological Science for his project “Exploring the Effect of Music on Stuttering.”

Emilie Sawicki, a 8th grade student at Timberlane, received Honorable Mention, Junior Division of Physical Science for “Do You Know Your H2O?”

Charlotte Michaluk, a 6th grade student received three awards for “Terrific Tensile Tester: A Cost Effective Solution for Evaluating Adhesive Systems” — The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory 1st Place Award in Engineering and Science for Challenging Problem Solving and Research; Rider University Award for Most Superior Junior Physical Project; Mercer Science and Engineering Fair Superior Achievement Award for Junior Physical Project; and a nomination to compete in 2018 Broadcom MASTERS

For more information on the Mercer Science and Engineering Fair please visit: http://www.mercersec.org/resource/fair

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