2024 Southwest Regional Science Fair hosted by Western Wyoming Community College

Western Wyoming Community College (Western) hosted science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students, in grades 6-12, who participated in the Southwest Regional Science Fair (Fair) on Thursday, February 1, 2024.  

This year 57 participants came from seven different schools across the region. The Fair is an opportunity for students to apply their STEM knowledge, engage in scientific thought, and gain innovative ideas and knowledge from peers and educators. Local STEM teachers dedicate much of their time to prepare their students for this educational opportunity.   

“The Southwest Regional Science Fair is an exciting opportunity for students around our region to investigate, engage with, and study science from a variety of fields.  These students continue to impress our judges with their creative projects and eagerness to learn and grow.  Many thanks to the sponsors who support and coach their students and to the judges from Western faculty and from our community who helped make this event a success,” said Sarah Pauley, School of Math and Science Chair.  

The Regional Science Fair is an affiliate of Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. The categories, divisions, rules, and judging criteria of the Fair are in line with the Intel ISEF requirements.   

This year participants presented 37 projects from the following schools: Big Piney Middle School, Kemmerer Junior/ Senior High School, Pinedale Middle School, Pinedale High School, Hanna Elementary, WY Tech Trep Academy, and Rawlins High School.  

The results are as follows:   

Overall Winner:   

• Tinley Kern, from Big Piney Middle School for her project, The Effect of Soil on Hay Quality. Kern was awarded a scholarship to Western along with a trophy and medal.  

Animal Sciences:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Matazie Jones & Candace Cary (Big Piney Middle School) - The Effect of Gender on Fingerprint Patterns.

SR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Sidney Carter & Erika Brown (Rawlins High School) - Catnip 
• 2nd place: Trista Palmer (Rawlins High School) - Handedness in Dogs 

Behavioral & Social Sciences:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Landee Biffle & Arabella DeWitt (Pinedale Middle School) - How Does Sight Affect Taste? 
• 2nd place: Naomi Gaffney & Katherine Mika (Pinedale Middle School) - "Bop It!” 
• 3rd place: Shealyn Bennett & Remedios Mata (Pinedale Middle School) - Do My Eyes Deceive Me? 

 

Biochemistry/Cellular & Molecular Biology/Bioinformatics & Computational Biology:  

JR. DIVISION

• 3rd place: Emilee Dearden & McKenna Witbeck (Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - Stomach Acid vs Chololate 

Biomedical & Health Sciences/Biomedical Engineering/Translational Medical Sciences:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Emmie Judge & Taylor Ridgeway (Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - Gauze Absorption of Blood 
• 2nd place: Kamri Brisko & Ainslee McMillen (Pinedale Middle School) - Pumped Up Kicks 
• 3rd place: Dane Brandt & Clayton Jenks (Big Piney Middle School) - The Effects of Filters on the Spread of Tobacco Mosiac Virus 

SR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Tia Lopez & Jillian Mascarenas (Rawlins High School) - Natural Teeth Whitening Methods and Its Affects on Bacteria 
• 2nd place: Arleth Rodriguez (Rawlins High School) - The Best Moisturizer 

Chemistry/Energy: Chemical:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Micah Nutt & Gwen Scurlock (Pinedale Middle School) - Ooo Oil Alternative 
• 2nd place: Adison Penfield & Anju-lee Sevenski (Big Piney Middle School) - The Effect of Different Materials on Ice Melt 

Computer Science:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Charlie Knotts (Big Piney Middle School) - Computer Engineered Fruit Ripeness Sensor 
• 3rd place: Samantha Prior (Pinedale Middle School) - Crash Help 2.0 

Earth & Environmental Sciences/Environmental Engineering:  

JR. DIVISION

• 3rd place: Sam Thatcher & KJ Walker (Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - Think Before You Drink  

Engineering Mechanics/Sustainable Materials & Design/Materials Science:  

JR. DIVISION

• 2nd place: Millee Ellis & Ella Kelley (Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - Which Heat Protectant Protects Your Hair Best? 
• 3rd place: Temperance Henrie (K Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - Breakdown of A Tire 

SR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Ash Cooper (Pinedale High School) - A Helping Hand 

Mathematical Sciences: 

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Jackson Allison (WY Tech Trep Academy) - Sounds That Bite 

Microbiology:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Macie Antonino & Oakley Francis (Pinedale Middle School) - Snow Way I'd Eat That! 

SR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Meadow Mathill (Rawlins High School) - The Germs We Don't See 
• 2nd place: Sheylin Seager (Rawlins High School) - Song Tira  

Physics & Astronomy: 

JR. DIVISION

• 3rd place: Chandler Jones & Peyton Stansell (Big Piney Middle School) - The Effect of Water Molecules on Laser Light Dispersion 

Plant Sciences:  

JR. DIVISION

• 1st place: Tinley Kern (Big Piney Middle School) - The Effect of Soil on Hay Quality 
• 2nd place: Natalie Jones & Marie Noble (Pinedale Middle School) - No More Hairy Berries 
• 3rd place: Cara Schenavar (Kemmerer Jr/Sr High School) - How Different Soils Affect Growing Plants 

In speaking of the student experience Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Katrina Marcos said, "Participating in the Southwest Regional Science Fair provides the opportunity for students to engage with the process of science in ways they may not otherwise experience. It promotes not only scientific literacy and inquiry, but also creativity, responsibility, self-confidence, organization and communication, both written and verbal." 

Each year TATA Chemicals donates a monetary prize to the winning student's school. This year TATA Chemicals will donate $750 to Big Piney Middle School to be used for promoting the STEM program at their educational facility. This is the eighth year TATA has sponsored the Fair.  

"Tata Chemicals is pleased to sponsor the Southwest Wyoming Science Fair again.  Our mission statement is 'Serving Society Through Science'.  We want to encourage the youth in our area to participate and grow from experiences such as the Science Fair and take advantage of all opportunities to learn about science.  Many of the jobs in our industry are science-related and we use science every day," said David Young, Project Management Operations at Tata Chemicals.  

The regional science fair committee consists of the following dedicated Western educators and employees: Katrina Marcos, Dr. Randy Goff, Dr. Josh Holmes, Jennifer Allen, Wendy Black, and Peggy Cheney.  

For more information regarding the Science Fair at Western, please contact Wendy Black at wblack@westernwyoming.edu or call 307-382-1712. For information on career fields in STEM, visit the Western academic page or contact the School of Math and Science Chair, Sarah Pauley, at spauley@westernwyoming.ed.edu.