Science Research Award Winners

Long Beach High School students earned 10 awards at two regional science fairs in March.

At the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair on March 15, five students took home prizes. Juniors Jake Kritzberg and Andrew Luisi earned honorable mention in electrical and mechanical engineering for their project, “Evaluating the Utilization of Resistive Wire for Deicing Modern Composite Airplane Wings.” They also received the Yale Science and Engineering Association Award. The senior team of Arielle McManus, Chandler McMillan and Jamie Morgenstern earned honorable mention in environmental management for their project, “Can Varying the Amounts of Polyvinyl in Hydrogels and Varying the Contact Time Between Hydrogel and Ion Solutions Lead to Increased Absorption of Nitrates and Phosphates?” They also received the Women Geoscientists Award and the Stockholm Water Prize. In addition, they were offered membership in the Association for Women Geoscientists and received an invitation to enter their project in this year’s World Water Week competition in Stockholm.

On March 24, seven students competing in the New York State Science and Engineering Fair earned awards. In the Intel Division, the team of Arielle McManus, Chandler McMillan and Jamie Morgenstern received second-place honors in environmental management and also received the NOAA “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” award. Junior Monica Lee earned an honorable mention in microbiology in the Intel Division for her project, “The effects of artificial and organic pesticides on the diversity and viable titer of common soil microorganisms.” In the Nebula Division, the freshman team of Kelly DiResto and Jessica Marcote received a third-place award for their project, “The Effect of Simulated Acid Rain on the Predation of Redheaded Pine Sawflies on the Red Pine Tree” and freshman Melissa Baldeo received honorable mention for her project, “The Effect of Different Hand Sanitizers on the Growth of Staphylococcus epidermis.