Carnegie Science Center names virtual science fair winners

After virtually judging more than 900 projects, the Carnegie Science Center has announced the winners of this year’s Covestro Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair.

The virtual judging plan was adopted after the annual science fair was canceled because of public health concerns related to covid-19.

PRSEF named three Carnegie Science Award winners, nominated eight students as Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair finalists, designated two students as Thompson Scholarship Award winners and connected 29 students with scholarship awards worth more than $400,000 from regional colleges and universities.

The 2020 Carnegie Science Award winner in the senior division is Emily Jeong of Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh. Jeong won for a project looking at the effects of rapamycin and metformin on exosome secretion in cancer cells.

Aurea Hickenboth, Saint John Paul II Homeschool Co-op, won the intermediate division prize for a project examining the effect of insulation on the temperature of overwintering honeybee hives.

Maya Gelman of Community Day School won the junior division award for testing bicycle braking methods to minimize brake overheating.

The Rob and Diane Thompson Scholarship Award, which grants each recipient a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice, went to Bana AlMoussa of the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy for an analysis of men’s role in menstrual practices in far-west Nepal. Also winning was Emma Waldron, an Allderdice student, for her project looking at pesticide effects on growth of an amphibian fungal pathogen.

“Hundreds of students put countless hours into their projects, which tackled some serious scientific topics like cancer research, cyber security, climate change and so much more,” said Science Fair Director Nikki Wood. “While we’re sad they couldn’t present their research in person due to social distancing restrictions, we’re thrilled to have found a way to virtually judge each project and recognize their hard work.”

The students will be recognized at the 24th annual Carnegie Science Awards Celebration on Sept. 17.