The Emerging Scientist Competition

The Emerging Scientist Competition provides an opportunity for students to refine key scientific skills, generally referred to as the scientific method, by identifying a suitable scientific or engineering problem, and then embarking on a comprehensive investigation into their chosen topic. At the conclusion of this program students are expected to have become more confident in their own ability to observe the world around them, whether from a physical, chemical or biological point of view. The ability to generate an idea, design and execute the investigation, and then analyse, interpret and present the solution/results is fundamental to being a scientist. The ultimate winner of this competition, announced at Presentation Evening each year, receives the Emerging Scientist Award sponsored by the Robert Feigin Memorial Scholarship Trust.

Previous winners

• • 2020: Jordan Vainer

  • 2015: Tamsin Goldfeld, Warning system for child locked in a hot car

  • 2014: Jory Braun, Cycle Signal

  • 2013: Gabriel Abrahams, Investigation into the physical phenomenon of caustics

  • 2012: Isaac Moulton

  • 2011: Joel Torbiner, Remote-Controlled Battle Robot

  • 2010: Ron Beliavski, Electrical Conductivity of a Pencil Line

  • 2009: Joshua Marlow, Investigating Mersenne’s Law

  • 2008: Daniel Bornstein and Tahl Swieca, The Picnic Turntable

  • 2007: Josh Teichman, The Tesla Coil

2015 Emerging Scientist Winner: Tamsin Goldfeld

Warning system for child locked in a hot car

The 2015 winner of the Robert Feigin Emerging Scientist Award was Year 10 student Tamsin Goldfeld. Tamsin has designed an Arduino-based microcontroller system that will send a warning signal to authorities in the event of a child being locked in a car on a hot day.

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2014 Emerging Scientist Winner: Jory Braun

Cycle Signal

The 2014 winner of the Robert Feigin Emerging Scientist Award was Year 10 student Jory Braun. Jory designed and built a working model, called the "Cycle Signal", an indicating system for bicycles. His project was showcased at The King David School's inaugural Science Fair, where it was voted the "best working model". Significant engineering elements (e.g. CAD modelling using Autodesk Inventor; 3D printing; electrical circuit design) were used in his award winning project.

Jory first participated in the FIRST LEGO League in 2012 when as a Year 8 student he joined one of school's FIRST LEGO League teams at the middle school campus. He has since continued on his participation with the FIRST suite of programs, being an important member of the school's award winning FRC team since arriving at the senior campus in 2013. The skills he has developed in these programs are clearly evident in his Science Fair entry.

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2013 Emerging Scientist Winner: Gabriel Abrahams

Investigation into the physical phenomenon of caustics

Gabi conducted an extensive investigation into the physical phenomenon of caustics, which is commonly seen at the bottom of swimming pools on a sunny day.

As part of his investigation Gabi built a wave generator using LEGO technology, which he then used to create waves in a water tank. Upon illuminating this tank, using both laser light and 'normal' white light, the waves on the water surface created bright and dark patterns on the bottom of the tank (the 'caustics').

Gabi presented his findings, which included a computer model of the relationship between the waves and the patterns generated to an expert panel of judges at the Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament, held at Quantum Victoria on 4th December 2013. Of all the students and schools that participated, Gabi received the highest score from the judges. These judges were a mix of university academics, retired Physics teachers, and PhD Physics students.

Gabi was one member of the three person King David School team that finished in first place overall, in the Year 10 category of the tournament, making them the best Year 10 experimental Physics students across the State of Victoria. One of the judges from Monash University remarked that "it's hard to believe that you are Year 10 students", such was the quality of their experimental procedure and data analysis. Another judge from Quantum Victoria remarked that she "loved that you [students] were so innovative in how you captured your data".

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2012 Emerging Scientist Winner: Isaac Moulton

Year 11 student Isaac Moulton was the 2012 Robert Feigin Emerging Scientist Award winner. As a leader in both the CanSat France and the FRC projects, Isaac was a wonderful role model to his junior team mates, with his leadership qualities recognised by the BAE Systems mentors. His effort and ability to communicate at a sophisticated level was critical to the team achieving equal 3rd at this year's CanSat France competition. Isaac is currently working with the Japanese high-powered rocketry team, Kyutech Space Club, to help develop a sensor system that will be carried aboard one of their future sounding rockets.

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2011 Emerging Scientist Winner: Joel Torbiner,

Remote-Controlled Battle Robot

Joel Torbiner took out the 2011 prize for his design and construction of A.R.E.S. (Armed Robotic Emerging Scientist), a remote-controlled beetle-weight class battle robot, built entirely from the ground-up. Joel sourced every single component and completed the design and construction entirely on his own.

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2010 Emerging Scientist Winner: Ron Beliavski,

Electrical Conductivity of a Pencil Line

Ron Beliavski was a most worthy winner of the 2010 Robert Feigin Emerging Scientist award for his research on the Electrical Conductivity of a Pencil Line. He presented his research to students from Presbyterian Ladies College and a judging panel consisting of 3 scientists. Ron’s presentation was very well received and earned him great praise from one of the judges.

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2009 Emerging Scientist Winner: Joshua Marlow,

Investigating Mersenne’s Law

Joshua Marlow chose a very difficult Physics law to investigate but did so successfully by creating his own device, a piece of wood with hooks specifically positioned, to test tension and frequency.

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2008 Emerging Scientist Winner: Daniel Bornstein and Tahl Swieca,

The Picnic Turntable

Audiophiles argue that nothing comes close to the listening experience that comes from playing a vinyl record on a good quality turntable and hi-fi system, other than hearing the music live. The Picnic Turntable is a trip back in time. Using a discarded turntable, and mating it to a purpose built amplification system, Daniel and Tahl, with the guidance of Daniel's grandfather Jon, have built a functioning turntable capable of playing those old vinyl records, which are still much sought by many an audiophile. The Picnic Turntable, enclosed in a specially designed wooden case, carries a speaker, and is powered by a rechargeable lead-acid battery. Congratulations to our young emerging scientists.

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2007 Emerging Scientist Winner: Josh Teichman

The Tesla Coil

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