2023 Awards

2023 North Museum Science and Engineering Fair (NMSEF) Awards 

Awards List

Grand Champion: Erin Sahd

Biochemistry and Biomedical/Health Sciences

"Laser Focused on (A)u: The Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on a Laser's Ability to Ablate Artificial Vitreous Opacities"

Champion: Zoe Wiker

Chemistry and Materials Science

"Sneetches Get Stitches: Molar Mass of Polymers/Polymer Type on Stitch Durability and Biodegradability"

Reserve Champion: Mia Pautz

Chemistry and Materials Science

"Plankton Finally Got the Crabby Patty Formula! The Effects of Microplastics on Marine Copepods and Local Zooplankton"

Animal and Plant Sciences

• 1st Place: Carly Ruchalski, "Lettuce Shed Some Light on Hydroponics: The Effect of LED Light on Plant Growth"

• 2nd Place: Adelaide Pusey, "Drowning in the Stress: The Effect of Watering Volume on Plant Leaf Temperature"

• 3rd Place: Brisa Miller, "Searching for a Substrate: The Effect of Hydroponic Substrates on Lettuce Growth"

Biochemistry and Biomedical/Health Sciences

• 1st Place: John Moll, "Ending Dialysis Paralysis: The Effect of Albumin on Drug Transportation"

• 2nd Place: Crystal Kirui, "Bacterial Battle: The Effect of Lactobacillus in Dairy Products on their Antimicrobial Activity Against E. coli"

• 3rd Place: Andrew Jackson, "Saved by a Pitch: The Effect of Liquid Density on Frequency"

Chemistry and Physics

• 1st Place: Ansh Dwivedi, "Currently, It Has Potential!: Construction of a Micro-Controller Based Cyclic Voltammetry System"

• 2nd Place: Jaxon King, "Caught Red-Handed: The Effect of Elements on the Color of Fire"

• 3rd Place: Sarah Ngugi, "It's Getting Cold in Here: Experimenting With the Freezing Point of Salt Solutions and Sucrose Solutions."

Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering

• 1st Place: Trey Mitchell, "Xylem, Really?: The Effect of Xylem Filters on the Concentration of Copper and Zinc Ions in Contaminated Water"

• 2nd Place: Alliy Kulas, "The Effect of Salinity on Ice Melting"

• 3rd Place: Claire Diffenbach, "Going With the Flow: The Effect of Stream Widening on Rate of Flow"

Materials Science

• 1st Place: Linnea Miller, "Captured in Concrete: The Effect of Invasive Plants as Aggregates on the Thermal Conductivity of Concrete"

• 2nd Place: Manuel Haloua, "Umbrella Powder: The Effect of Titanium Dioxide and HDTMS on a Glass Slide's Hydrophobicity"

• Honorable Mention: Patryk Palmer, "The Effect of Evaporation on the Redispersability of Nanocellulose"

Special Awards

• Punniest/Most Creative Title Award: Mia Pautz, "Plankton Finally Got the Crabby Patty Formula! The Effects of Microplastics on Marine Copepods and Local Zooplankton"

• The People’s Choice Award for the most popular project at Community Night: John Moll, "Ending Dialysis Paralysis: The Effect of Albumin on Drug Transportation"