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PW-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
PW-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
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2022 Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Dear Participants of the 2022 Regional Fair,

All certificates, trophies, and ribbons have been delivered directly to schools. Monetary awards have been purchased and delivered to students' PWCS email accounts as Amazon gift cards. Please contact Julia Renberg, director of the fair, at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Congratulations to Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair first and second place winners for their outstanding performance at the Virginia State fair.

Read the Story

2022 Senior Division Winners

View the Senior Division entries (PDF).

Grand Prizes
Student(s) School Project
Naman Agarwal The Governor’s School at Innovation Park A Low-Cost Deep Learning Solution for Early Detection of Lettuce Stress in Indoor Farms
Ebru Ayyorgun Battlefield High School A Novel Visualization Tool: Application to RNA-sequence Classification
Desmen Boykin The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Casein Polymers on the Filtration of Heavy Metals and Contaminants in Well Water
Rania Lateef Colgan High School Dozing off with Drosophila: The Effect of Disrupted Sleep and Circadian Rhythms on Mood, Addiction, and Mortality


Animal Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Rania Lateef Colgan High School Dozing off with Drosophila: The Effect of Disrupted Sleep and Circadian Rhythms on Mood, Addiction, and Mortality
Second Ellie Kim Gainesville High School Assessing the Effect of Selected Medicinal Herbs on the Fertility of Drosophila melanogaster
Third Iqra Ahmad
Keren Gonzaga
Thu Luong 		The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Evaluating the Efficacy of Selected Phytoestrogens in Promoting Neuroprotection and Preventing Neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans
Organization Awards: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Honorable
Mention		 Vaishnavi Burra
Agnes Cho
Alyssa Kane		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effects of Toxicity Levels of Selected Homeopathic Remedies on the Satisfaction Levels of C. elegans
Honorable
Mention		 Seth Kellogg Seton School A Deadly Problem: Determining the Efficacy of Naturally-Occurring Mosquito Attractants

Behavioral Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Kristina Jernigan
Connor Wilber		 Osbourn Park High School Effect of Anonymity on the Prisoner's Dilemma
Second Haley Fifield Seton School Stage Fright?
Third Maanini Lakshmanan
Bethelle Lanquaye
Chloe Musman		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effects of Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, and Coenzyme Q10 on the Vitality and Mobility of Caenorhabditis elegans
Honorable Mention Layla Moussavi Colgan High School Perception of Healthy Eating Habits Among Teenagers

Biochemistry Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Comfort Ohajunwa
Jadesola Akinbi		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park A Study on Biofuel Production: Investigating Methods to Enhance Fermentation in the Production of Bioethanol
Organization Awards: American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics-National Capital Section; Ricoh Americas Corporation
Second Khadeejah Alsheikh
Jestelle Ignacio		 Osbourn Park High School Using Different Types of Biomasses to Affect the Rate of Biogas Production: Creating Biogas Using Cow Manure
Organization Award: NASA Earth Systems Science Award-Woodbridge Branch
Third Anna Russo Seton School Rise of the Yeast

Chemistry Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Sejal Sharma
Nawah Ahmad
Jennine Faruque		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Direct Air Capturer: The Effect of a Direct Air Capturer on the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Organization Awards: American Association of University Women; American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics-National Capital Section; Metropolitan Council of Governments Clean Air Partners; U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); SAE International Washington DC Section; American Meteorological Society; Federal Water Quality Association
Second Diego Luque The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Observing Oxidants: Measuring the Effect of Different Iron Oxidizing Agents on Iron Oxidation Filtration
Third Madison Nepomuceno Gainesville High School The Effect of Cooking Oil Viscosities on the Speed of a Marble
Honorable
Mention		 Beverly Appouh The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Bioplastic Straws
Organization Awards: National Geographic Award 2022: “That’s Geography! Cultivating Empathy for The Earth” Award ; Federal Water Quality Association
Honorable Mention Skye Auger Osbourn Park High School Examining the Acidic Corrosion Rate of Iron
Honorable Mention Kyrene Phan
Sarah Fernandez		 Colgan High School Don't Yearn for Burns

Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Ebru Ayyorgun Battlefield High School A Novel Visualization Tool: Application to RNA-sequence Classification
Organization Awards: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Northern Virginia Section IEEE
Second Raj Joshi
Benjamin Dries
Abdullah Khurram		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Measuring Relative Inhibition of Pain-Causing Enzymes with Various Analgesics
Organization Award: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Engineering Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
Second Adhikari Utsav
Kineab Melkamu
Nelson Palacios		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Thermal Imagery in Transportation
Organization Awards: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Northern Virginia Dental Association
Honorable Mention Humzah Shaikh
Rahat Bhuiyan
Gabriel Estrella		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Thermal Transfer on Space Heating Efficiency

Environmental Science Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Desmen Boykin The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Casein Polymers on the Filtration of Heavy Metals and Contaminants in Well Water
Organization Awards: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (Water Environment Federation); Virginia Water Environment Association; Federal Water Quality Association
Second Mehreen Rahman
Kevin Sae-Tung		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Copper Sulfate on the Ability of Ulva lactuca to Prevent Critical Levels of Nutrients in Water
Organization Awards: U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (Water Environment Federation); Virginia Water Environment Association; Federal Water Quality Association; Northern Virginia Dental Association; Virginia Lakes and Watershed Association
Honorable Mention Alexis Andrews
Kiara Turner
Alexandra Roberson		 Colgan High School Water Filtration: The Key to Healthier Living
Organization Award: Federal Water Quality Association
Honorable Mention Melissa George
Fayza Mehrin		 Osbourn Park High School Evaluating the Rate of Microplastic Filtration on Mytilus edulis
Organization Award: Federal Water Quality Association
Honorable Mention Manreet Cheema The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of PET Plastic on the Survival Rate of Brine Shrimp
Organization Awards: Federal Water Quality Association; Society of Women Engineers

Mathematics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
Third Sana Amer Battlefield High School The Effect of Predictive Algorithm Method on Forecasting Nonlinear Data
Organization Awards: Mu Alpha Theta; Office of Naval Research; The Aerospace Corporation

Medicine & Health Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Hamza Lateef
Tony Bright
Gabriel Ralston		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Concussion Recovery in Youth Optimized using a Comprehensive App-based Program (CRYO CAP)
Organization Award: Northern Virginia Dental Association
Second Christina Fernandez
Bethel Abebe		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park Quantifying the Degradation and Adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis' Biofilms When Exposed to Select Proteolytic Enzymes on Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces
Organization Award: Society for In Vitro Biology
Third Divya Ramakrishnan
Hermela Tadesse
Soneha Datta		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Natural Plant Extracts on C. elegans as a Means of Limiting UV Radiation Damage
Organization Award: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Honorable Mention Milania Dehring Osbourn Park High School A Quantification of Superficial Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue and Deep Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Through Abdominal Computed Tomography Images

Microbiology Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Anisha Ramakrishnan
Gabriella La Cour
Alahna Moreno		 Osbourn Park High School Creating Novel Bacteriophage Solutions as a Preventative Measure for Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation on Elastomer Biomaterials in Medically Relevant Settings in Vitro
Organization Award: Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
Second Clare Flynn Seton School SODIS is Clean Water?
Organization Awards: U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (Water Environment Federation); Federal Water Quality Association
Third Rajitha Anbu
Laaibah Tayyeb
Jack Pierce		 The Governors School at Innovation Park Alternative Medicine on the Overgrowth of Micro Bacteria in the Gut and Serotonin Production in the Brain
Honorable Mention Molly Bauer Seton School Germ Busters

Physics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
Second Orla Haggerty Seton School Race to the "Fin"ish
Organization Awards: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch; American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics-National Capital Section; The Aerospace Corporation; SAE International-Washington DC Section; Society of Women Engineers
Third Kalea Wen
Ari Poisik		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The KadomSTev-Rosenbluth Initiative: The Effect of Toroidal Field and Internal Plasma Current Strengths on the Presence of Magnetic Island MHD Instabilities in a Tokamak Fusion Device
Organization Awards: The Aerospace Corporation; Northern Virginia Dental Association
Honorable Mention Liam Powell Osbourn Park High School The Effect of Optical Lens Type on Light Pollution in Streetlights
Organization Awards: Joint Organization Awards: OPTICA and IEEE-Photronics Chapter; The Aerospace Corporation; SAE International Washington DC Section
Honorable Mention Hasnain Younas Forest Park High School The Quantum Flywheel on Colonial Mars
Organization Award: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Honorable Mention Simran Patibanda
Kaylyn Nguyen		 The Governor’s School at Innovation Park The Effect of Rotational Direction on the Power of Relativistic Jets Emitted from Active Galactic Nuclei
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation

Plant Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Naman Agarwal The Governor’s School at Innovation Park A Low-Cost Deep Learning Solution for Early Detection of Lettuce Stress in Indoor Farms
Organization Awards: IEEE- Northern Virginia Section; Northern Virginia Dental Association
Second Makenna Howell Osbourn Park High School The Effect of Probiotics on the Growth in Height of Lima Bean Plants
Third Caden Colangelo Colgan High School The Effect of Different Color Lighting on the Photosynthesis Rate of Algae

2022 Middle Division Winners

View the Middle Division entries (PDF).

Animal Science Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Anne Tessier All Saints Catholic School Musical Eggs: An Analysis on the Effect of Various Music on Egg Production in Hens
Organization Award: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch
Second Nithya Kasiraman Bull Run Middle School Effect of a Guinea Pig’s Memory on Its Ability to Complete a Maze
Third Kaydence Peterson Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Different Music Genres on Rabbits
Honorable Mention Betsabe Jimenez Gainesville Middle School Super Worm Environment
Honorable Mention Isabel Rojas Porter Traditional School Sound Rescue

Behavioral Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Sajeela Ahmad Benton Middle School The Effect of the Regularity of Playing Video Games on Reaction Times and Simple Math Skills
First Erin Heim Graham Park Middle School Running Memory
Third Taylor Campbell Bull Run Middle School What is the Effect of the Amount of Sleep on a Teenager's Response Rate?
Honorable Mention Stephanie Cuprak The Nokesville School The Effect of Background Noise on Stress Levels
Honorable Mention Stephanie Berk Parkside Middle School The Use of Social Media by Female Adolescents and Their Mothers
Honorable Mention Shahan Naeem Graham Park Middle School Color Craze

Biochemistry Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First James Ngo
Ezekiel Andrade
Ikechukwu Ezekwe		 Rippon Middle School The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Yeast Colonies
Second Katherine Cadugan St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Spice-Chasers on Levels of Spice Tasted
Third Bokre Samson
Tan Ho
Michael Obeng		 Rippon Middle School The Effect of Surface Temperature on a Fingerprint's Clarity
Organization Award: U.S. Metric Association
Honorable Mention Jennifer Heilen Reagan Middle School The Effect of Catalase on the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide
Organization Award: Society of Women Engineers
Honorable Mention Abigail Curisinche Gainesville Middle School The Browning of Apples
Honorable Mention Dylan Sagudan St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Temperature on the Freshness of Organic Fruits

Chemistry Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Livia Kouts Reagan Middle School The Effect of Different Hair Bleaches on the Strength of Hair
Organization Award: Society of Women Engineers
Second Madison Casler St. Francis of Assisi School How Different Leavening Agents Affect the Rising of a Muffin
Third Michelle Schlienz Parkside Middle School The Effect of Acidity on Steel Wool
Organization Award: Society of Women Engineers
Honorable Mention Evelyn Wiederholt St. Francis of Assisi School How do Certain Materials Affect the Freezing Point of Ice Cream?
Honorable Mention Peter Fahy Porter Traditional School The Effect of pH on Corrosion
Honorable Mention Emma Thoman Gainesville Middle School To Sphere or Not to Sphere
  Isabel Cartledge Woodbridge Middle School The Science of Spherification
Organization Award: Society of Women Engineers

Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
Honorable Mention Elif Yazak Gainesville Middle School Are Your Fingerprints Inherited from Your Parents?

Computer Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Ibrahim Alsheikh Porter Traditional School Which Social Media Platform Will Attract More Customers to Your E-commerce Site?
Second Hillel Moretz Graham Park Middle School The Effect of the Learning Rate Parameter on the Accuracy of Artificial Neural Networks
Organization Awards: The Aerospace Corporation; IEEE-Northern Virginia Section

Earth & Planetary Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Abigail Chang Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Time Keeping-Device on Accuracy
Second Emily Benack Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Water on Marble's Score on the Moh's Scale
Organization Awards: Society of Women Engineers; Geological Society of Washington
Third Isabella Hernandez-Zapata All Saints Catholic School Light Crystals- The Effect of Light on Crystal Growth
Organization Awards: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Section; Society of Women Engineers
Honorable Mention Madeleine Morse-Hill Saunders Middle School The Effect of Filters on Exoplanet Data
Organization Awards: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch; Geological Society of Washington; Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Section; The Aerospace Corporation

Engineering Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Nachiketa Mahajan Marsteller Middle School Propeller Design for Wind Generators
Organization Award: The Lemerson Early Inventor Prize
Second Leyla Altom Manassas Christian School The Effect of the Design of a Solar Oven on Heating a Jar of Water
Organization Awards: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Chapter; The Aerospace Corporation
Third Kayla Templeton Graham Park Middle School How Drag Affects Airplanes
Organization Award: Society of Women Engineers
Honorable Mention Kara Tran Marsteller Middle School The Effect of Rollerblading on Charges Generated by Kinetic Energy
Organization Awards: Society of Women Engineers; The Aerospace Corporation
Honorable Mention Abel Tilahun Porter Traditional School Rubber Band Elasticity Based on Temperature
Honorable Mention Mazen Ben Chouikha Reagan Middle School The Effect of the Ratio of Baking Soda on How High the Reaction Is

Environmental Science Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Linda Pistun Gainesville Middle School Worms for the Win: The Effects of a Polystyrene Diet on Tenebrio molitor Development, Subsequent Breeding Behavior, and Offspring Outcome
Organization Awards: American Association of University Woman-Woodbridge Branch; Federal Water Quality Association; Society of Women Engineers
Second Ella Morris Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Graywater on Plant Growth
Organization Award: Federal Water Quality Association
Honorable Mention Eleanor Bowling Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Plants on Water Erosion
Organization Awards: Virginia Lakes and Watershed Association; Federal Water Quality Association; Geological Society of Washington; Society of Women Engineers
Honorable Mention Natasha Sharma Porter Traditional School Acid Rain, Such a Pain
Organization Awards: Federal Water Quality Association; Geological Society of Washington
Honorable Mention Rosaphi Le
Lauren Obeng		 Rippon Middle School The Effect of Motor Oil on the Rate of Photosynthesis in Hornwort
  Ansif Kitessa Saunders Middle School The Effect of Compost Components on the Growth of the Slenderette Bean Plant
Organization Awards: Prince William County Solid Waste Division; Prince William County Service Authority
  Aashaz Ahmad
Abhaya Shrestha		 Rippon Middle School A Comparative Evaluation of the Hyperaccumulative Abilities of Tropical Plants in Phytoremediative Removal of Heavy Metals from Soil
Organization Awards: Federal Water Quality Association; Geological Society of Washington
  Vedkris Burra Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Solar Power on Water Desalination
Organization Award: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Chapter
  Ria Rawoor St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Plants on Soil Erosion
Organization Award: Federal Water Quality Association

Mathematics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Zareef Said Reagan Middle School The Effect of Mathematically Significant Numbers on the Mutation of the COVID-19 Genome Over Time
Second Grant Blackmer Potomac Shores Middle School What Demographic Statistic Best Predicts a Person's Political Views?
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation
Honorable Mention Caden Bartlebaugh Gainesville Middle School Battle of the Home Field

Materials Science Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Breydon Pomeroy All Saints Catholic School The Effect of Battery Voltage on the Brightness of a Circuit Tester
Organization Awards: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Chapter
Second Ava Repoli Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Different Rust Inhibitors on the Amount of Rust on Steel Nails
Organization Awards: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch; Society of Women Engineers
Third Arianna Rodriguez Graham Park Middle School What's Poppin'?
Honorable Mention Lillian Grace Branco
Allison Skipper		 Porter Traditional School An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Various Mask Types at Containing Germs
Organization Award: Federal Water Quality Association
Honorable Mention Hailey Amaya
Halima Chaudry		 Rippon Middle School The Effect of a Liquid's Density on the Pitch of Sound
Honorable Mention Shaan Patel Porter Traditional School Temperature Change of Different Household Blankets
  Anna Remsen Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Exposure to Sunlight on Plastic Bag Strength
Organization Awards: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Chapter; Society of Women Engineers

Medicine & Health Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Edward Craig Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Orange Juice and Sports Drinks on Replenishing Electrolytes
Second Eden Oldenburg Benton Middle School The Effect of Gravity on Height
Third Ahmad Basim Alemy Gainesville Middle School Does the Number of Sutures Affect the Amount of Weight They Can Hold?
Honorable Mention Nikki Alemzadeh Benton Middle School The Effect of Different Smoothies on Glucose Level
Honorable Mention Sayed Sadat Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Video Games on the Body

Microbiology Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Isabelle Gerona St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Water Stagnation on Bacterial Growth
Organization Awards: Federal Water Quality Association; American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch
Second Sara Moussav Benton Middle School The Effect of Mask Wearing Duration on Bacterial Growth
Third Andrew Lee Reagan Middle School The Effect of Dropping Different Types of Food on Different Types of Surfaces
Honorable Mention Athena Westbrook Bull Run Middle School What is the Effect of Ultraviolet Waves on Yeast Colony Growth?

Physics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Dashiell West Bull Run Middle School Ionizing Radiation from Common Household Elements Observed in a Cloud Chamber
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation
Second Nathaniel Salley St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Adding Coils to an Electromagnet: The Path of Magnetomotive Force
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation
Third Lucy Lu Reagan Middle School Does the "Perpetual" Water Wheel Really Exist?
Organization Awards: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch; Society of Women Engineers; The Aerospace Corporation
Honorable Mention Lucas Theissen All Saints Catholic School Super Sonic - The Effect of Aerodynamics on a Paper Airplane’s Flight Time and Distance Traveled
Honorable Mention Aoife Haggerty Seton School Winds of Change
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation
Honorable Mention Michael Seubert Graham Park Middle School Hot and Cold Currents: The Effect of Different Preparing Methods on a Potato's Electrical Current
  Evelyn Rennolds All Saints Catholic School Flying Tees
Organization Award: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge BranchSociety for Women Engineers
  Kathryn Atkinson Seton School Landslides! What is the Effect of Surfaces on the Angle of Repose?
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation
  Alexander Haines Parkside Middle School The Effect of Weight Distribution on the Speed of a Boat
Organization Award: The Aerospace Corporation

Plant Sciences Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
First Olivia Martin Benton Middle School The Impact of Caffeine on Mung Bean Plant Growth
Second Avery Dickens
Peyton Turek		 Bull Run Middle School The Effect of Different Types of Water on the Growth of Dwarf Sungold Sunflower Plants
Third Jeremiah Boasmanboon St. Francis of Assisi School The Effect of Different Types of Water on Bean Plants
Honorable Mention Violet Villareale Graham Park Middle School The Effect of Caffeine on Radish Plants
Honorable Mention Supriya Tamang Rippon Middle School The Effect of Scraps on Plants Growth
Honorable Mention Nikhil Patil Gainesville Middle School The Effect of Type of Fertilizer on Radish Plant Growth
  Maahir Data
Hasibullah Habibi		 Porter Traditional School Artificial Light vs. Sunlight: Effects on Plant Growth
Organization Award: Joint Group OPTICA and IEEE-Photonics Chapter
  Natalie Vanslette Graham Park Middle School Sugar and Vinegar for Flower Power
Organization Award: American Association of University Women-Woodbridge Branch

Robotics Awards
Award Student(s) School Project
Honorable Mention Rashean Jackson Gainesville Middle School Outdoor Material and Bots

Science Fair Contacts

PW-M Regional Fair Director 
Julia Renberg
703-791-7240
[email protected]

Kathy Keesee
703-791-7240
[email protected]