Edison Middle School sixth-grader Quinn Bolyard talked to judges Valerie Richards, from The Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, and Lyndsay Dennis, executive director of Artsbridge, Thursday during the Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. Bolyard’s experiment was on which wood burns at the highest temperature. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

VIENNA — Area students competed Thursday in the Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna.

“The kids that are here today received first place at the county level. And so now they’re competing regionally,” said Ashlee Beatty, director of curriculum and instruction for Wood County Schools. “And if they receive first place here, they’ll go to the state competition next month in March.”

Students from Calhoun, Jackson, Roane and Wood counties presented 43 science experiments to judges to determine who would go on to represent the area in the West Virginia Science and Engineering Fair being held March 6 at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.

Experiments included Martin Elementary third-grader Nola Smith’s question on whether temperature has an impact on the weight of a pumpkin slice over time. Smith said it does and that higher temperatures cause quicker deterioration.

Sixth grade Edison Middle School student Quinn Bolyard wanted to know which out of white oak, cherry, sycamore, or red oak wood burned at the highest temperature. Bolyard said white oak burns the highest and sycamore the lowest.

Gilmore Elementary fifth-grader Russell Shockey spoke with judge Tammy McKnight, director of federal programs for Wood County Schools, about his soil experiment during the Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna Thursday. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Quincy Jesser, fourth grade Williamstown Elementary student, wanted to know if he could collect and see his own DNA at home.

“A couple years ago I took a DNA test to see my ancestry,” Jesser said. “And then I wondered, ‘Can I see my own DNA?'”

Jesser said it took him a couple days to get his experiment together. He said there were three steps to collecting your own DNA. First, you needed to swish around some water in your mouth and then place it into a test tube. Next, you add dish soap and mix that with your water sample. Finally, you add some salt water to the test tube.

“But you have to hold the test tube at a 45-degree angle,” Jesser said. “Then wait for one minute and you’ll be able to see it.”

Jesser said he enjoyed the science fair and that he loves doing experiments.

Parkersburg South junior Alexis Atkins talked to judge Jason Potts, director of curriculum and instruction for Wood County Schools, about her science fair project Thursday during the Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“I think it’s really interesting and it really helps my education in science,” Jesser said.

It should come as no surprise but, Jesser finished in first place in the animal science category. A full list of the winners and categories can be found in the online version of the News and Sentinel.

Beatty said the winners in the high school category could earn a chance to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2023, the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition, that will take place from May 13-19 in Dallas, Texas, if they finish first at the state level.

“That category is exciting for those students,” Beatty said.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Division I, Animal Science

* Honorable mention — “Dry Ducks,” Makenna Yeager, Sylvia Waybright — Jackson County

* 3rd Place — “Baking Soda and Lemon Working Together to Make Teeth Whiter,” Afreen Manalas — Calhoun County

* 2nd Place — “Does Color Affect Taste?” Macy Brohard — Roane County

* 1st Place — “Can I Collect and See My DNA at Home?” Quincy Jesser –Wood County

Division I, Behavioral and Social Sciences

* 2nd Place — “Taste This, Smell That,” Marcus Blasczyk — Wood County

* 1st Place — “Don’t Judge a Cupcake by Its Color,” Ariana Snider Jackson County

Division I, Chemistry

* 3rd Place — “Crazy Cocoa Powder!” Cyrus Helmick — Calhoun County

* 2nd Place — “Why Do Apples Brown?” Serenity Reed — Jackson County

* 1st Place — “Let’s Iron This Out,” Dawson Fluharty — Wood County

Division I, Earth and Environmental Sciences

* Honorable Mention — “Ice Cube Igloo,” Sophia Bartelt — Calhoun County

* 3rd Place — “Land Sediment,” Alexander Adams — Wood County

Division I, Energy

* Honorable Mantion — “How Do Solar Panels Convert Light?” Elijah Depue- Wood County

* 3rd Place — “Fast or Slow,” Payton Quick — Calhoun County

Division I, Engineering

* 3rd Place — “3 Pencils in a Ziploc Bag,” Jordyn Nichols — Roane County

* 2nd Place — “Construction Bridge,” Alexandria Mills — Jackson County

* 1st Place — “The Effect of Bridge Design on Weight Bearing Capacity,” Elijah Casto — Wood County

Division I, Mathematics and Data

* 3rd Place — “Home Runs,” Cruz Frymier — Calhoun County

* 2nd Place — “Finger Lickin’ Fries,” Maggie McLean — Wood County

* 1st Place — “Popcorn,” Levi Blain — Jackson County

Division I, Physics and Astronomy

* 2nd Place — “1, 2, 3, Go!” Allianna Hill — Calhoun County

* 1st Place — “Does Surface Matter?” Noah Bolyard — Wood County

Division I, Plant Science

* 2nd Place — “Soil Erosion,” Russell Shockey — Jackson County

* 1st Place — “Does Temperature Impact Pumpkin Slices Over Time?” Nola Smith — Wood County

Division II, Animal Science

* 3rd Place — “Bugs,” Elizabeth Ludwig — Wood County

Division II, Behavioral and Social Sciences

* 2nd Place — “Do My Eyes Deceive Me?” Brooks Wolfe — Jackson County

* 1st Place — “Memory Game,” Gabe Floyd — Wood County

Division II, Chemistry

* 2nd Place — “Lava Lamps,” Alivia Linkinoggor — Roane County

* 1st Place — “Plastics,” Izzy Earley — Wood County

Division II, Earth and Environmental Sciences

* 1st Place — “Oil Spills,” Skylar Bonnette — Wood County

Division II, Energy

* 2nd Place — “Let There Be Light,” Addison Huffman, Katelyn Paxton — Roane County

* 1st Place — “Wood Fire Heat,” Quinn Bolyard — Wood County

Division II, Material Science

* 1st Place — “Which Make-up Remover Works Best?” Addi Cameron — Wood County

Division II, Mathematics and Data

* 3rd Place — “The Highest Bounce,” Eli Hays, Jason O’Connor — Roane County

* 2nd Place — “Basketball Stats,” Bryley Starkey — Wood County

Division II, Medical Sciences

* 3rd Place — “Do You Trust Your Taste Buds,” Hayden Rector — Roane County

* 2nd Place — “How Much Sugar is in That?” Mason Kerns — Jackson County

* 1st Place — “Eating Nails for Breakfast,” Kendra Halstead — Wood County

Division II, Plant Science

* 1st Place — “Plants,” Kennadee Davis — Wood County

Division III, Plant Sciences

* 1st Place — “Growth Rate of Plants,” Alexis Atkins — Wood County

Division III, Systems Software

* 1st Place — “Reach into the Mind,” Smit Babariya, James Lewis, Blake Riggs — Wood County