News release
Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061
publicinfo@selu.edu Spring 2004 news releases Public Information home News archive

Contact: Christina Chapple
Date: 3/31/04
 
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REGION 8 SCIENCE FAIR WINNER – Veronica Wills, a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, was the overall winner of the Region 8 Science Fair, held at Southeastern Louisiana University on March 24. From left, are Karen Soniat, executive assistant to Southeastern President Randy Moffett; Aimee Bancroft, Wills’ teacher at St. Thomas; Wills; Shahla Anderson, chemistry teacher and head of the science department at St. Thomas Aquinas, who was named Region 8 Outstanding Secondary Science Teacher; and Region 8 Science Fair Director Ana Wills of the Southeastern mathematics department.
ST. THOMAS STUDENT WINS REGION 8 SCIENCE FAIR
      HAMMOND -- Veronica Wills, a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas took first place in the 2004 Region 8 Science Fair held at Southeastern Louisiana University March 24. For her winning project “Stacking Cards,” which received first place honors in the senior division mathematics category, Wills received a $500 cash prize. Wills also was a recipient of a Navy/Marine Corps Distinguished Achievement Award. 
      Along with first, second and third place regional winners, she will advance to the state science fair at Louisiana State University.
      Second place honors went to Marie Perret of St. Scholastica Academy in Covington for “Coat Length vs. Heartworms.” Robert Egnatchik of St. Paul’s School in Covington was the third place finisher with “Gas Stations and the Soil Around Them.”
      Shahla Anderson, chemistry teacher and head of the science department at St. Thomas Aquinas, was named the Outstanding Secondary Science Teacher. 
      In addition to Wills, Navy/Marine Corps Distinguished Achievement Awards also were presented to Senior Division entries Seth Chadwick, Amite High, and Bryce Howard, Hammond High. Junior Division awards went to Lauren Dehart, Fontainebleau Junior High; Alex Grashoff, Our Lady of the Lake School (Mandeville); and Maury Williams, Christ Episcopal School (Covington).
      The Iota Sigma Pi Women in Chemistry Award for the best project by female students in the chemistry, biochemistry and environmental science divisions went to Molly Chester, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Kylah Howard, Southeastern Lab School.
      Winners of Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Awards for best projects in the agriculture category were Michael Doolin, St. Paul’s School, senior division, and Emily Barton, Holy Ghost School, junior division.
       Barton and Bryce also received the Center for Molecular and Human Genetics Excellence in Genetics Research Awards from the LSU Health Sciences Center.
      Additional local Science Fair winners, listed by division and school, were:
SENIOR DIVISION
      AMITE HIGH SCHOOL – Seth Chadwick, first, physics; Andrea Strother, second, environmental sciences; Taylor Sharkey, second, medicine and health; Kimberly Schwartz, third, environmental sciences; Sybil, Leto, third, medicine and health; Michael Petitto, honorable mention, chemistry.
      BOWLING GREEN HIGH SCHOOL – Joe Wanner, second earth and space sciences.
      DOYLE HIGH SCHOOL – Kacey Quinn, second, biochemistry; Shayna Easley, third, biochemistry; Phillip Donagriche, third, botany; Brady Labello, third, chemistry; Shane Smith, second, chemistry; Chase Hughes, third, earth and space sciences; Milton Thomas, third, microbiology; Keary Ragusa, honorable mention, behavioral sciences; Tiffany Mizell, honorable mention, team project; Tricia Mizell, honorable mention, team project.
      FONTAINEBLEAU HIGH SCHOOL – Roger DeSanti, first, behavioral sciences; Sean Simone, first, earth and space sciences.
      HAMMOND HIGH SCHOOL – Ben Aucoin, first, computers; Bryce Howard, first, microbiology; Colby France, first, team project; Kristen Hymel, first, team project; Jake Difanseca, second, physics; Alex Michalik, second, team project; Leah Muller, second, team project; John Holley, third, physics; Danielle Galates, third, team project; Kimberly Guidroz, third, team project; Clara Hemsteter, honorable mention, physics.
      INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL – Jennifer Bailey, first, engineering; Melissa Wilson, first, medicine and health.
      PINE HIGH SCHOOL – Benjamin Knight, second, zoology; Jacqlondra Daniels, third, chemistry; Cullin Kemp, honorable mention, botany.
      THE ST. PAUL SCHOOL – Michael Doolin, first, botay; Robert Egnatchik, first, environmental sciences; Edward Dussom, second, microbiology.
      ST. SCHOLASTIC ACADEMY – Lynne Fritscher, second, behavioral sciences; Aly Neel, third, behavioral sciences; Marie Perret, first, zoology.
      ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HIGH SCHOOL – Molly Chester, first, biochemistry; Jeremy Sadden, second, botany; Veronica Wills, first, mathematics; Chris Graves, honorable mention, physics; Rachel Barrios, honorable mention, team project; Mary-Catherine Palumbo, honorable mention, team project.
JUNIOR DIVISION
      ANGIE JUNIOR HIGH – Brandon Sumrall, second, biochemistry; Anthony Stafford, third, earth and space sciences; Jay Pritchard, honorable mention, earth and space sciences.
      ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC – Caitlin Parker, second, zoology; Sarah Nielsen, third behavioral sciences; Brittney Williams, third, medicine and health sciences; Lauren Hillhouse, honorable mention, chemistry; Parker Freeman, honorable mention, engineering.
      CAVALRY BAPTIST SCHOOL – Jill Barrington, second, engineering; Timmy Cambridge, third, engineering.
      CHRIST EPISCOPAL SCHOOL – Rafe Whalen, first, physics; Cailidh Pedersen, second, chemistry; Maury Williams, second, physics; Christina Bowie, honorable mention, chemistry; Carter Reese, honorable mention, environmental sciences.
      FIRST BAPTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – Laura Neville, first, computers.
      FONTAINEBLEAU JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Alexander Duplessis, first, behavioral sciences; Alyssa DeSanti, first, engineering; Lauren Dehart, first, environmental sciences; Saige Riley, first, zoology; Justin Cruice, second, botany; Bradley Dyess, second, earth and space sciences; Sydney Sanderson, second, medicine and health; Tyler Houin, honorable mention, biochemistry; Sara Shank, honorable mention, physics.
      FRANKLINTON JUNIOR HIGH – Gabby Walker, first, mathematics; Devin Castleberry, honorable mention, microbiology.
      HOLY GHOST SCHOOL – Dennis Doucet, first, biochemistry; Emily Barton, first, botany; Kaitlyn Robichaux, third, physics; Dennis Joseph, third, zoology; Forrest Guedry, honorable mention, team project; Daniel Huggett, honorable mention, team project.
      MADISONVILLE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Stuart Ridgel, third, environmental sciences; Jessica Krebs, honorable mention, environmental sciences; Jerika Marchan, honorable mention, physics; Chris Schayer, first, earth and space sciences.
      MAUREPAS JUNIOR HIGH – Justin Babin, second, team project; Keith Landry, second, team project; Tempest Lennette, third, team project; Meghan Schilling, third, team project; Ariel Berthelot, honorable mention, team project; Lauren Bovia, honorable mention, team project.
      MT. HERMON SCHOOL – Chase King, honorable mention, chemistry.
      NESOM MIDDLE SCHOOL – Ryan Plyler, honorable mention, environmental sciences.
      OUR LADY OF THE LAKE SCHOOL – Andrew Asaro, first, team project; Joey Fontana, first, team project; Mallory Horridge, third, microbiology; Patrick Hand, honorable mention, environmental sciences.
      WILLIAM PITCHER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Jefferson McMillan, first, chemistry; Sara Lowenburg, first, microbiology; Laura Ballard, honorable mention, behavioral sciences; Ani Sipos, honorable mention, botany; Kylen Shea, honorable mention, medicine and health; Sarah McLain, honorable mention, team project; Claire Romage, honorable mention, team project.
      SOUTHEASTERN LAB SCHOOL – Kylah Howard, third, chemistry.
      THE ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL – Alexander Richard, third, botany.
      ST. PETER SCHOOL – Emily Matthew, first, medicine and health; Joseph Nicholas Lugarbo, honorable mention, environmental sciences.
      THOMAS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Logan Seals, third, biochemistry; Brooke Self, honorable mention, chemistry.
      WALKER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL – Courtney Mitchell, second, behavioral sciences; Walter Hano, second, environmental sciences; Victoria Lewis, second, microbiology.