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2023 SARSEF Fair Winners List

Congratulations to all of our SARSEF Winners!

We saw so many of you at the Awards Ceremony and Expo, where we distributed awards. If you were unable to collect your award at Reid Park on March 11, we will be delivering all unclaimed awards to students’ schools March 17th-27th. We are so proud of all of the students who showed their work at the SARSEF Fair this year!

Winning Projects

(listed by school)

Teacher and School Awards

Education Advocate of Science and Engineering

  • Ann Peterson, Satori Charter School, Teacher
  • Anna Heyer, Flowing Wells Unified School District, Science Specialist
  • Cristina Hernandez, Sonoran Science Academy, Teacher
  • DaNel Hogan, Waters Center for Systems Thinking, Learning Officer
  • Jule Abeytia, Homer Davis Elementary, Fair Director
  • Karen Maninang, Harvest Preparatory Academy, Teacher
  • Kate Schladweiler, Homer Davis Elementary, Fair Director
  • Paula Sotelo, Innovation Academy, Teacher
  • Rachelle Ferris, Innovation Academy, Teacher
  • Savannah Fuqua, University of Arizona Fellow in Rural High School Research Program

SARSEF Champion Educator of Science and Engineering

  • Andrea Lopez, Lineweaver Elementary School
  • April Spencer, Homer Davis Elementary School
  • Feven Afewerki, Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence K-8
  • Gavin Lehr, Sahuarita High School
  • Nova Kline, Drexel Elementary
  • Patricia Garcia, Cibola High School

SARSEF-Endorsed Teacher Award

  • Alfred Santos, Harvest Preparatory Academy
  • Jessica Jankowski-Gallo, Emily Meschter Early Learning Center

SARSEF-Endorsed School Award

  • Winifred Harelson Elementary School
  • Willcox Middle School 
  • Sahuarita High School

Top Schools for the 2023 SARSEF Regional Fair

  • Helen Keeling Elementary School
  • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School
  • BASIS Tucson North

2022 SARSEF Fair Winners

Elementary Grand Awards (grades PreK–5)

Academy of Mathematics and Science

Cold as IceMrs. Shellie Ryff class2nd Place
Ice Cube RaceMrs. Rebecca Hale class1st Place

Agua Caliente Elementary School

Fish Poop: The Future of FarmingDeb Goepfrich class1st Place
Who Has the Cleaner Mouth – Dogs or Humans?Kathryn Tompkins class1st Place

Anthem K-8 School

Water Spinning EnergyMaxwell Crowder1st Place

Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind

Plants, Water, and SoilLatrina Lewis class2nd Place
Solar OvenSusan Pearson class2nd Place

BASIS Oro Valley

Baby Shark Doo Doo!!!Varni Modi, Aishwarya Rao1st Place
My Little Sprout HouseBansri Modi1st Place
Skyscraper’s Hidden TriangleVarni Modi, Aishwarya Rao3rd Place

BASIS Scottsdale Primary

Traffic Powered Wind Turbine – With Improved DesignRishi Setia2nd Place

Booth-Fickett Math and Science Magnet School

Through Thick and Thin: Osmosis of a CellLinda Ozuna3rd Place

Canyon View Elementary School

Do You Eat With Your Eyes?Audrey Wild2nd Place
Does Wearing Your Mask Effect Intensity In Your Voice?Saheli Waggoner, Ivy Jensen3rd Place
Everything RecyclingAlexander Boerup2nd Place
Now You See It, Now You Don’tAmelia Holmes2nd Place
Paper Airplanes Take Flight!Khalil Shehab2nd Place
The Lion ProjectMyla Closterman1st Place
What fruits make a persimmon ripen fasterDarby Lin2nd Place
What is the best way to grow a plant from a cutting on a windowsill?Abby Henson1st Place

Carden Christian Academy Central

Can A Brownie Made with Cricket Flour Taste As Good As One Made with All-Purpose Flour?Mrs. Helen Castillo class1st Place
Can An Egg Hold More Weight On Its Side or Standing Up?Trishia Jackson3rd Place
Is Seeing Believing?Mrs. Dianna Marquez class3rd Place

Casas Christian School

Colors 2 The EyeAsandro Otero2nd Place
NeuronsElijah Hernandez1st Place

Castlehill Country Day School

Color – Its for the Birds!Ryder Thouin1st Place
Do Algorithms Stay on Topic?Evan Bunch3rd Place
Happiness During CovidShelly Gisches2nd Place
Hydrate Your Heart RateRudy Saffer2nd Place
Mold Growth on RaspberriesAva Borders2nd Place
Shake It UpRainey Saffer3rd Place
Taste – The Nose KnowsSachin Shroff1st Place
Training Cats to Save ThemselvesFrannie Guzman1st Place

Centennial Elementary School

Gila WoodpeckerMr. Lee Roop class3rd Place
Northern CardinalMr. Lee Roop class3rd Place

Cochise Elementary School

Just Around the Riverbend: An Experiment on Erosion and RiverbedsArya White1st Place

Continental School

We Can Build a Tower to the CeilingMrs Jenny Lichtsinn class1st Place
What Floats, What SinksMrs. Jenny Lichtsinn class1st Place

Copper Creek Elementary School

Best DIY Fire Starters for CampingLandyn Barnett1st Place
Creating a Glue Force Field For GlassOz Folkman2nd Place
Making Casein Plastic from MilkSusan Latin class3rd Place
Saving Water with Recycled TextilesAlyna Barnett2nd Place
Worms are eating our leftovers!Tara Wieber class1st Place

Copper Ridge Elementary

Cold or Hot – Make Your Best ShotIsaac Rodriguez3rd Place
Floating Buttons!Mrs. Danielle West class3rd Place
How Effective is Soap at Destroying Germs?Ms. Kristin Powell class1st Place
How’s Your Honey?Arlo Davidson1st Place
Music and Academic SuccessMrs. Amy Sheppard class2nd Place
Solar SplashNaomi Larson1st Place
The “”Prezar!””Liam Pentland3rd Place
The Animal ProjectJimi Equitz2nd Place
Which Method Makes the Cake?Ethan Goral2nd Place
Winnie and the BeanstalkWensleigh Feagley1st Place

Cottonwood Elementary School

Craft Drone Vs Lego DroneJude Hermosa2nd Place
Fruit Snack Ingredient TestingSarah Metcalf class1st Place
Long Lasting Flavor?Abigail Cardenas class3rd Place
Parachute ProjectMartha Tanner class2nd Place
Speedy LegsLatricia Ferguson class2nd Place
The Colorful Celery ExperimentLorena Fronseca class2nd Place
The Magic Milk ExperimentCassidy Kalinowski class2nd Place

Da Vinci Tree Academy

Fabulous FossilsMrs. Karen Martell class3rd Place

Desert Willow Elementary School

Conductive PlaydoughMelanie Livingood1st Place
Dirty Hands Made CleanLauren Dennis, Ethan Dennis3rd Place
Making a Robot Out of Mostly Recycled MaterialsOlexandr Borboa2nd Place
Soil ErosionAubrey Dell3rd Place
What Type of Snack do Ants Prefer?Katherine Wilson class1st Place
Will it Sink or FloatSharon Beck class1st Place

Dove Mountain CSTEM School

Alert or NotMs. Teresa Belden class1st Place
Bubble DropMrs. Kimberly Reynolds class2nd Place
Can it be Stopped?Mrs. Andrea Velazco class1st Place
Don’t Get Caught Germ-y Handed!Mrs. Charlene DeWitt class1st Place
Earth, Wind, & Flower: Plants Effects on ErosionBenjamin Wiggins2nd Place
GERMS, GERMS, EVERYWHERE!Mrs. Maria Fallon class2nd Place
Grow Plants GrowMrs. Daisy Robledo class1st Place
How can you change saltwater into drinking water?Gabriella Lopez3rd Place
How Does Plastic Affect Brine ShrimpFinnegan de Masi2nd Place
It’s ElectrifyingTeagan Yauch3rd Place
Let’s Bundle Up!Ms. Kristin Stutzman class2nd Place
Mold, Mold, Go Away!Christine Yuan, Emily Marshall2nd Place
Organic vs Non-organic soil, which plant will grow faster?Gabriela Martinez Santana2nd Place
PidgetMadison Divijak, Ellie Divijak1st Place
Plant Growth with Limited WaterLiam Crum2nd Place
Slippery SlidesMrs. Tricia Johnson class3rd Place
Snowflake FunMrs. Brittney Morse class3rd Place
So Many SeedsMs. Sierra Pederson class1st Place
Suck it Up, Buttercup: Which paper towel sucks up the most water?Thomas Wiggins1st Place
The Hook – A Coat’s DilemmaMiss Kristy Hollandsworth class3rd Place
The Potential of MousetrapsWeston Booth2nd Place
What Color of Light is the Easiest to Hide?Barrett Mortenson3rd Place
Where Have All the Erasers Gone?Mrs. Maribelle Leyvas class1st Place
Which boat can float?Mrs. Kristen Reyes class2nd Place
Wishy-WashyJocelyn Cravens2nd Place

Dreams of Sunshine Playground

How Fast Do Water Beads GrowYunde Dalton Chan2nd Place

Emily Meschter Early Learning Center – Top Pre-Kindergarten Program

How Many Surfaces Can a Germ Travel To?Ms. Jessica Jankowski-Gallo class1st Place
Is There Room on the Shelf?“Mister Ben” Collinsworth class1st Place
Polar BrrrrMiss Nicole Davis class1st Place
Shining Light on ShadowsLiz Pumarol and Jessica Caramella class1st Place
SOAK IT UP!Jennifer Oquendo class1st Place

Esmond Station Iron Horses K-8

How BIG Can He Get?Landon Tankersley2nd Place
Make My Garden GrowLillian Murphy3rd Place

Fletcher Family Homeschool

Pop, Pop, No Pop!Sylvia Fletcher1st Place

Fruchthendler Elementary School

An Apple A DayElizabeth Angiulo3rd Place
Bats and BallsEmil Olsen3rd Place
Catching CarbonAlexander Angiulo3rd Place
Do Hummingbirds Prefer Red?Bentley Desjardin3rd Place
Do mealworms have personalities?Nina Hipps class2nd Place
Flaming Hot or Freezing Cold: How Far Will the Baseball Go?Nate Marenfeld1st Place
How’d You Sleep?Parker Hudson2nd Place
Just Enough Light: Does the Placement of Windows in an Underground House Matter?Toben Dorsey-Sanchez1st Place
Light up my plantsLogan Benneyworth3rd Place
Magnetic Force FieldMatthew Keller1st Place
Making a Magnetic Levitation Device to see if Magnets can be Levitated using an Electric CurrentJames Bird2nd Place
Plastics: The Good, The Bad, and the UglyLillianna Rodriguez1st Place
Project SuMS: Submarine Motor SealJacob Keller2nd Place
Retarding a FireGabriel Sadza2nd Place
The Luck of the Dice?Isaac Ornstein2nd Place
The Pandemic’s Effect on Elementary Age StudentsCarly Coy3rd Place
UV EfficientWilliam Goodenow2nd Place
Water balloon dropCaroline Benneyworth2nd Place
What Soil Material is Best for Growing a Plant From Seed?Olivia Baron3rd Place
Wind Effects On People Around SkyscrapersStefan Perry1st Place

Gowan Science Academy

I Can Breathe in MasksLiv Kaynak2nd Place
What Did You Leave BehindRory Pond1st Place

Highland Free School

Which Mask Best Prevents the Sharing of GermsSofia Diaz2nd Place

Homer Davis Elementary School

Deep SeedsJule Abeytia class2nd Place
Tummies Touching TablesMrs. Jessica Howe class1st Place

Immaculate Heart Elementary and Middle School

Science for snoozingJessica Reichling class2nd Place

Innovation Academy – Top Elementary School

2 times the fun!!Ashlee Watson class1st Place
3-2-1 Blast Off! Rocket LaunchingDrake Taylor1st Place
All You Seed Is LoveSayuri “Ellie” Carter-Rogel2nd Place
Best booger blowout!Johnny Luecke2nd Place
Can You Hear Me?Mrs. Niki Tilicki class2nd Place
Don’t Throw it, Coat It!Aaron Eager1st Place
Enrichment for TigersMila Madeka2nd Place
Fabric StrengthMabel Rivera class1st Place
Face Mask ExtravaganzaSabina Vaswani class2nd Place
Freeloading Chicken on the LooseIsabella Gruenwald1st Place
Germs in SpaceDaniel Dowling, Asher Overfield, Amelia Weede3rd Place
Got to Wear My ShadesLeopoldo Delgado1st Place
Grow BoxesRachelle Ferris class3rd Place
Growing in a Bubble: A Balloon Greenhouse EffectPamela Barrett class2nd Place
H2Whoa! See How We Grow!Mrs. Patricia Patchin class1st Place
Intentionally Kind KidsNiki Tilicki class1st Place
Keeping Ants out of our PANTS and our PLANTSDanielle Swartz class1st Place
Knit, Knot StressMabel Rivera class3rd Place
Let it Grow!Mabel Rivera class1st Place
Marine Mass and ModelsGriffin Ferris1st Place
Moody News: Does medial consumption impact the mood of adolescents?Colin Cordell class3rd Place
No More Litter!Elisabeth Gingrich class2nd Place
Pollinator PaloozaShannon Maxon class2nd Place
Pop! Are you Paying Attention?Lori LaRussa class1st Place
Reach for the StarsNiki Tilicki class2nd Place
Reflux Hurts (HELP!) : Does the PH level in my favorite foods affect my reflux/GERD?Talan Freytag1st Place
Rocks in the Soil vs Plain SoilElias Theiss2nd Place
Seizing SpaceElla Taliaferro3rd Place
Slow Progress is Still ProgressSydney Albers1st Place
Something Fishy is Going On!Mason Rehm1st Place
STEP INTO IT: Helping our HealthRachelle Ferris class1st Place
The Art of DataDylan Spiker, Carley Soldat-Valenzuela, Siena Ballmann2nd Place
The Chip ProblemPatrick Sotelo2nd Place
The Fun SunRachelle Ferris class1st Place
The Germ ProjectHailey Hakala1st Place
The Lid CoolerFrankie Mendez, Boran Hu1st Place
The Scorpion ReservoirVincent Poyas2nd Place
These Hands Are Made For WashingSusan Steen class1st Place
Warming My Pool Not My PlanetBreckyn Koenig1st Place
We Axolotl QuestionsMrs. Mandi Cordell class1st Place
Who Let the Air Out?Ashlyn Lehwald class1st Place
Will you be Right Guessing Jellies by Sight?Addison Zimmerman2nd Place

International School of Tucson

Adding Light Bulbs to an Electrical CircuitSantiago Moreno1st Place
Beyblades and FrictionMohamed Alhag2nd Place
Biodegradation in the DesertJonathan Deimen2nd Place
Flowers Make the World a Better PlaceDrew Kouts2nd Place
Is the Top of the Hill Colder than the Bottom of the Hill?Presley Knappenberger1st Place
Orbeez Size and MineralsWilliam Krizman-Rauh2nd Place
Who Ordered Pizza?Kyen Ding3rd Place

J. Robert Hendricks Elementary School

Backyard Bird FeedersMrs. Sarah Hitcings class1st Place
Backyard BirdingMissy Siegel class1st Place
Backyard Birding BuildersMrs. Kaitlyn Capas class1st Place
Cats Right or Left Handed?Ian Plumlee2nd Place
Erosion ExplosionHenry Heyer1st Place
Freeze DrinkWilson Perkins3rd Place
Keep It CoolMrs Cherie Creager class3rd Place
No Seam Dream!Naomi Gutierrez1st Place
Rollie Pollie ResidenceMrs. Kelsi Strickland class3rd Place
Save The Pill Bugs!Ms. Susanne Segroves class1st Place
Say Watt!Jessica Wendt class1st Place
Water Harvesting PlayscapeMrs. Vanessa Schiess class1st Place

Legacy Traditional School

Bowl WarsHaley Lewis class1st Place

Lim Home School

Changing Water – Sink or FloatAddilyn Lim3rd Place

Lineweaver Elementary School (SARSEF Endorsed School)

Don’t Judge A Juice By Its ColorChristy Masengarb class2nd Place
FrictionMadhavi Rachakonda class1st Place
Hohokam Tools vs. Modern ToolsSylvan LaRoche1st Place
No More Excuses-Homework Paper InvestigationJennifer Metzler class2nd Place
Spinning SwingsCarson Gutenkunst3rd Place
The Great Pencil Balancing TrickLily Cummins class1st Place
Too Much TrashJanine Malkin class2nd Place
Water Loss in LeavesCleo Gelt3rd Place

Lulu Walker Elementary School

Cookies Slam DunkSusan Luciano class1st Place
One Little SeedNicolas Kelley1st Place
Rise and SlimeAurora Shepherd3rd Place
So Many Chargers, So Little TimeEthan Shepherd3rd Place

Manzanita Elementary School

Hissers and Dubias: The Bacteria TestMrs. Maura Baker class3rd Place

Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence K-8

Dirty and Clean Hands Experiment with RiceFeven Afewerki class1st Place

Mesquite Elementary School

Environmentally Safe Plastic From MilkLeilani McComisky3rd Place
Humps, Bumps, or Rumbles…Traffic Calming – Does it Work?Kaylee Clor1st Place
Ice MeltersEmma Hough3rd Place
The EggsperimentRaphe Sherfield3rd Place

Mountain Vista School

Plastic MilkRowen Egan2nd Place
Touch Down – Our Amazing Sense of TouchChristine Perryman Maki class2nd Place

Ocotillo Ridge Elementary School

Arctic Animal Adaptation ExplorationMs. Haley Jensen class2nd Place
Bubblegum BonanzaMs. Nikki Bailey class1st Place
The ScoopBode Buenger3rd Place
Tooth EGGSperimentMs. Danielle De Alba class3rd Place
Vanishing VitaminsKailyn Kleinburg1st Place
Written Into MemoryMs. Ashley Campos class1st Place

Olsson homeschool

Magnetic life saver: Protecting astronauts from moon dustKent Olsson1st Place
Octocopter’s mission: A drone that collects hot lava for space scienceEd Olsson1st Place

Polk Home School

A Need for SpeedLily Polk1st Place

Rattlesnake Ridge Elementary

Brick By BrickAndrew Banzhaf3rd Place

Richard B. Wilson School

It’s Snot A Problem If You Don’t Touch Your FaceTy Wayment3rd Place
Magical RoofsAmelia Meadows-Wallace3rd Place

Robert Richardson Elementary School

Apple MummiesOlivia Oswald2nd Place
Dissolving Gummy BearsMrs. Jennifer Stretton class2nd Place
Eyes or Ears? Which Way Do You Remember Best?Mrs. Corrie Shaar class2nd Place
It’s Eroding AwayMrs. Michelle McWilliams class3rd Place
The Plant Pollution ProjectMr. Lukas Maroney class3rd Place

Rohrbach Redshift Academy

How does guitar sound change with cost? Using a spectrum analyzer to measure the sound of guitars of different prices.Isaac Rohrbach1st Place

Saint Joseph Catholic School

Don’t Be A Rookie, Bake the Perfect Cookie!Rafael Meza3rd Place
The Shhh…arpener ProjectMs. Eileen Miller class3rd Place

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School

Can Video Games Be Good For You?Zachary Daou2nd Place
Dancing ElectronsMrs. Emily Penning class1st Place
Does Music Affect How we Concentrate?David Cardenas1st Place
Eating IronKatalina Maldonado3rd Place
Electrical Conduction with Different Wire SizeOlivia Toureno3rd Place
Home Sweet HomeJohnathan Raymond1st Place
Strongest StarchMrs. Emily Penning class2nd Place
The Crazy Slide Transportation- Mountain Engineering ProjectMs. Abigail Molina class1st Place
The Floating EggMrs. Yvette Urcadez class2nd Place

Sam Hughes Elementary School

Are Cheap Sunglasses Blinding My Dad?Simone Smith1st Place
Carrot Crew: Finding the Right Sized CarrotJennifer Graber class1st Place
Ready, Set, Melt! Which Type of Chocolate Melts Faster: Dark, Milk or White?Jacob Douglas3rd Place
Snuggles and PugglesRosie Newell2nd Place
What Absorbs Heat Faster, Dirt or Water?Mrs. Kathleen Patterson class3rd Place

San Simon School BIE

Bubble-ologyJohn Patten2nd Place
How To Build On Mars!Ms. Pam Buchanan class1st Place

Satori Charter School

Exploring plastic and magnetic properties to save the world’s oceanInsee Ekstrom1st Place

Senita Valley Elementary School

Battle of the MasksMrs. Brandi Sutterly class3rd Place
Penguins and Gravitational WavesAlper Guvenc1st Place
Sink or FloatMs. Shaylyn Grow class3rd Place
The Water Bottle Holder 5000Mrs. Maggie Gamble class1st Place
What kind of Fabric Sticks to Cholla the Best?Isabelle Lefforge1st Place
Which Version of Building Blocks snap Together the Best?Caleb Lefforge1st Place

St. Cyril School

Wrath of the MaskRyan Douville2nd Place

St. Michael’s School

Optimizing Your Zeer PotHelena Loewenstein3rd Place

Sunrise Drive Elementary

Aerodynamics – The tail of my KiteAmelie Puell1st Place
Bouncy or NotAneira White2nd Place
Cider MysteriesTaric Bruckner3rd Place
Cookies!Liliana Ruiz3rd Place
Jellyfish and PollutionNurhan Shirazi2nd Place
The Dirtiest Area I Touch Everyday in my ClassroomAaheli Shil1st Place

Sycamore Elementary School

Can 2nd Graders Change Water DensityKristy Gossen class2nd Place
Candy Hearts Dissolve!Jennifer Johnson class2nd Place
Fun With Glow Stick ColorsIsabella Wilson2nd Place
Ice, Ice, BabyMrs. Theresa Stone class3rd Place
Movable Coat RackEmmalyn Hopper3rd Place
Pictures or Music: Which Affects You More?Evelyn Tosseth1st Place
Power Punches: the physics of karateXander Powell3rd Place
Sustainable Hair GelTorrin Potter2nd Place
What Natural Preservatives Work Best?Emily Kahl2nd Place
What’s a Bird’s Favorite Color?Gwendolyne Macias1st Place
Will Buffelgrass Keep Plants From GrowingAnne Marie Wages1st Place
Will Speed or Traction change using different gases in a Go Kart tire?James Ferrin2nd Place

Tanque Verde Elementary School

Do Cars Travel Different Distances on Different Textures?Monet Pender1st Place
Dog Fur, Dirt, and Dust Removal ToolKaylee Blotkamp, Ava Haggard2nd Place
Life is Like a Box of Chocolates…Or is it?Miss Stacy Marr class1st Place
Snack BotRyan Sutterly, Noah Burrows, Gerimiah Andrews3rd Place
The Tragon (Trash Wagon)Paige Trimble, Penelope Holland3rd Place
Zoom BroomTinley Gooch2nd Place

Tanque Verde Luthern Church Preschool

Will it Sink or float?Amyra Kotadia, Jayneel Patel1st Place

The Montessori Schoolhouse

Different Ways to Water PothosAlejandro Perez3rd Place

Tucson Hebrew Academy

Flip Book ManiaMrs. Jessica Robinson class2nd Place
Here Comes the Sun!Ms. Mollie Ramos class1st Place
How Weight Affects Flight: Can It Go The Distance?Mrs. Melissa Landau class3rd Place
Juice Box RacersMrs. Stephanie Buchler class1st Place
Stop, Drop, and ListenMs. Adina Karp class2nd Place
The Giganto Slide Experiment: How to Dress for Maximum SpeedIvan Moravec, Miles Hansen1st Place

Twin Peaks Elementary School

Guinea Pig MazeJessica Holtrop Osuna3rd Place
If I drink this water will it kill me?Matthew Miller1st Place
Kids Play Safe- Geofenced ScooterPrajit Mani2nd Place

Vail Academy and High School

What Foods Power a Potato Clock Better than a PotatoHunter E. Woodworth2nd Place

Ventana Vista Elementary

Desalination Of Ocean WaterZeke Bialis2nd Place
Mite-y CockroachesMrs. Maura Baker class2nd Place

Walter Douglas Elementary

Gummy BearsJessica Roberts class2nd Place

Willcox Middle School

Florescent FlowersAleesa Sanchez1st Place

Winifred Harelson Elementary School

A Salty SurpriseHarper McDermed2nd Place
Bird Seed Preferences of Arizona BirdsAshlyn Perkins3rd Place
Colony Morphology: Identifying Microbial DiversityMrs. Susie Herman class1st Place
For Nature By Nature: Can Desert Plants Stop Soil Erosion?Mrs. Robyn Yewell class1st Place
Javelina Javelin-AGavin Cook1st Place
Pounds Per Square Inch and Bike Tire SpeedViolet Rambaud3rd Place
Seedy Soccer: Which materials will prevent burs from the field on different textiles?Mrs. Sarah Nystedt class1st Place
The Homework Folder ReminderGabriel Mora2nd Place
The Thorny TransplanterMaizie McIntosh3rd Place
What Will Slow Down Mold on Strawberries?Audrey Mandel1st Place

Winter Homeschool

Am I more dirty after a day at school?Ella Winter1st Place
Which substances on hands affect glucometer readings?Lilah Winter1st Place

Middle and High School Grand Awards (grades 6–12)

Academy of Mathematics and Science

Approachability based off body languageCiylin Caid3rd Place
Surface BacteriaKailee Lauscher2nd Place

Agua Caliente Elementary School

Cartoon vs Photograph: How Images Affect Interest and Action in the Conservation of Eryngium SparganophyllumNoemi Celani2nd Place
Tap vs. Bottled: Which Has Less Contaminants?Nia Meredith1st Place
What Lure Color is Best?Miles Gerl1st Place

Anza Trail Middle School

Trouble-chutingRome Sexton2nd Place

BASIS Oro Valley

Slowing Down Ice Melt Using Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Eggshells Towards Mitigating Global Climate CrisisMatthew Kim3rd Place
Which treatments are most effective at improving cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients 50 years and older?Daveena Biswas3rd Place

BASIS Tucson North

Factors that affect Cancer MetastasisShivam Kedia3rd Place
Packaging waste reduction: right-sized box packaging by using volume bounding box algorithmJimmy Kwon1st Place

Bonita Elementary School – Willcox

Dirt SlideBraeden Nielson2nd Place
Don’t Blow it Regrow itEmilia Warner1st Place
Shake ItMikaela McClaine3rd Place

Booth-Fickett Math and Science Magnet School

Best Containers for Ice CreamDr. Adelle McNiece class2nd Place
How does soda brand affect how fast it goes flat?Dr. Adelle McNiece class1st Place
How Does Your Age Affect Your Lung Size?Dr. Adelle McNiece class3rd Place
Natural Food ColoringMs. Jessica Gonzalez class1st Place

Canyon del Oro High School

The Role of Hypoxia and Tyrosine Kinases on Breast Cancer Cell MigrationZander Dickey3rd Place

Catalina Foothills High School

Agrivoltaics in the Time of Water RestrictionsHenry Roth Gordon1st Place
Assessing Urban vs. Rural Historical Temperature TrendsEmily Kamp, ASHLEY Mannenbach3rd Place
Effects of Sceloporus virgatus (Striped Plateau Lizard) Cloacal Bacteria on Fungal GrowthJeronimo Barela1st Place
Hypo- and hyperglycemia Stimulate PKC-δ+ Neurons In The CElZachary Keyes2nd Place

Cibola High School

Comparison of Struvite and Chlorella vulgaris Solution to Phosphorus Water PollutionSavannah Botello1st Place
Kinetics of Polymer Degradation with Tenebrio Molitor – Using Mealworms to Stop Plastic WasteHailey Chulamorkodt3rd Place
Seaweed BIochar FiltrationCole Steinmetz2nd Place
Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Tracking of SARS-CoV-2: Determining Unreported Cases and Clinical Data Lag TimeQuinn Nemeth1st Place
Demographics of Vaccination StatusAmritjot Singh1st Place
Reactive Nitrogen species: does it kill bacteria in wounds?Brenna Aspinwall3rd Place

City High School

An Emotional Solar CoasterUrsula Denholm2nd place

Colonel Smith Middle School – Ft. Huachuca

Don’t Eat FliesRiley Northrup3rd Place
Elevation Equals EnergyAbigail Bynum3rd Place
Fun FertilizersBrayden Kamachi2nd Place
pHan Pedro RiverCassandra Comolli1st Place
UV n’ trouble? Nailed it!Brennyn Livesey3rd Place

Corona Foothills Middle School

Cat-A-PultKatie Hecht3rd Place

Coronado K-8 School

Do Greenies actually clean our pet’s mouthPenny Sinohui1st Place
Mask Mania how do they protect?Aaron Hanks3rd Place
The effects of chicken sandwich packagingJack Pletnick3rd Place

DeGrazia Elementary School

What’s in Your Water Arizona?Alexander Hernandez1st Place

Dodge Traditional Magnet Middle School

Flour PowerSamantha Beutel2nd Place
Global Abundance of Microplastic in Beach SandsHenry Root1st Place
Mushrooms and DecompositionLeela Rajagopal Ridgway2nd Place

Doolen Middle School

Egg Sell-By Dates: Are They Accurate?Chloe Howell2nd Place
Equality in Hiring: How Gender Affects HireabilityElla Stoddard2nd Place
Escape the Maze: AI in RoboticsOlin Jones3rd Place
Golf Clubs, Distance, Loft and AngleMaxim Rutkowski, Cole Jenia3rd Place
Measuring Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in Different ClassroomsBenjamin Wexler1st Place
Pandemic Infection: An Analysis of How Germs Spread Through Different Forms of GreetingBen Brumley3rd Place
Preventable Erosional ForcesQuinlan McCormick2nd Place
Quality MasksAlex Molina-Macholtz2nd Place
Sound of SilenceZachary Dye1st Place
Sound vs. MaterialsAidan Fuller1st Place
The Bright Green Hope: Does the Surface Area of the Container Matter in Growing Algae?Ellen Dorsey-Sanchez1st Place
The Effects of Desert Plant Extracts on CricketsSabrina Wexler1st Place
What Items Can Deflect a Magnetic Field?Oliver Mason2nd Place
What Soil Types Resist Erosion the Most?Mason Huey2nd Place

Dove Mountain CSTEM School

Which Will Be The Berry Best vol. 2Abigail Ditsch2nd Place

Emily Gray Junior High – Top Middle School

A-Bird – Automated Bird Recognition DeviceFinnegan McGill1st Place
Beyond the BlazeBen Head3rd Place
Chair SocksSantino Celani1st Place
Do Computers Run Better with Clean Air?Grant Orvik2nd Place
Hovercraft: The ScalloperLogan Nielsen2nd Place
How Mulch Does It Help?Garrett Fry3rd Place
Just Drain It!Siena Contreras1st Place
Silence is GoldenSavannah LaPorte3rd Place
Solar Water HeaterSamantha Judnich3rd Place
The Happiness EffectAlex Provenzano1st Place
The Solar-CellGavin Panttila2nd Place
What deters desert rodents best?Calvin Driskill1st Place

Empire High School

Horizontal Transmission of the Obligate Symbiont Burkholderia in the Leaf-Footed Bug, Leptoglossus zonatus (Hemiptera: Coreidae)Isabelle Lopez1st place
PlantibioticsDawson Jones2nd Place
Which Food Source Makes The Biggest Hornworm?Marisa Freeman2nd Place
Which One is Better, Spray or Gel Hand Sanitizer?Connor Homes2nd Place

Eritrean Church

Performance of Trichoderma Fungi on Various African and Native Arizona Plants vs ControlMs Danielle Corbett class1st Place

Esmond Station Iron Horses K-8

Oxygen Through the ShellAddison Robison2nd Place
The Germination of BeansGraciela Huerta3rd Place
Unbelieva-bubble The Science of Soap BubblesAmelia Barrett2nd Place

Esperero Canyon Middle School

Is is Possible to Use Mars to Live on Mars?Ethan Bialis3rd Place

Gowan Science Academy

Do Soil Biostimulants Produce Higher Crop Yields?Melanie Moore1st Place
Effect on Solar Cell Efficiency by a Magnifying GlassAiden Daniel3rd Place
Harnessing the Saguaro Cactus to Treat Skin Infections – Antimicrobial Properties of the Carnegiea Gigantea Seed ExtractSamantha Chulamorkodt1st Place
Nuts Battle Of the KilocaloriesErick Figueroa orozco2nd Place

Harvest Preparatory Academy (SARSEF Endorsed School) – Top High School

Antimicrobial Potentials of Ayurvedic Products Extracts and Streptomycin Against Necrosis Causing Bacteria in Saguaro Cactus.Ana Navarro2nd Place
CREATING ANTIMICROBIAL LIPSTICKS USING DYES FROM NATURAL SOURCESJosselyn Hernandez1st Place
EFFECTS OF LYSINE AND PHENYLALANINE ON THE GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF PHASEOLUS VULGARISJulissa Ceballos, Miranda Ruiz3rd Place
ENGINEERING OF ANTIMICROBIAL BIOPLASTICS FROM INVASIVE ALGAE CAULERPA PROLIFERA, UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA, AND WASTE CORN COBSJulianna Serna-Ortiz1st Place
EXOGENEOUS NIACIN AND ZEAXANTHIN TREATMENT TO INCREASE THE STRESS TOLERANCE AND LIGHT ABSORBANCE CAPACITY OF MICROALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS UNDER AN ENGINEERED MARTIAN ENVIRONMENTChristopher Miranda1st Place
IMPROVING THE DENTAL HEALTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH A TOOTHPASTE INFUSED WITH PSIDIUM GUAJAVA AND ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACTS AGAINST TOOTH DECAY CAUSING BACTERIA STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANSAshley Valencia1st Place
IMPROVING THE WATER POTABILITY OF WATER FOUNTAINS IN SAN LUIS, AZ USING CITRUS PEELS AND MORINGA SEEDSItzel Bustos2nd Place
Investigating the Effects of Native Sonoran Desert Plants on Enhancing the Effects of Different Antibiotics Against E. coliAndrea Romero1st Place
MITIGATING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION BY INCREASING THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS RATE OF MACROALGAE ULVA LACTUCA USING PHYCOBILIN, CAROTENE, AND COUMARIN​Jimena Uribe Lin3rd Place
OBSERVING THE EFFECTS OF ADDING BETA CAROTENE ON THE GROWTH OF MICROALGAE VIA SPECTROPHOTOMETRYMercedes Castro, Shantee Thomas3rd Place
The Feasibility of Creating a Solar Panel that can Harness UV lights during Cloudy Days Using Luminescent Extracts from AgrowasteHannah Tapia2nd place

Immaculate Heart Elementary and Middle School

Banana BashPaul Fellinger3rd Place
Do You Collect More Rain By Walking Or Running?So Jung Lee3rd Place
Mo’ Rebounding, Mo’ ProblemsHunter Asplin, Luke Johnson3rd Place
The Untold Truth Of A Shopping CartNgoc Bui1st Place

Immaculate Heart High School

The Effect of Landscape Gravel on Ambient Air, Surface, and Soil TemperatureElizabeth Haloftis, Phuong Bui2nd Place

International School of Tucson

What filtration material gives you the cleanest drinking water?Rochelle Lauzon1st Place
What Type of Egg Dissolves in Vinegar Faster?Yuzuki Espinosa, Destani McKenna3rd Place

Khalsa Montessori School

Perceiving Different English AccentsFabiola Weiss-Cortes2nd Place
Potato PlasticLaszlo Thomas3rd Place
Potato PowerZarya Vinal2nd Place
To Mulch Or Not To Mulch?Clement Fleury3rd Place
Working Out With Caffeine?Pre Simonson2nd Place

L. W. Cross Middle School

“Reely Easy” Automatic Reeling DeviceBrandon Payne1st Place
A World on Fire 2, How to replant forests after wildfires; like those in Australia and California and now here in Oro Valley?Gabriel Vaughn2nd Place
Innovating Solar Panels to Remotely Send Solar EnergyJuliet Iadevaia1st Place
Lysol Spray vs Lysol Wipes Starring MoneyElle Lu Thompson2nd Place
MiscO3nceptions of AQUEOUS OZONEHassan Lorenzo Lopez2nd Place
Sensitive PlantsVivienne Yewell1st Place
Tech Suits, Are They Worth The Expense?Jacinda Belle Jordison1st Place
The Magnetic Free Fall ExperimentSawyer Drake McDermed1st Place
UAV SubmarineAugustus Mitchell2nd Place
What Drug Use Effects Will Deter Middle Schoolers’ From Using Drugs?Cecily May Stiening1st Place

Legacy Traditional School

CSI Science: Blood Spatter And Its PatternsRebekah Humphries2nd Place
Do Caterpillars have a Color Preference?Austin Axtell2nd Place
Puncture Proof??Morgan Garcia2nd Place

Mica Mountain High School

Craquelure Classification of European Regional Paintings Using Convolutional Neural NetworkMason Fosdick3rd Place

Mountain Vista School

Musicians and Lung CapacityMylee Hendrix3rd Place
Salt and WaterKadyn Husted2nd Place

Nelson Home School

Analysis of pollen-pistil interactions to model reproductive thermotolerance in tomatoAlexander Nelson1st Place

Olsson homeschool

Are There Native Fish in La Milagrosa Canyon?Wade Olsson1st Place

Orange Grove Middle School

Investigating Biophilia: Do Plant or Water Images Reduce Stress?Sophie Roth Gordon1st Place

Our Mother of Sorrows

Mad MaglerSophia Washburn3rd Place
Scoliosis Super ShirtMallory McRee1st Place
Solar Panel Energy GenerationJamison Ramsower3rd Place
Sunny ShadeJennifer Coronato2nd Place

Pistor Middle School

A Pocket Sized AlertJacob “JJ” Valenzuela3rd Place
Are More Expensive Acrylic Paints Better?Natalia Nunez3rd Place
Total MeltdownJoel Perez-Garcia3rd Place

Presidio School

Homemade BatterySajjad Al-Sinayyid3rd Place

Quest for Education and Arts

Nouveau-AI-Plastic-Degen: A novel approach using AI-based enzyme engineering to design New and Highly Efficient Marine Plastic Degrading EnzymesArjun Gupta1st Place
Stressing Out?Linnea Thim3rd Place

Rincon Vista Middle School

Effects of Fundamental Motion Patterns on VR CybersicknessOkan Guvenc2nd Place

Robert Richardson Elementary School

Collect the rain and you’ll make a great plainIsla Young, Jaelyn Foster, Janisa Yanez2nd Place
Two Story indoor planterSantiago Racina3rd Place

Rohrbach Redshift Academy

What can we learn about spacecraft design from commercial electronics? Exposing commercial electronics to alpha particles emitted from a uranium ore sample.Samuel Rohrbach1st Place

Sahuarita High School

Distribution of Oak Tree species in Southeastern ArizonaMr. Gavin Lehr class2nd Place

Saint Joseph Catholic School

There and Back Again – A Seedling’s TaleKatya Stickney1st Place

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School

Helpful or Harmful?Addison Cummings3rd Place

San Luis High School

How Does The Use of NSAIDs Affect Empathy?Itzel Andrade, Jesus Cadena2nd Place

San Simon School BIE

Why Do Some Fruits Turn Brown?Ms. Pam Buchanan class2nd Place
Yummy Juice Balls: The Science of SpherificationLynnae Eleando1st Place

Satori Charter School

Could Superworms Solve Our Pollution Problem?Matheo Richman2nd Place

SEAS Catholic School

Can’t Stand the Heat? Get out of the Solar Oven!Elizabeth Ennis2nd Place
Do athletes have better lung capacity than non-athletes?Danny Green2nd Place
DRAG ME DOWNJustin Dinh3rd Place

Sonoran Science Academy – Davis Monthan

Automatic Dog Door Using an ArduinoErica Highlander, Bea Goco2nd Place

Sonoran Science Academy – East

Fibonacci In NatureZane Martin3rd Place
The Musical HeartMaya Rocha3rd Place

St. Cyril School

Cool Cleats: Solutions to Keep Feet Cool in Soccer CleatsMolly Murry2nd Place
Do different shade of eyes see illusions differently?Juani Niyonkuru1st Place
Does the amount of sleep you get affect your memorySoleil Bonneau, Caden White3rd Place
Find Your FocusCecilia Gaspers3rd Place
Liar Liar Pants on FireReagan Burgle1st Place
Screens: How Do They Affect Your Sleep?Natalie Sivilli3rd Place
Self-Cleaning BirdcageAlanna Lopez-Adkins3rd Place
Stealth: They Never Saw It Coming!Taran Hogan1st Place
The Leader of the Pack: an observational study of captive African Wild DogsJackson Lipsy1st Place
The Stress Test: The Impact of Stress on Body TemperatureMia Thomas, Isabella Murphy2nd Place
Waiting for the FloodsCatherine Sztan1st Place

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School

Are Child Proof Locks Really Child Proof?Isabella Alvarez3rd Place
Can Sheep Recognize “Ewe”?Giada Freeman3rd Place
Curveball!Mauricio Hernandez2nd Place
Different type of music and its effect on burning caloriesNatalie Chavez3rd Place
Do Different Types of Sunscreens Matter?Lucas Freeman2nd Place
Does A Specific Colored Surface Affect Bacterial Growth?Maria Mexia2nd Place
Does Fed Bacteria Produce More Energy than Unfed Bacteria?Aiden Evangelista3rd Place
Does Highlighting Actually Help?Taryn Stevenson1st Place
Does noise affect coordination?Kiley Nguyen3rd Place
Gas in DrinksMcKenzie Avelar3rd Place
How do different genres of music (rock, country, hip hop, and electronic) affect heart rate?Emily Olsen3rd Place
Lettuce eat saladKelsie Harrison2nd Place
Muffin Makin’Kianna Alvarez3rd Place
Tamarix v. Native PlantsCoco Moreno1st Place
Water in your ears?Olivia Taylor2nd Place
Which Brand of Leg Protection Boot gives my horse his Best Performance?Ramsey Harrison2nd Place
Which Swimsuit Makes You Faster In The WaterEamon McCallen2nd Place

St. Michael’s School

Double the Light Double the Power!Oliver Lewis1st Place
How Protected Are You?Max Puntenney1st Place
What Effect Does Color Have On Urban Temperatures?Zoe Ana Brosanders2nd Place
What Protects Plants From Acid Rain the Best?Claire Zeiller3rd Place

Sunnyside High School

Antibiotic Activity in Soil BacteriaCynthia Bujanda class1st Place
Effects of stimulated drug addiction on the neural spike activity of Gromphadorhina portentosa and their applications in the identification and treatment of addictionsVictor Vigbedorh, Joann Valenzuela2nd Place
Exploration of Chaotic Orbits Using the Lyapunov Exponent in the Restricted Three-Body ProblemYaritza Durazo1st Place

Tanque Verde Elementary School

Are Magnets Affected by Temperature?Jackson Guerrero3rd Place
Go SolarElijah Moe1st Place
Goal RebounderMackenzie Sutterly, Zoe Rowden3rd Place
How to Save Half an AvocadoRemi Johnson, Holland Nye3rd Place
If you Play Sports are your Reflexes Different than if you Don’t Play Sports?Aubrey Skaggs3rd Place
Manpower VS Machine: Laundry EditionShannon Martinez2nd Place
The Chicken CoolerNoah McGill, Luca McGill1st Place
What Color are Bees Most Attracted to?Natalie Pacios, Charlotte Harris3rd Place

Tanque Verde High School

Rare Immune Cells Significantly Associated with Severe COVID-19 CasesKarah Mayer1st Place

The Gregory School

Effect of Velvet Mesquite Trees on Tucson’s Urban ClimateMrs. Kelly Smith class3rd Place
Impact of a Changing ClimateMrs. Kelly Smith class1st Place
Tucson’s Urban Heat a Material Science InvestigationMrs. Kelly Smith class1st Place
Water Usage in RestaurantsSage McClure1st Place

The Montessori Schoolhouse

HOW TO REUSE DISHWATER TO WATER PLANTSLilie Lavo3rd Place

Tucson High Magnet School

Cockroaches on Caffeine: Behavioral analysis of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach(Gromphadorhina portentosa) after a long term Caffeine Supplemented Diet.Liam Superville, Adrian Miller2nd Place
Socially Exposed: Investigating the relationship between the social behaviors of mammals and their viral exposure.Jessamine Tadeo1st place
The Cheapette: An Affordable Micropipette For The MassesCharles Becker1st Place

Twin Peaks Elementary School

Acids and BasesMateo Berry, Elias Berry1st Place
Aqua ShockRyan Boyle, Hudson Hamilton3rd Place
Chlorophyll Properties – Same or Different?Anna Zhilina3rd Place
SARSEF Bridge Engineering ProjectTyler Mann1st Place

University High School – Top High School

A preliminary study into rapidly deployable barrier systems using origami techniquesAlex Woodford2nd Place
Bilingualism’s Effect on MemoryKristin Jung, Karen Nguyen2nd Place
Comparing Different Machine Learning Approaches to Assess Frailty Among Geriatric Patients Using Upper-Extremity FunctionAnanya Munjal3rd Place
Contemporary and Projected Climate Changes across the Southwestern United States Relative to the Last 24,000 YearsNathaniel van der Leeuw, Lily Wood1st Place
Effectiveness of sous vide cooking with sunlightRohan Rajagopal3rd Place
Effects of the ratio of xanthan gum to oat and tapioca starch flour on the density of gluten free bread as compared to glutinous white breadAdelaide Glockner, Trey Harrison, Kevin Bates2nd Place
Effects of Varying Processes on Camellia Sinensis on Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast Growth Audrey Juneman3rd Place
Effects on Lavandula Angustifolia and Mentha Piperita Essential Oils on Epipremnum Aureum Radicle Growth​Lily Martinovich3rd Place
Effects on Lumbricina Diet in Relation to Soil Nutrients (pH) and group massNereyda Retana3rd Place
Finding the Relationship Between Strength in the Barbell Bench Press and the Dumbbell Bench PressAlex Brewton3rd Place
Hedgehog Signaling Mediates the Dysregulation of Adrenocorticotropin Hormone Secretion and Somatostatin Receptor Expression in Cushing’s DiseaseSaptarshi Mallick1st Place
Identifying Likely Active Binding Pockets in all Human ProteinsElliot Wheeler, Marta Wrzeszcz1st Place
Investigation of Retinal Energetics with Novel OPLS Force Fields Applied to a Full-Retinylidene SystemNathan Kuo, Jade Kuan2nd Place
Music preferences during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: How countries reacted to a changing worldPatricio Madera Tejeda2nd Place
Quantifying and Interpreting Bias Towards the Perception of Immigrants​Devak Shah, Nicolas Rivera3rd Place
The Effect of Various Over-the-Counter Pharmaceuticals on Phaseolus vulgaris Pinto Group GrowthAmber Li3rd Place
The effects of artificial stimulation of motor neurons in the face on emotions.Aubrey kopp, diego Gonzalez1st Place
The Effects of Common Substances Found in Urban Runoff on the CO2 Intake and Productivity of Brassica Oleracea Var. SabellicaBrooklyn Faye Piscitelli, Clara Rocha3rd Place
The Effects of Ebullition on the Corolla of a Flower to Produce PaintLilly Kornfeld, Taylor Kleefeld3rd Place
The evaluation of potential ion toxicity (ppm/ppb) within personal care productsSierra Titus, Aria Eyde, Ava Garcia2nd Place
The influence of LED lights on Acheta domesticus compared to the ways in which Noctuidae and Drepanidae are attracted to light.Mercedes Shay2nd Place

Vail Academy and High School

Genetic Algorithms in Falling PaperHyrum Powell, Dominic Williams2nd Place
Let’s Get Down to the Nitty GrittyIsabel Dancil, Lauren Thomas1st Place
Robot Wheels vs NatureBenjamin J. Patla1st Place
Sounds, Pictures, and MemoryCurtis Rawlings2nd Place
What is the Best Alternate Football to NFL Cowhide Footballs?Matthew Bissi3rd Place

Vail Innovation Center

Exploring the Visualization of ASMR Sounds Using a Tonoscope and Chladni PlateSebastian Cooksey1st Place

Valencia Middle School

What does sand have to do with a horse’s colon?Kash Horn3rd Place

Veritas Academy

Aloe Vera Flower Stalk: A Novel Packing MaterialAbigail Amante2nd Place

Veritas Christian Community School

Radiation RevelationsIsabell Gavin3rd Place

Willcox Middle School

FLAT!Mark Wilson1st Place
Weld itNathan Riggs1st Place

Winifred Harelson Elementary School

Do Dogs Have a Paw Preference Like Humans?Hayli Knight2nd Place
Game TimeBrayden Carr, Dominick SanAngelo, Jackson Cole2nd Place
Introverts vs Extroverts: What Do You Recall?Mrs Lindsay Wong class1st Place
Sanitizer WarsJaxyn DeCastro2nd Place
What’s In Your Wallet?Mrs Lindsay Wong class1st Place

Woodard Junior High School

Effects of Heat Stress on a Patient with Salt-wasting Congenital Adrenal HyperplasiaAlexis Batres3rd Place

Sponsored Awards (All grade levels)

Agua Caliente Elementary School

Fish Poop: The Future of FarmingDeb Goepfrich classYoungest and Best Elementary Project
Tap vs. Bottled: Which Has Less Contaminants?Nia MeredithArizona Hydrological Society

Anthem K-8 School

Water Spinning EnergyMaxwell CrowderTEP Award of Excellence, Hogan Energy Hero Award

BASIS Oro Valley

Baby Shark Doo Doo!!!Varni Modi, Aishwarya RaoTEP Award of Excellence
Slowing Down Ice Melt Using Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Eggshells Towards Mitigating Global Climate CrisisMatthew KimTexas Instruments 3rd Place High School Award, American Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award

BASIS Scottsdale Primary

Traffic Powered Wind Turbine – With Improved DesignRishi SetiaTEP Award of Excellence, TACO Team’s, Put the “C” in TACO Award, Hogan Energy Hero Award

Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School

Dahliah: A Sustainable Circular CityAlina Gutierrez, Maribel Robles, Nayelli GuzmanCox Conserves Award
Everything Old Can Be Made New AgainLeyna LaPierre, Dante Escobar, Eli Hernandez Jr.Cox Conserves Award
The Circular City (Waste Management – Biomass Energy – Urban Lungs – Circular Economy)Tal Medeiros, Elias El Onache, Alexander MuruaDr. Uhl Exemplary in STEM

Bonita Elementary School – Willcox

Saddle Up, ButtercupTaylor Warner“Mr Mac” Memorial Award

Booth-Fickett Math and Science Magnet School

The Power of PotatoesParis TorresSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Through Thick and Thin: Osmosis of a CellLinda OzunaSARSEF Board of Directors Award
What is a Mobius Strip? ​Miley LopeaSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Canyon View Elementary School

Dog Germ BustersCaris WiegandPolymer Chemistry Innovations Rising Female Chemist
Dog TalkAlex MyersSir Charles Beerferoni’s Super Scientist Award
The Lion ProjectMyla ClostermanSaguaro National Park Award, Pima County Chapter Arizona Master Naturalists Ecology of the Sonoran Desert

Casas Christian School

You Are What You Eat!Ethan PogueBeyond Foundation Health Science Award

Castlehill Country Day School

Mold Growth on RaspberriesAva BordersUniversity of Arizona Food Safety Consortium Sponsored Elementary School Award, Women’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project 3rd Grade, SaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Honorable Mention
Training Cats to Save ThemselvesFrannie GuzmanAZAALAS Special Award of Merit

Catalina Foothills High School

Agrivoltaics in the Time of Water RestrictionsHenry Roth GordonNASA Earth System Science Award 2022, TACO Team’s, Put the “C” in TACO Award
Assessing Urban vs. Rural Historical Temperature TrendsEmily Kamp, ASHLEY MannenbachAWG Student Award for Geoscience Excellence (SAGE), American Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award
Effects of Sceloporus virgatus (Striped Plateau Lizard) Cloacal Bacteria on Fungal GrowthJeronimo BarelaTucson Herpetological Society Outstanding Project
Neuropharmacology: Effect of Caffeine and Nicotine on Gromphadorhina portentosa Neural ActivityJoseph hanSociety for In Vitro Biology Most Outstanding Project

Cibola High School

Particulate Monitoring of UASOren Sutphin, Ethan JantziNOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
Plastic Infiltration on Planarian WormsEsperanza Guizar, Rodrigo GuizarDead Skunk Enterprises Studying things that “stink”
Seaweed BIochar FiltrationCole SteinmetzHonorable Mention – Friends of Agua Caliente Award
SuperwormsSedona Bermudez, Mauricio Rodriguez, Caroline BeltranSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Tracking of SARS-CoV-2: Determining Unreported Cases and Clinical Data Lag TimeQuinn NemethArizona Hydrological Society

Cienega High School

Demographics of Vaccination StatusAmritjot SinghUSAID Science Champion Award
Effects of the Bighorn Fire on Bird Species in the Santa Catalina MountainsIsabel RossRuby Prize
Hidden Gender Norms and Stereotypes: Then vs. NowAllison AkersSAPA Excellence in Behavioral Science Award
Reactive Nitrogen species: does it kill bacteria in wounds?Brenna AspinwallHelping Humans, The UACC Award for Early Scientific Inquiry

City High School

An Emotional Solar CoasterUrsula DenholmRICOH Sustainable Development Award, TEP Award of Excellence

Cochise Elementary School

Just Around the Riverbend: An Experiment on Erosion and RiverbedsArya WhiteTucson Gem & Mineral Society, Women’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project 2nd Grade, Arizona Hydrological Society

Colonel Smith Middle School – Ft. Huachuca

pHan Pedro RiverCassandra ComolliEnvironmental Ecology, Arizona Hydrological Society 1st Place
Power Up!Aaden FisherSARSEF Board of Directors Award, TEP Award of Excellence
The Power Of PlantsEmily PerezSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Passion for Science Award: In honor of Rachel Tankersley and Tonya Connelly, Hogan Energy Hero Award

Continental School

Wheat Grinder BikeLayna Lathen, Kiarelis TorresPersistence Pays Off, Live Long and Prosper Award
Wildlife Escape RampTessa McGibbonAZAALAS Special Award of Merit

Copper Creek Elementary School

Crystals and How they are FormedLilly ClauerTucson Gem & Mineral Society
Saving Water with Recycled TextilesAlyna BarnettASQ Tucson Sponsored Award, Arizona Hydrological Society

Copper Ridge Elementary

Catching the WindMakenzie SpiesTEP Award of Excellence
Solar SplashNaomi LarsonTEP Award of Excellence
The Animal ProjectJimi EquitzSky Island FotoFauna Young Naturalist Award
Winnie and the BeanstalkWensleigh FeagleySARSEF Board of Directors Award

Corona Foothills Middle School

Water Conservation Shower TimerEmma KirbergerTEP Award of Excellence, Girls Who Engineer

Cottonwood Elementary School

The Colorful Celery ExperimentLorena Fronseca classArizona Hydrological Society

DeGrazia Elementary School

What’s in Your Water Arizona?Alexander HernandezUniversity of Arizona Food Safety Consortium Sponsored Middle School Award

Desert Willow Elementary School

Are you taller or wider?Megan Hope DennisChildren’s Museum Tucson
Conductive PlaydoughMelanie LivingoodSARSEF Board of Directors Award
ECO Pet ACSebastian PachecoFuture Time Smith award for Excellence in Engineering to address health concerns with rising temperature over time

Doolen Middle School

Egg Sell-By Dates: Are They Accurate?Chloe HowellLeonore and Jack Mayer Memorial Award
Escape the Maze: AI in RoboticsOlin JonesTexas Instruments 3rd Place Middle School Award, Space X – To Infinity and Beyond Award
Put Your Mind to the TestMercy JoelSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Sound vs. MaterialsAidan FullerTexas Instruments 2nd Place Middle School Award

Dove Mountain CSTEM School

Don’t get caught with Germy Hands, take 20 seconds and wash themAveriana McGrewExceptional First Year Award
FlybotAda SalazarSpace X – To Infinity and Beyond Award
How does the 5 second rule affect food?Antonio PerezSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Second Place
What do you think will have a bigger reaction?Logan GardnerExceptional First Year Award

Dreams of Sunshine Playground

How Fast Do Water Beads GrowYunde Dalton ChanSTEM Super Heroes

Elgin School/Sonoita Elementary

Chicken Radio-Frequency Identification DoorJulie RodriguezDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award, Texas Instruments 1st Place Middle School Award

Emily Gray Junior High – Top Middle School

Get Moving in a Different Way!Sophia PelletierLeonore and Jack Mayer Memorial Award
The Happiness EffectAlex ProvenzanoBen’s Bells Science of Kindness Award
Understanding GermsVishwa De SilvaSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Honorable Mention

Emily Meschter Early Learning Center – Top Pre-Kindergarten Program

How Many Surfaces Can a Germ Travel To?Ms. Jessica Jankowski-Gallo classSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Third Place
Shining Light on ShadowsLiz Pumarol and Jessica Caramella classTEP Award of Excellence

Empire High School

Aquatic Plants Against Acid RainMadeline Ray McCaskillThird Place – Friends of Agua Caliente Award, American Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award
Audio and Art: A Comparison of Auditory and Visual Stimuli on Human EmotionsEva Ramirez, Laurel Gray BurkholderSAPA Excellence in Behavioral Science Award
Horizontal Transmission of the Obligate Symbiont Burkholderia in the Leaf-Footed Bug, Leptoglossus zonatus (Hemiptera: Coreidae)Isabelle LopezSociety for In Vitro Biology Most Outstanding Project
The Effect of Elevation on Water Quality in the Sonoran DesertShelby WraithSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Saguaro National Park Award
The effect of temperature on the pH of saltwater: implications for predicting climate changeRemy M. SeltzerSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Arizona Hydrological Society 2nd Place

Esmond Station Iron Horses K-8

Where does the cleanest water come from, and what makes water different?Symmone JacksonArizona Hydrological Society 2nd Place

Esperero Canyon Middle School

Is is Possible to Use Mars to Live on Mars?Ethan BialisTucson Amateur Astronomy Association Certificate of Achievement, ASCE SAB Excellence in Engineering Awards

Fletcher Family Homeschool

Pop, Pop, No Pop!Sylvia FletcherPassion for Science Award: In honor of Rachel Tankersley and Tonya Connelly, Polymer Chemistry Innovations Rising Female Chemist

Fruchthendler Elementary School

Just Enough Light: Does the Placement of Windows in an Underground House Matter?Toben Dorsey-SanchezSociety of American Military Engineers Award, Texas Instruments 1st Place Elementary Award
Magnetic Force FieldMatthew KellerTexas Instruments 3rd Place Elementary Award
Project SuMS: Submarine Motor SealJacob KellerTEP Award of Excellence, Texas Instruments 2nd Place Elementary Award

Gowan Science Academy

Harnessing the Saguaro Cactus to Treat Skin Infections – Antimicrobial Properties of the Carnegiea Gigantea Seed ExtractSamantha ChulamorkodtTucson Botanical Gardens Outstanding Plant Project, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society 1st Place
My Neighborhood RocksPenelope BacksTucson Gem & Mineral Society
Some Numbers have Interesting PropertiesJay ChandraYoungest and Best Elementary Project
The Cat’s MeowMiles KastePassion for Science Award: In honor of Rachel Tankersley and Tonya Connelly

Harvest Preparatory Academy (SARSEF Endorsed School) – Top High School

Antimicrobial Potentials of Ayurvedic Products Extracts and Streptomycin Against Necrosis Causing Bacteria in Saguaro Cactus.Ana NavarroTucson Botanical Gardens Outstanding Plant Project, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society 2nd Place, UA Plant Sciences Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 1st Place
CREATING ANTIMICROBIAL LIPSTICKS USING DYES FROM NATURAL SOURCESJosselyn HernandezASM Materials Education Foundation Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science, Texas Instruments 2nd Place High School Award
EFFECTS OF LYSINE AND PHENYLALANINE ON THE GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF PHASEOLUS VULGARISJulissa Ceballos, Miranda RuizUA Plant Sciences Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 2nd Place
ENGINEERING OF ANTIMICROBIAL BIOPLASTICS FROM INVASIVE ALGAE CAULERPA PROLIFERA, UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA, AND WASTE CORN COBSJulianna Serna-OrtizASM Materials Education Foundation Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science, Dr. Uhl Exemplary in STEM
EXOGENEOUS NIACIN AND ZEAXANTHIN TREATMENT TO INCREASE THE STRESS TOLERANCE AND LIGHT ABSORBANCE CAPACITY OF MICROALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS UNDER AN ENGINEERED MARTIAN ENVIRONMENTChristopher MirandaYale Science and Engineering Association Outstanding Exhibit in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics
IMPROVING THE DENTAL HEALTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH A TOOTHPASTE INFUSED WITH PSIDIUM GUAJAVA AND ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACTS AGAINST TOOTH DECAY CAUSING BACTERIA STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANSAshley ValenciaSARSEF Board of Directors Award, USAID Science Champion Award
Investigating the Effects of Native Sonoran Desert Plants on Enhancing the Effects of Different Antibiotics Against E. coliAndrea RomeroSecond Place – Friends of Agua Caliente Award, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society 3rd Place
MITIGATING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION BY INCREASING THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS RATE OF MACROALGAE ULVA LACTUCA USING PHYCOBILIN, CAROTENE, AND COUMARIN​Jimena Uribe LinU.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize, NASA Earth System Science Award 2022
MYCOREMEDIATION OF OCEANS OIL SPILL AND MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION USING PESTALOTIOPSIS MICROSPORA FUNGISheyla SolorzanoU.S. Metric Association Outstanding Use of International Metric System, U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize, AWG Student Award for Geoscience Excellence (SAGE)
OBSERVING THE EFFECTS OF ADDING BETA CAROTENE ON THE GROWTH OF MICROALGAE VIA SPECTROPHOTOMETRYMercedes Castro, Shantee ThomasMicrobial Discoveries
The Feasibility of Creating a Solar Panel that can Harness UV lights during Cloudy Days Using Luminescent Extracts from AgrowasteHannah TapiaRICOH Sustainable Development Award, TEP Award of Excellence, USAF Certificate of Achievement, Live Long and Prosper Award
Vigorous PlantsElla Noelle ParryExceptional First Year Award

Highland Free School

Which Mask Best Prevents the Sharing of GermsSofia DiazTEP Award of Excellence

Homer Davis Elementary School

Tummies Touching TablesMrs. Jessica Howe classClass Award of Engineering Design Excellence

Immaculate Heart High School

The Effect of Landscape Gravel on Ambient Air, Surface, and Soil TemperatureElizabeth Haloftis, Phuong BuiHonorable Mention – Friends of Agua Caliente Award, U.S. Metric Association Outstanding Use of International Metric System, American Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award

Innovation Academy – Top Elementary School

2 times the fun!!Ashlee Watson classASQ Tucson Sponsored Award
All You Seed Is LoveSayuri “Ellie” Carter-RogelTEP Award of Excellence
Don’t Lose it! Reuse it!Morgan FriezenWomen’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project 4th Grade
Don’t Throw it, Coat It!Aaron EagerPolymer Chemistry Innovations Innovative Chemistry Award – 2nd Place
Enrichment for TigersMila MadekaSharing The Planet
Fabric StrengthMabel Rivera classThe Earnest House LLC Helping Hands Award
Green Power: A Sustainable Energy AlternativeClinton WilleyCox Conserves Award
Growing in a Bubble: A Balloon Greenhouse EffectPamela Barrett classUA Plant Sciences Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 1st Place
Knit, Knot StressMabel Rivera classThe Earnest House LLC Helping Hands Award, Ben’s Bells Science of Kindness Award
Let it Grow!Mabel Rivera classThe Earnest House LLC Helping Hands Award
Magnetic StructuresElla SchulzkumpPima County Fair Mechanical Excellence Award
Pitch Perfect BakingAdalee Watson, Audrey Alameda, Kalia LopezRockefeller Award
Pop! Are you Paying Attention?Lori LaRussa classTEP Award of Excellence
Reach for the StarsNiki Tilicki classExcellence in Earth and Space Science
Tangled Part 2Faith ThomasPima County Fair Excellence in Robotics
The Scorpion ReservoirVincent PoyasTEP Award of Excellence
We Axolotl QuestionsMrs. Mandi Cordell classASQ Tucson Sponsored Award, Tucson Herpetological Society Outstanding Award, Best Pun Super Star Award

International School of Tucson

Adding Light Bulbs to an Electrical CircuitSantiago MorenoMildred & Dildred’s Imagination Award
Orbeez Size and MineralsWilliam Krizman-RauhArizona Hydrological Society
Plant Growth and Light TimingNadia CombsFuture Time Smith award for Excellence in Research on timing and time perception in non-human organisms, Esther Chapman Memorial Award for Curiosity in Plant Sciences

J. Robert Hendricks Elementary School

Erosion ExplosionHenry HeyerSociety of American Military Engineers Award
The No-Go CollarAddisyn ArvigExceptional First Year Award
Water Harvesting PlayscapeMrs. Vanessa Schiess classArizona Hydrological Society, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society Honorable Mention
Water Wash Trash NetEmma PetroshusTEP Award of Excellence, Department of Navy Naval Science Award

L. W. Cross Middle School

A World on Fire 2, How to replant forests after wildfires; like those in Australia and California and now here in Oro Valley?Gabriel VaughnTACO Team’s, Put the “C” in TACO Award
Bam! Speed of a GunBlake PierpontSafety in Physics Award
Dog toys: Does Color and Size MatterCamryn May GrossSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Department of Navy Naval Science Award
Geodes; How to Tell what is InsideAliza Jayani Alcoser, Madilyn Allison StevensSouthern Arizona Grotto RISING STALAGMITE AWARD, Tucson Gem & Mineral Society
Innovating Solar Panels to Remotely Send Solar EnergyJuliet IadevaiaTEP Award of Excellence
It’s Card To Choose a Game..Gabriel VaughnSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Special Moons: One End of the Rainbow to the MoonLily WeleckRobin M. Cattler Innovation Award
Swimming Caps and How They Affect the Speed of SwimmersAnamaria ElezSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Department of Navy Naval Science Award
UAV SubmarineAugustus MitchellDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award, USS Tucson 770 Club Outstanding project in nautical or submarine sciences

Lineweaver Elementary School (SARSEF Endorsed School)

Fight or Flight: Is the Game to Blame?Madilyn LesniakSARSEF Board of Directors Award
How Does Heat Effect Cold?Avery ToomeySARSEF Board of Directors Award
How Does Wind Affect the Rate of Evaporation?Maeve Russell-GoodmanSARSEF Board of Directors Award, ASQ Tucson Sponsored Award
What is the Best Type of Paper Airplane?Eddie GarciaSARSEF Board of Directors Award
What Type of Liquid Makes Flowers Live Longer?Krystal Carrillo SanchezSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Lulu Walker Elementary School

Making My Own PH TestLevi MillerKids’ Chemical Solutions Excellence in Chemistry

Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence K-8

Dirty and Clean Hands Experiment with RiceFeven Afewerki classSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Project Strike ForceLorenzo BrusoeSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Mesquite Elementary School

Environmentally Safe Plastic From MilkLeilani McComiskyDead Skunk Enterprises Studying things that “stink”
Healthy Vegetations Effect on Soil Erosion Caused by FloodIsabel RauckmanLangham Environmental Engineering Award, Esther Chapman Memorial Award for Curiosity in Plant Sciences
The Science of Masks and RespiratorsYunming Ray ChanSuper Cool Science Kid Award, Super Cool Fun Award

Mountain Vista School

Water SourceAmber SantillanaArizona Hydrological Society 1st Place

Native American Science & Engineering Program (NASEP)

Are Community Wells Safe on the Navajo NationAutumn RussellSARSEF Board of Directors Award, SaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Third Place
Soil Quality with Respect to the Environment and Public HealthYanaba SchroederSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Water Filter: Is it Necessary in my HomeNatasha ThompsonSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Nelson Home School

Analysis of pollen-pistil interactions to model reproductive thermotolerance in tomatoAlexander NelsonUSAID Science Champion Award

Olsson homeschool

Are There Native Fish in La Milagrosa Canyon?Wade OlssonTucson Herpetological Society Outstanding Award
Octocopter’s mission: A drone that collects hot lava for space scienceEd OlssonProper Villains’ Evil Genius Award

Our Mother of Sorrows

Greywater’s Effect on FlowersCassidy DickherberArizona Hydrological Society 2nd Place
Tiny Robot DancersSamantha SlaiwaSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Patagonia High School

What’s Your Age Baby: Quantifying and Graphing the Age of the universe as Constrained by Joint/Separate probesNicholas DekhtyarExcellence in Earth and Space Science

Pistor Middle School

Guinea Pigs For the Win!Madeline SmithSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Oh Chute, Don’t Fail Me Now!Elijah PursellAIAA Award for Excellence in Science or Engineering Project

Quest for Education and Arts

Nouveau-AI-Plastic-Degen: A novel approach using AI-based enzyme engineering to design New and Highly Efficient Marine Plastic Degrading EnzymesArjun GuptaTucson Metro Chamber’s Innovation & Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, RICOH Sustainable Development Award, Department of Navy Naval Science Award, USAF Certificate of Achievement, U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize, NASA Earth System Science Award 2022

Richard B. Wilson School

Magical RoofsAmelia Meadows-WallaceTEP Award of Excellence

Robert Richardson Elementary School

It’s Eroding AwayMrs. Michelle McWilliams classEsther Chapman Memorial Award for Curiosity in Plant Sciences

Rohrbach Redshift Academy

What can we learn about spacecraft design from commercial electronics? Exposing commercial electronics to alpha particles emitted from a uranium ore sample.Samuel RohrbachAIAA Award for Excellence in Science or Engineering Project

Rose Homeschool

How Prickly Pear Can Lower Low-Density-Lipoproteins (the “bad” cholesterol)Maximus RoseTucson Cactus and Succulent Society 3rd Place

Sabino High School

The Relationship Between Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration and Wet Biomass in Egeria densaPreston StrickerFirst Place – Friends of Agua Caliente Award

Sahuarita High School

Identification and Phylogeny of Unknown Cucurbitaceae SeedsAbbey Mandell, Maiya MatthewsSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Saint Joseph Catholic School

Hover On!Kylee McCoolPima County Fair Excellence in Robotics
The Shhh…arpener ProjectMs. Eileen Miller classClass Award of Engineering Design Excellence

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School

Cigarettes- What Stays in Your Body after Cigarettes?Luna CurtnerLeonore and Jack Mayer Memorial Award

Sam Hughes Elementary School

Snuggles and PugglesRosie NewellDr. Uhl Exemplary in STEM

San Luis High School

How Does The Use of NSAIDs Affect Empathy?Itzel Andrade, Jesus CadenaSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Satori Charter School

Exploring plastic and magnetic properties to save the world’s oceanInsee EkstromSociety of American Military Engineers Award, Arizona Hydrological Society
Trash TrialsKyrie KnappASCE SAB Excellence in Engineering Awards

SEAS Catholic School

Can’t Stand the Heat? Get out of the Solar Oven!Elizabeth EnnisASCE SAB Excellence in Engineering Awards

Senita Valley Elementary School

Science Fair ProjectAudrey LefforgeLola’s Legacy
What kind of Fabric Sticks to Cholla the Best?Isabelle LefforgeTucson Cactus and Succulent Society Honorable Mention

Sonoran Science Academy – Davis Monthan

How could depression affect a teenager?Joshua MonseesZach Giron Memorial Award

St. Cyril School

Liar Liar Pants on FireReagan BurgleTEP Award of Excellence
That’s SNOT FunnyAlessabetta RuboyianesChildren’s Museum Tucson
The Leader of the Pack: an observational study of captive African Wild DogsJackson LipsySharing The Planet

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School

Are fingerprints inherited?Andrea CastilloLeonore and Jack Mayer Memorial Award
Can Sheep Recognize “Ewe”?Giada FreemanThe Brave Brays’ Award for Female Animal Scientists
Does Fed Bacteria Produce More Energy than Unfed Bacteria?Aiden EvangelistaTEP Award of Excellence
How does the blade direction affect the energy output on a wind turbine?Genevieve FernandezTEP Award of Excellence
How long do you have to ferment kimchi to perfect its taste?Kiera NguyenPolymer Chemistry Innovations Innovative Chemistry Award – 1st Place
Lettuce eat saladKelsie HarrisonLeonore and Jack Mayer Memorial Award, SaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Third Place
Tamarix v. Native PlantsCoco MorenoNative Plant Studies Award
When In Doubt, Brush It OutRebecca GarciaSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Which Brand of Leg Protection Boot gives my horse his Best Performance?Ramsey HarrisonRonstadt Insurance The Grit Award

St. Michael’s School

Cow Manure or Chicken Manure?Adalyn Chue, Bella PendolinoTEP Award of Excellence
Double the Light Double the Power!Oliver LewisTEP Award of Excellence
Preservatives: Keeping Your Food Safe!Piper KuklaSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – First Place
To Drink Or Not To DrinkThomas Walsh, Chase PuntenneySaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Second Place

Sunnyside High School

Exploration of Chaotic Orbits Using the Lyapunov Exponent in the Restricted Three-Body ProblemYaritza DurazoUSAF Certificate of Achievement, Mu Alpha Theta Award, Live Long and Prosper Award, Excellence in Earth and Space Science, Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Certificate of Achievement, First Place – AZ Psychological Association Science Award, AIAA Award for Excellence in Science or Engineering Project, AIAA Award for Excellence in Science or Engineering Project

Sunrise Drive Elementary

Aerodynamics – The tail of my KiteAmelie PuellWomen’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project 1st Grade
Shooting and Passing in SoccerEli Le PeauZach Giron Memorial Award
What Material Makes Ice Melt the Fastest?James JacobsenASQ Tucson Sponsored Award

Sycamore Elementary School

Building a TrebuchetChristian PenaPima County Fair Excellence in Robotics
Hydroponics vs Soil: Which grows faster?Faith FranciscoSARSEF Board of Directors Award
My Homemade FlashlightJustin CurtisTEP Award of Excellence
What’s a Bird’s Favorite Color?Gwendolyne MaciasRobin M. Cattler Innovation Award, Passion for Science Award: In honor of Rachel Tankersley and Tonya Connelly
Will Buffelgrass Keep Plants From GrowingAnne Marie WagesSARSEF Board of Directors Award, Saguaro National Park Award, Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society Honorable Mention

Tanque Verde Elementary School

Do Cars Travel Different Distances on Different Textures?Monet PenderWomen’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project Kindergarten
Snack BotRyan Sutterly, Noah Burrows, Gerimiah AndrewsPima County Fair Excellence in Robotics
Sweeper Scooper Upper 3000Miele Martin, Brookly ReayScience is Everywhere Award

Tanque Verde Luthern Church Preschool

Will it Sink or float?Amyra Kotadia, Jayneel PatelSTEM Super Heroes

The Gregory School

Effect of Velvet Mesquite Trees on Tucson’s Urban ClimateMrs. Kelly Smith classUA Plant Science Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 2nd Place
Impact of a Changing ClimateMrs. Kelly Smith classNOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
Water Usage in RestaurantsSage McClureInnovative Inquiry & Passion for Science

Tucson Hebrew Academy

Here Comes the Sun!Ms. Mollie Ramos classFuture Time Smith award for Excellence in Research on objective and subjective measures of time

Tucson High Magnet School

Concussion Chronicles: Analyzing IMPACT concussion trends across Tucson High School Athletics from 2008 to present.Christopher Cota, Aidan ChanezThe UACC Award for Early Scientific Inquiry
Coniochaeta The Super FungiYissis Hernandez, Laylalanai GocobachiAWG Student Award for Geoscience Excellence (SAGE)
The Cheapette: An Affordable Micropipette For The MassesCharles BeckerDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award
The Lost Planet: Using theoretical orbital data to improve the search for Planet 9Sean LyonMu Alpha Theta Award, Second Place – AZ Psychological Association Science Award, AIAA Award for Excellence in Science or Engineering Project

Twin Peaks Elementary School

Chlorophyll Properties – Same or Different?Anna ZhilinaUA Plant Sciences Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 1st Place
In the MothlightHenry Turner, Trevor TurnerPassion for Science Award: In honor of Rachel Tankersley and Tonya Connelly, TEP Award of Excellence
Is it Really Biodegradable?Alexis Windsor, Bria Papin, Sara EdmondsDead Skunk Enterprises Studying things that “stink”

University High School – Top High School

Analyzing Patterns in Music Composition within the Film IndustryLily Figueroa, Angelina Garcia, Malak ElfarmaouiAmerican Psychological Association Outstanding Achievement Award
Analyzing SARS-Cov-2 Related Genomic Traits Among Chiroptera and Other MammalsHendrick Read, Natalie SonSharing The Planet
Analyzing the Percolation Rate of Chemicals through SoilJesus Mendoza-VillelaArizona Hydrological Society 1st Place
Bilingualism’s Effect on MemoryKristin Jung, Karen NguyenAmerican Psychological Association Outstanding Achievement Award
Clorox Killed My Friends: Evaluating the effects sodium hypochlorite, benzalkonium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide on the quantification of bacteria on common kitchen surfaces.Michelle Ngo, Salma Pedersoli, Aiko LevineSociety for In Vitro Biology Most Outstanding Project, SaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Honorable Mention
Comparing Different Machine Learning Approaches to Assess Frailty Among Geriatric Patients Using Upper-Extremity FunctionAnanya MunjalDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award
Comparison Between the Effects of Chlorella Vulgaris and Spirulina Platensis on the Bioremediation of Wastewater PollutantsIsabella Mixton-Garcia, Auhona ShilU.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize
Contemporary and Projected Climate Changes across the Southwestern United States Relative to the Last 24,000 YearsNathaniel van der Leeuw, Lily WoodTEP Award of Excellence, That’s Geography! – Cultivating Empathy for the Earth Award Rubric – 2022, NOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
Effect of Temperature on Rust FormationAndre Celaya, luis fiool, Gabrielle EstrellaUSS Tucson 770 Club Outstanding project in nautical or submarine sciences
Effectiveness of sous vide cooking with sunlightRohan RajagopalSARSEF Alumni Award, Texas Instruments 1st Place High School Award
Effects of Varying Processes on Camellia Sinensis on Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast Growth Audrey JunemanUniversity of Arizona Food Safety Consortium Sponsored High School Award, SaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – Second Place
Inquiry into a possible correlation between political orientation and identification of misinformationChristian Beenken, Alec Shepp, Maximilian RomeroSAPA Excellence in Behavioral Science Award
Music preferences during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: How countries reacted to a changing worldPatricio Madera TejedaAmerican Psychological Association Outstanding Achievement Award
Quantifying and Interpreting Bias Towards the Perception of Immigrants​Devak Shah, Nicolas RiveraSuper DEI Award
Subjective Commitment in Homo SapiensIsabella Huerta, Aurora DunnDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award
Synthesis of Next Generation Plastic Optics: Polymerizations with Sulfenyl ChloridesMaggie FuASM Materials Education Foundation Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry Innovations Award – First Place
The effectiveness of conventional Anti-Browning methods on the Enzymatic Browning of different types of apples.Taylor DeVorePolymer Chemistry Innovations Rising Female Chemist
The Effects of Climate and Solar Elevation Angle on Intensity of Ultraviolet RadiationMiranda MooreAmerican Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award
The Effects of Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, and Cinnamon Essential Oils on E. coli and S. aureusAudrey WinkleSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – First Place
The influence of LED lights on Acheta domesticus compared to the ways in which Noctuidae and Drepanidae are attracted to light.Mercedes ShaySouthern Arizona Chapter of the International DarkSky Association Award
The Trend in Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii) Population Demography in Relation to Road Density​Sofia ArambulaSARSEF Board of Directors Award, U.S. Metric Association Outstanding Use of International Metric System

Vail Academy and High School

How does the Temperature of Water Affect a Plants GrowthCollin KerbyUA Plant Sciences Planting the seed: Excellence in plant sciences research 2nd Place
How Fast do Different Size Comets Melt?Matthew BowlingTucson Amateur Astronomy Association Certificate of Achievement
Let’s Get Down to the Nitty GrittyIsabel Dancil, Lauren ThomasSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Rubber Band ScienceOliver Michael FeagleyTEP Award of Excellence

Vail Innovation Center

Exploring the Visualization of ASMR Sounds Using a Tonoscope and Chladni PlateSebastian CookseyLangham Creative Project Award, SARSEF Board of Directors Award

Veritas Christian Community School

Fibonacci Solar PanelsJuliannah GavinDepartment of Navy Naval Science Award, Mu Alpha Theta Award, Hogan Energy Hero Award, Third Place – AZ Psychological Association Science Award

Willcox High School

Beetlemania ReturnsNaomi HernandezSaguaro National Park Award
Testing Absorption of Carbon Dioxide Reaction With Water and BasaltKarissa Riggs, Alexis HernandezHonorable Mention – Friends of Agua Caliente Award, American Meteorological Society Outstanding Achievement Award

Willcox Middle School

FLAT!Mark WilsonSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Magic CleanValerie RodarteSARSEF Board of Directors Award
Sugar Cube CaveCarl WyattSouthern Arizona Grotto RISING STALAGMITE AWARD
Weld itNathan RiggsAward of Engineering Design Excellence
Will the different types of ice cream flavors melt at the same time?Shelby HelstandSARSEF Board of Directors Award

Winifred Harelson Elementary School

A Salty SurpriseHarper McDermedWomen’s Chemistry Group Best Female Project 5th Grade
Cart WashHarper FrancomScience Superstar
CoolbeltNoah FoutsTEP Award of Excellence
Furcycler and Shelter Blankets/BedsNatalie LoweThe Earnest House LLC Helping Hands Award
Javelina Javelin-AGavin CookRobin M. Cattler Innovation Award, TEP Award of Excellence
Rrrecard$Emmy SieminskiAward of Engineering Design Excellence
The DeBurrerLukas PaulosTEP Award of Excellence
The Thorny TransplanterMaizie McIntoshTucson Cactus and Succulent Society Honorable Mention
What Will Slow Down Mold on Strawberries?Audrey MandelSaferFood Cats Food Safety Award – First Place
Wind Turbine vs. Blade PlacementLivia AronsonRobin M. Cattler Innovation Award

Top Awards (All grade levels)

BASIS Tucson North

Packaging waste reduction: right-sized box packaging by using volume bounding box algorithmJimmy KwonRaytheon Excellence in Engineering Design Scholarship

Catalina Foothills High School

Agrivoltaics in the Time of Water RestrictionsHenry Roth GordonTEP Bright Mind Award
Effects of Sceloporus virgatus (Striped Plateau Lizard) Cloacal Bacteria on Fungal GrowthJeronimo BarelaWallace Foundation’s Excellence in Critical Thinking

Cienega High School

Demographics of Vaccination StatusAmritjot SinghAPS Foundation Award

City High School

An Emotional Solar CoasterUrsula DenholmSimon Strauss Engineering Award

Dodge Traditional Magnet Middle School

Global Abundance of Microplastic in Beach SandsHenry RootTEP Brilliant Mind Award

Emily Gray Junior High – Top Middle School

A-Bird – Automated Bird Recognition DeviceFinnegan McGillBroadcom Coding with Commitment, APS Exceptional Engineering Design

Gowan Science Academy

Harnessing the Saguaro Cactus to Treat Skin Infections – Antimicrobial Properties of the Carnegiea Gigantea Seed ExtractSamantha ChulamorkodtDoD STEM Leadership Prize

Harvest Preparatory Academy (SARSEF Endorsed School) – Top High School

Investigating the Effects of Native Sonoran Desert Plants on Enhancing the Effects of Different Antibiotics Against E. coliAndrea RomeroSARSEF Foundation Scholarship Excellence in Research
IMPROVING THE DENTAL HEALTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH A TOOTHPASTE INFUSED WITH PSIDIUM GUAJAVA AND ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACTS AGAINST TOOTH DECAY CAUSING BACTERIA STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANSAshley ValenciaISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship, Roche Diagnostics Tom Grogan Award for Scientific Excellence
EXOGENEOUS NIACIN AND ZEAXANTHIN TREATMENT TO INCREASE THE STRESS TOLERANCE AND LIGHT ABSORBANCE CAPACITY OF MICROALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS UNDER AN ENGINEERED MARTIAN ENVIRONMENTChristopher MirandaJack Johnson Arizona Excellence in Science Award, ISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship
ENGINEERING OF ANTIMICROBIAL BIOPLASTICS FROM INVASIVE ALGAE CAULERPA PROLIFERA, UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA, AND WASTE CORN COBSJulianna Serna-OrtizISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship, Roche Diagnostics Best of Chemical and Material Sciences Award

J. Robert Hendricks Elementary School

Say Watt!Jessica Wendt classCaterpillar Foundation’s Building Arizona’s Future Award

L. W. Cross Middle School

A World on Fire 2, How to replant forests after wildfires; like those in Australia and California and now here in Oro Valley?Gabriel VaughnLemelson Early Inventor Prize

Nelson Home School

Analysis of pollen-pistil interactions to model reproductive thermotolerance in tomatoAlexander NelsonAlex and Winn Lindsay Award, ISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship, Phi Beta Kappa

Quest for Education and Arts

Nouveau-AI-Plastic-Degen: A novel approach using AI-based enzyme engineering to design New and Highly Efficient Marine Plastic Degrading EnzymesArjun GuptaISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship, Phi Beta Kappa

Satori Charter School

Exploring plastic and magnetic properties to save the world’s oceanInsee EkstromTEP Brilliant Mind Award

Sunnyside High School

How does the presence of plants around a trap affect the number of bees collected?Kayo Haven, Ramon Armando Martinez-Celaya, Adrianna CastroPima Community College Foundation Top STEM Student of Promise
Exploration of Chaotic Orbits Using the Lyapunov Exponent in the Restricted Three-Body ProblemYaritza DurazoISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship

Tanque Verde High School

Rare Immune Cells Significantly Associated with Severe COVID-19 CasesKarah MayerISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship, Roche Diagnostics Best of Cellular & Microbiological Sciences Award

Tucson High Magnet School

The Cheapette: An Affordable Micropipette For The MassesCharles BeckerRaytheon Excellence in Engineering Design Scholarship

University High School – Top High School

Contemporary and Projected Climate Changes across the Southwestern United States Relative to the Last 24,000 YearsNathaniel van der Leeuw, Lily WoodISEF Finalist and UA Scholarship
Identifying Likely Active Binding Pockets in all Human ProteinsElliot Wheeler, Marta WrzeszczCaterpillar Foundation’s Building Arizona’s Future Award
Comparing Different Machine Learning Approaches to Assess Frailty Among Geriatric Patients Using Upper-Extremity FunctionAnanya MunjalRoche Diagnostics Best of Engineering, Robotics and Computer Sciences Award
Hedgehog Signaling Mediates the Dysregulation of Adrenocorticotropin Hormone Secretion and Somatostatin Receptor Expression in Cushing’s DiseaseSaptarshi MallickSARSEF Foundation Scholarship Excellence in Research, 2022 Regeneron Biomedical Science Award

Vail Academy and High School

Solar Power HeaterAmara PerezTEP Top Middle School Project Award
Baking Soda vs. Baking PowderHayley CarpenterPima Community College Foundation Top STEM Student of Promise

Top Teacher Awards

Educator Advocate of Science and Engineering

Adam Norzagaray
Ana Castro-Eubanks
Cindy Adkins
Cindy Bujanda
Dan McAlees
Elisabeth Gingrich
Ellen Samuelsen
Heather Madrigal
Jackie Nichols
Janine Malkin
Jennifer Kaste
Jessica Caramella
Laura Miller
Lisa Baker
Mandi Cordell
MariAnn Slater
Michael Frank
Monique Berry-Kelley
Oguz Guvenc
Pam Buchanan
Pam McGuire
Perla Villa
Rebecca Bhasme
Robyn Yewell
Tara Archuleta
Ty White
Verdean Smith
Yvonne Youngquist

SARSEF Champion Educator of Science and Engineering

Alexandria Vaughn
Alfred Santos
Annette Koweek
Deb Goepfrich
Elyse Wexler
Jaime Camero
Jennifer Metzler
Lisa Nielson
Patricia Garcia
Rita Wilhite
Rosina West
Vicki Peterson

SARSEF Endorsed Teacher Award

Cindy Bujanda
LeeAnn Howell

Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson Membership Award

Brenda Lundt
CIndy Bujanda
Feven Afewerki
Georgina Matzkin
Ivan Yocum
Jocelyn Smerz
Kelly Milani
Mister Ben Collinsworth
Steve Beall
Ty White

White Stallion Ranch Teacher Excellence Award

Ms. Dee Padilla

SARSEF stands against racial inequality

Equity is a core value our organization strives to achieve daily. However, equity in education, science and engineering will never be achieved without action and a broader recognition of the impact racial injustice has in our daily lives.

As SARSEF families and community members, we teach our kids to make observations, ask questions, collect data, and form their own conclusions. As images of protests and police violence flash across our screens, many of us grapple with how to talk to kids about what they’re seeing and what it means for our nation. This can feel like a difficult conversation to start.

But these conversations are crucial. Adults and children alike need to take the last step in scientific research – the hardest one – using what they learn to build a better future.

The data has been gathered, for decades, for centuries. The conclusion is clear – systemic racism exists and has fatal consequences. Now is the time for action. Black Lives Matter.

If you are a parent, caretaker or teacher looking for ways to talk to kids about racism, here is a resource that might help.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/in-the-news/talking-about-race/

Judging registration for the 67th SARSEF Regional Science & Engineering Fair is open!

As our 67th annual SARSEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair approaches, we hope you will consider encouraging and rewarding students for their science and engineering by judging at the SARSEF Fair during the week of February 28, 2022.

Highlights for the 67th annual SARSEF Fair Week

  • Similar to 2021, all judging will take place virtually on the SARSEF Fair platform as well as on Zoom.
  • You will be asked to attend one of our judge training sessions before the fair to ensure you have the information you need to be comfortable and confident during Fair Week. You will be sent a link with information on how to sign up for a session once you are registered as a judge.
  • Starting Saturday, February 26, you will be able to review projects online at your convenience.
  • Judging team caucuses and student interviews will occur all in one day depending on the grade level and/or category.
  • Judges have the flexibility to serve on more than one team if they are interested in judging on multiple days. 
  • Though judging will occur virtually, we do have some in-person events for Fair Week 2022. Each evening, there will be a judges’ Happy Hour at a specific location in Tucson. We encourage you to come mingle with your Judging Team to celebrate students conducting research!
  • The ultimate celebration will occur on Saturday, March 5th, when we invite students, teachers, families, judges, and community members to come together for a Community STEM Festival and Awards Ceremonies at the Georges DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park in Tucson, AZ. 

Judging Schedule for 2022 SARSEF Fair Week

  • Monday, February 28, 2022 – Elementary School Judging and Interviews
  • Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – Middle School Judging and Interviews
  • Wednesday, March 2, 2022 – High School Judging and Interviews (1/2 of the categories)
  • Thursday, March 3, 2022 – High School Judging and Interviews (remaining categories)

Register today

Qualifications for judging varies by grade level.

3 holiday gift ideas that will make an impact

This holiday season, SARSEF has three ways that you can help make an impact in STEM education while checking holiday gifts off your list.

Educational books for students and teachers

Give the gift of critical thinking! We have curated lists of amazing science and engineering books that would make meaningful gifts for students of all age groups as well as teachers.

When you purchase books from our new Bookshop storefront, 10% goes towards helping SARSEF fulfill our mission of every child thinking critically.

Scientists wear t-shirts too

The SARSEF Science Store is open for the holidays until December 17!

Give the scientists in your life a science-themed youth t-shirt, necklace, earrings, or sticker so they can represent their love of science!

All SARSEF Store sales help support SARSEF programs.

Make a donation in someone’s name

Making a donation in someone’s name is a meaningful way to show that you care.

When you make a donation in someone’s name between now and December 17, we will send you a graphic customized with your name and the name of the gift recipient that you can print at home to place inside a card or send in an email.

Give your gift for free!

Invest your tax dollars by making a gift to SARSEF of up to $800 if you file jointly or $400 if you file individually, then receive it all back as a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit (or reduce what you owe).

Just leave a comment on the donation form to let us know whose name you are giving in.

SARSEF Programs Teach Critical Thinking

October 11, 2021 – Scientists have taken center stage in the news during the COVID-19 pandemic as they work to inform the community about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, find innovative solutions to treat infected individuals and work tirelessly on a vaccine to prevent further spread. For school-aged children who are inspired by the work that these physicians, researchers and engineers are doing and wish that they too could be a part of the solution, it can sometimes seem that reaching that level of expertise is a long ways away for them. That’s why SARSEF is working with parents, teachers and students to help cultivate the skills necessary to think like a scientist early-on in their schooling.

Since 1955, SARSEF has worked to engage with students and help them develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that will be useful for them in any career that they choose. Through free educational programs, SARSEF encourages students in PreK through high school to be curious, start asking questions and use science and engineering to find solutions that are meaningful to them.

“The important role that science plays in our day-to-day life is apparent now more than ever, and our programs are designed to encourage scientific curiosity at a young age,” said Julie Euber, CEO at SARSEF. “We want students to know that it’s never too early to make a contribution to society and we equip them with the problem solving skills they need to get started. As teachers welcome their students back to the classroom after a year of distance learning, this is a great way for them to engage students through hands-on learning.”

SARSEF programs include:

  • What Do We Wonder: a multiple-session experience (the length of which being determined by your class needs) that guides PreK through high school students and teachers from beginning to end of a research project using scientific practices and age-appropriate hands-on activities. The program includes a consultation with a SARSEF educator to tailor the experience to the teacher or school’s needs.
  • Roadmap to a Rockin’ Project: a 1.5 hour parent/student workshop that aligns with the What Do We Wonder Program to help identify potential project topics and gain an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.
  • Teacher Professional Development: a guide for PreK through 8th grade teachers where Arizona science standards, and science and engineering practices are discussed to enhance student learning.
  • Racing the Sun: an engineering program that encourages high school students to design, build and race solar-powered go-karts. Fees for supplies are not included, fundraising workshops available.

Visit sarsef.org/programs to learn more about the programs and to sign up.

Julie Euber

julie@sarsef.org

520-273-8259

Fond Farewell from SARSEF CEO Liz Bowman and an Introduction

Image: Liz Bowman (left) and Julie Euber (right)

Dear SARSEF Community,

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to SARSEF’s next CEO, Julie Euber.

SARSEF has been a critical part of my life for twenty-five years. Over that time, I have watched it transform from a week-long celebration of the brightest minds in Southern Arizona run by a group of passionate volunteers, into an incredible organization focused on education equity where every child owns their potential and makes a difference in their world. As a student competitor, SARSEF taught me that my brain has value, and my voice has impact. As SARSEF’s first full-time staff member, I quickly recognized that passion can only get an organization so far and vowed that my work would not be done until SARSEF was truly sustainable.

When I became CEO, my goal was clear. I would make sure that SARSEF had a culture where people would not want to leave, but if they chose to, we would be able to celebrate their contributions because the organization would be established enough for their legacy to live on.

I am incredibly proud to have reached my goals for this amazing organization.

It was not until my position as CEO that I truly understood the value of the skills that SARSEF taught me in my formative years. I could not help but smile as I applied science and engineering practices daily, eliminating variables and making data-based decisions. I used critical thinking and problem solving skills to keep us thriving through the pandemic as well as the data and communication skills to articulate our impact.

I couldn’t have met my goals without your support. I encourage you to join me in celebrating what we’ve been able to accomplish together, and what’s to come, by making a donation at sarsef.org/donate. Please feel free to let me know you are giving in celebration of our work together in the comment box of our donation form so that I can thank you.

Fortunately, SARSEF has an incredibly strong incoming CEO who will continue this legacy. When I became CEO, I hired Julie Euber as COO with our succession plan in mind. Her remarkable leadership skills, keen eye for strategy, discipline for planning, and passion for equity were qualities I knew would be essential in the next SARSEF CEO. In the two years she has been with our organization she has far surpassed my own, and our Board’s, ideal expectations for a successor.

After she was unanimously selected, our SARSEF board expressed utmost confidence in Julie’s ability to maintain SARSEF’s growth trajectory, assuring a high level of service to our many stakeholders. Her mix of experience in science, education, and the nonprofit sector make her uniquely qualified.

I first met Julie while working alongside her at both the State and International Science Fairs, where her commitment to putting students first was clear. Each decision she made and action she took embodied SARSEF’s commitment to our core values of Innovation, Equity, and Engagement. I later learned that it was her own experience with science education equity that drives her. After Julie earned her MA in Anthropology with a focus in Bioarchaeology from Arizona State University, she served as Manager of Education and Outreach at the Phoenix-based biomedical research nonprofit TGen. During that time, she pursued further training and education in nonprofit management and became the President of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Phoenix.

Julie shared, “I look forward to continuing SARSEF’s long tradition of supporting and celebrating opportunities for Arizona students to get involved in science and engineering. It has been an incredible opportunity working with the SARSEF staff, board, and volunteers over the last two years. Their dedication and thoughtful work are making science and engineering more accessible to all students. I can’t wait to continue my work with them.”

Julie will officially start as SARSEF CEO in October, and I encourage you to take the time to welcome and get to know her. To do so, schedule a 15-minute virtual meet-and-greet here: https://calendly.com/julie-euber/meet-the-new-sarsef-ceo.

It is time for a new generation of leadership to carry SARSEF to its next phase, and I cannot wait to see what it becomes.

With gratitude for all you have done to make this journey truly remarkable,

Liz Bowman

SARSEF is encouraging community members to leave a note of congratulations, well wishes or a favorite memory of Bowman at the following link: https://forms.gle/5B7s2gpD19Ra4tiJ6.

Southern Arizona High School Students Compete for $5 Million in Awards and Prizes at International Science Fair

Press Release – PDF

June 8, 2021

In May, eight Southern Arizona students competed as finalists at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) for $5 million in awards and prizes. The students qualified to participate in the competition at the SARSEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

Regeneron ISEF 2021 included 1,833 finalists representing 49 states and 64 countries from across the world. This year marked the first time in the competition’s more than 70-year history that the event took place virtually.

Of the eight Southern Arizona students who competed at Regeneron ISEF, six won awards. You can find the full list of finalists below:

Aaron Trinh, Grade 12

Canyon del Oro High School, Tucson, AZ

Project Title: The Feasibility of the Extraction of (2E)-3-phenylprop-2-enal from Cinnamomum cassia Bark Using Water and Aqueous Ethanol as Solvents in Distillation

Alexander C Nelson, Grade 11

Nelson Home School, Tucson, AZ

Project title: mRNA Sequence Analysis to Determine Genes Causing Unilateral Incompatibility in S. lycopersicum and S. pennellii

Winner of a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

 

Amanda R Whalen, Grade 12

Veritas Christian Community School, Sierra Vista, AZ

Project Title: Making a Saguaro H.A.W.T. (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine)

Winner of an ASU Renewable Scholarship and a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

Andrea Romero, Grade 10

Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ

Project Title: Effects of Prosopis glandulosa leave Extract on Lowering the Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli, Sarcina lutea, and Staphylococcus Epidermidis

Winner of a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

Esha Mathur, Grade 12

University High School, Tucson, AZ

Project Title: Prophages Within Symbiotic and Free-Living Terrestrial Cyanobacteria

Winner of a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

Ethan Lee, Grade 12

University High School, Tucson, AZ

Project Title: Fabrication of a Bioprinted Scaffold Cuff: Implications for Tissue Engineering of an Implantable Organ

Isabel Ross, Grade 11

Cienega High School, Vail, AZ

Project Title: Green Infrastructure Impacts on Carbon Cycling: Evaluating Changes in Soil Microbial Composition and Function

Winner of a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

Karah Mayer, Grade 11

Tanque Verde High School, Tucson, AZ

Project Title: In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Patient Tissue, UG Rich RNA Is Not Preferentially Soluble as Predicted

Winner of an ASU Renewable Scholarship and a University of Arizona $10,000 Renewable Scholarship

For more information about the students’ work and accomplishments, contact SARSEF COO Julie Euber at julie@sarsef.org.

Media Contact:  

Julie Euber, COO

SARSEF

812-340-8663

julie@sarsef.org

Intern Increases Science and Engineering Opportunities for Students with SARSEF through the Paul Lindsey Internship Program

Press Release – PDF

Press Release – Español – PDF

Along with being a student pursuing a Master’s in Education Policy at the University of Arizona, Ricardo Dominguez is a College and Alumni Counselor at San Miguel High School.

May 26, 2021

(Tucson, AZ) Over the past school year, Ricardo Dominguez interned with the local nonprofit SARSEF, giving them the bandwidth to better track school involvement in their programs and assisting with the transition between virtual and in-person events.

Dominguez interned through the University of Arizona College of Education’s Paul Lindsey Internship Program. Lindsey interns are students of education who build leadership and management skills through real-world experiences in their funded work with community outreach programs, museums and a variety of local agencies.

SARSEF creates Arizona’s future critical thinkers and problem solvers through science and engineering, a mission that Dominguez feels a strong connection to.

“As a first-generation college student, my STEM foundation has always given me the confidence to be passionately curious,” Dominguez shared.

Dominguez is a proud graduate of the Sunnyside School District. He attended The University of Arizona directly out of high school and faced the endless challenges of a first-generation college student. Through his struggles, he was lucky enough to have caring educators who gave him the confidence to continue school even though his route was not a straight path. From this experience, he found a love of education and has devoted his career to doing just that – guiding first-generation students through higher education learning.

Currently, Dominguez serves as a College and Alumni Counselor for San Miguel High School. With the intention to make a real difference in Arizona education, he decided to pursue a Master’s in Education Policy at the University of Arizona, and through the College of Education, he was granted a Paul Lindsey Internship Scholarship, connecting him to SARSEF.

“What I love about SARSEF is its mission to nurture curiosity and make science learning fun. Although I was an intern this year, I also considered myself a student in the program, and I benefited greatly from the amazing educators working at SARSEF,” said Dominguez.

During his time with SARSEF, Dominguez analyzed program data, assisted with the Virtual SARSEF Fair, performed safety checks on solar-powered go-karts for Racing the Sun, and interviewed ISEF finalists selected at the SARSEF Fair to highlight their accomplishments.

As the school year wrapped up, Dominguez had the opportunity to reflect on his time as an intern with SARSEF.

“In a year of unknowns, my internship at SARSEF provided much-needed value to my days at home. When I reflect on my SARSEF internship, I know I received more from the program than what is said on paper. SARSEF is proof that educators come in all forms and that a passion for learning is what you need to do anything you want. From the first-year scientist at the Fair to our board members, there’s a clear passion for curiosity. That is what STEM and SARSEF are all about.”

Media Contact:  

Julie Euber, COO

SARSEF

812-340-8663

julie@sarsef.org

High School Teams from across Arizona Race Solar-Powered Go-Karts of their own Design

Press Release – PDF

Students make final checks before their solar-powered go-kart is ready to race.

May 7, 2021

(Tucson, AZ) After two years of waiting, high school students from across the state participating in SARSEF’s Racing the Sun finally had their day to race the solar-powered go-karts they designed and built as teams with the help of their coaches and community mentors.

On April 24, 56 high school students gathered at Musselman Honda Circuit to evaluate their karts for safety and race. Due to the pandemic, Race Day 2020 was canceled, and so this year’s Race Day included Karts from both school years.

Nine teams from six schools competed at Race Day 2021. Teams were evaluated on the presentation of their design and build process, participation throughout the school year, and the performance of their kart during the race.

Blue Ridge High School built a maker kart with a chassis made from helicopter parts.

Students raced both standard and maker go-karts. Standard karts use a pre-fabricated steel frame chassis, while maker karts are for teams who build the kart from the ground up. At this year’s competition, Blue Ridge High School in Pinetop, AZ used the tail end of a helicopter as a lightweight chassis on their maker kart.

The Grand Champion of Racing the Sun 2021 was Salpointe High School’s Standard Kart. The Innovation Award went to Blue Ridge High School’s Maker Kart.

In the Standard Kart Division, the Efficiency Award went to Tanque Verde Solar Flares with Salpointe High School in second place. The Endurance Award went to Center for Academic Success with Tanque Verde Solar Flares in second place. The Speed Award went to Center for Academic Success with Salpointe High School in second place.

The Sal Pointe Maker Go-Kart rolls out onto the track.

In the Maker Kart Division, the Efficiency Award went to Salpointe High School with Blue Ridge High School in second place. The Endurance Award went to Shadow Ridge High School with Center for Academic Success in second place. The Speed Award went to Shadow Ridge High School with Salpointe High School in second place.

After an exciting ending to a long season, teams are already signing up to join the program for the 2021-2022 school year. For more information on how to start a team or get involved, contact SARSEF’s Chief Program Officer, Brooke Meyer, at brooke@sarsef.org.