The Middle School Chapter of the Rome Science Fair was held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the Strough Library. Forty teams, consisting of either individuals or partners, competed in 18 of 22 possible events, with a total of 58 students participating. Category winners and runners-up were announced at an award ceremony held in the auditorium on Friday, March 7, with parents, students, administrators, and faculty in attendance.
Third place overall was Emily Scholl with her project on differentiating real photographs from AI-generated photographs. Second place overall was Karista Fisher's study researching the fastest ways to dissolve sugars. First place overall was Lars van Hoesel with research on multiple factors that influence filtration and the turbidity of water.
Lars van Hoesel also won the Engineering Specialty Award for his project while Kayleen Fisher won the Uvanni Chemistry Award for analyzing thin-film interference (how differently textured surfaces display iridescence). Also of note was Amelia Campos winning the Gyngell Physics Award for modeling the gravity of a black hole in a nearby solar system, and the Teacher Award, sponsored by the Rome Teacher Association, was awarded to Parker Emery and Jayden Seubert for their research on how acidity and viscosity affect the melting of ice cubes in beverages.
Category winners and runners-up were as follows:
Animal Sciences--Arie Mautner, Riley Adsit
Behavioral Sciences--Tempy Campbell, Silas Wakeman
Biochemistry--Kayleen Fisher, Hannah Knopka, Claire Townsend
Biomedical and Health Sciences--Lily Riolo, Nora Swan
Cellular and Molecular Biology--Aubrey Bohning, Elise Womack-Dwyer
Chemistry--Karista Fisher, Noel Craig, Aiden June
Earth and Environmental Science-Raithe Johnson, Nicolina Santos, Carli Griffiths, Vanora Vonmatt
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Designs--Scarlett Duvelow, Lydia Decker, Elijah Simcoe
Engineering: Statics and Dynamics--Lucas Schwock, Timmy Cole, Trevor Jackson
Environmental Engineering: Lars van Hosel, Mycal Sabourin
Materials Sciences: Addyson Vinci, Meadow Boulerice, Kayleen Fisher
Mathematics: Marco Rizio, Brayton Olney, Trevor Libby, Yaimel Rivera
Microbiology: Lily Quinn, Meghan Dutcher
Physics and Astronomy: Luke Csete, Leah Shively, Macey Hluska, Makayla Bronson
Plant Sciences: Sofia DeAngelo, Quinn Engle, Hannah Fisher
Robotics and Intelligent Machines: Emily Scholl
Technology Enhancing the Arts: Brody Hoskins
Translational Medical Science: Annika Coriale, Chelsea Livesay
***Unfilled categories were Embedded Systems, Systems Software, and Computer Science
The Strough Science Fair also acknowledged its 68-year partnership with the Rome Academy of Sciences and expressed gratitude for Dr. Paul Phister’s 25 years of dedicated oversight at the local, regional, and international levels of competition. Winners in each category qualified for the regional level of competition and are strongly encouraged to submit their application materials by March 24. The 46th Annual Utica University Regional Science Fair will be held on April 5.
AWARD CEREMONY - MARCH 7, 2025
