How do plants respond to different types of music? How much bacteria is growing in the half-empty metal water bottle you keep on your desk? Can a computational algorithm predict Diabetic retinopathy? Can computers help detect Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?
These are just a few of the questions students explored leading up to the 2024 Canyons School District Science Fair. Students (grades 5-12) from schools all across the District entered projects.
“I’ve been competing in science fairs since I was in third grade,” said Corner Canyon High freshman Evie Thomsen, one of 72 students to be named finalists at a Friday, Feb. 2 awards ceremony. CSD’s finalists will advance to the regional level to compete at the 2024 University of Utah Science and Engineering Fair, March 4-8. Top regional winners will be eligible to compete at national and international contests.
An opportunity for students to put classroom concepts to use testing real-world hypotheses, science fairs are also a gateway to college. A good number of the students competing at elite levels earn sizeable scholarships, said CSD Science Specialist Leslie Allen. “Science fair participation is definitely something college admissions officers look at when reviewing applications.”
Thomsen aspires to be a pediatric neurologist. “I love working with kids,” she said, “and have family members with neurological disorders so that’s something some that speaks to me.”
She studied, “The Psychosocial Effects of Social Media on Adult Wellbeing,” because, while there is a growing amount of data on the impact of social on younger people, she feels there needs to be more research on how adults are effected as well.
Many of the students competing at Thomsen’s level will have their work published in academic journals, Allen said at Friday’s award ceremony to the families in attendance. “I encourage you to read through the titles to their research projects. The work they’ve done is outstanding.”
Congratulations to all the students who participated this year. The winners of the 2024 science fair are:
Alta View Elementary School
Lydia Davies
Anker Davis
Madalyn Rice
Maren Lindsay
Austin Ure
Oakley Fissel
Oscar Torina
Brady Lythgoe
Granite Elementary School
Claire Ellis
Evelyn Wedlick
Ryker Sorensen
Tanner Wright
Hadlee Buehner
Hannah Craig
Emerson Gardner
Beckett Jones
Jack Stevens
Lauren Littlewood
Paige Egbert
Taylor Henriksen
Kate Taylor
Oak Hollow Elementary School
Gemma Scano
Hope Linkous
Natalee Jensen
Sydney Dodson
Demsli Taylor
Evie Soucy
Emmanuel Schramm
Jamison Bohn
William Jensen
Peruvian Park Elementary School
Emri Kettle
Taylor Wicker
Boston Francis
Gavin Meidell
Melini Lewis
James Vu
Tomas Escarate
Carlo Martino
Milo Garr
Gemma Low
Jakub Prusinowski
Iris Cox
Tess Buchanan
Quentin Hubbard
Qual Hollow Elementary School
Delilah Hart
Silver Mesa Elementary School
Nevie Hosenfeld
Sophia Merket
Glacier Hills Elementary School
Ethan Heaton
Albion Middle School
Josephine Bunker
Hyrum Perkins
Jose Fuentes
Michael Hill
Kennedy Forsgren
Richelle Roll
Jack Tripp
Butler Middle School
Lisa Chamber
Madison Pierringer
Sophie Glime
Hazel Bolke
Layne Campbell
Lila Olson
Sujdah Stoman
Midvale Middle School
Anushka Rajeev
Rushil Vislawath
Corner Canyon High School
Evie Thomsen
Hillcrest High School
Narayani Shankar
Aditya Mole
Lavanya Mohnani
Wenray Zhang
Anika Mukherjee
Ishanth Sooram
