N E W S R E L E A S E

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1 N E W S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2013 News Media Contact: GCPS Office of Science, Gwinnett County Regional Science and Engineering Fair: Focus on research expands to highest levels in 35-year history Georgia s largest regional event for science learning continues to grow with the 2013 Gwinnett County Regional Science and Engineering Fair experiencing its highest levels of student participation. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) celebrates the fair s 35th anniversary with the participation of more than 1,000 students from across the district, as well as students of Buford City Schools. The 2013 Gwinnett County Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be held on Friday, February 22, 2013, at the Gwinnett Center, located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. Visitors are welcome to attend the open house, which begins at 4:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. The Science and Engineering Fair provides students with the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills in a relevant, real-world fashion. Dr. Jonathon Wetherington, GCPS director of science, says that the fair allows students to explore the world of science in a way where they learn about the impact it has on today s culture and economy. He explains, To be successful, students have to apply critical and creative thinking to develop their research, and then they have to be able to communicate their ideas, thought processes, and results effectively. For students, this process allows them to gauge their proficiency against their peers, demonstrating their readiness for college and careers. The real-world nature of the experience truly prepares students to discover not only a little bit about science and engineering, but a great deal about how they are being prepared for a bright future. This year s judges will have the difficult job of selecting the best from the more than 700 projects researched by more than 1,000 students from the following schools: Archer Cluster: Berkmar Cluster: Archer HS: 27 students, 14 projects Bethesda ES: 6 students, 6 projects McConnell MS: 20 students, 13 projects Lovin ES: 6 students, 6 projects

2 Brookwood Cluster: Brookwood HS: 43 students, 18 projects Crews MS: 31 students, 21 projects Five Forks MS: 23 students, 16 projects Brookwood ES: 6 students, 6 projects Craig ES: 10 students, 10 projects Gwin Oaks ES: 8 students, 6 projects Central Gwinnett Cluster: Central Gwinnett HS: 6 students, 4 projects Moore MS: 25 students, 16 projects Richards MS: 17 students, 16 projects Winn Holt ES: 6 students, 6 projects Collins Hill Cluster: Collins Hill HS: 72 students, 45 projects Creekland MS: 49 students, 34 projects McKendree ES: 8 students, 8 projects Taylor ES: 8 students, 8 projects Walnut Grove ES: 7 students, 7 projects Dacula Cluster: Dacula HS: 87 students, 36 projects Dacula ES: 6 students, 6 projects Mulberry ES: 9 students, 9 projects Duluth Cluster: Duluth HS: 4 students, 4 projects Berkley Lake ES: 3 students, 2 projects Harris ES: 6 students, 4 projects Grayson Cluster: Grayson HS: 53 students, 33 projects Bay Creek MS: 38 students, 32 projects Couch MS: 4 students, 4 projects Grayson ES: 6 students, 6 projects Lanier Cluster: Lanier MS: 23 students, 19 projects Sycamore ES: 8 students, 8 projects Meadowcreek Cluster: Meadowcreek HS: 3 students, 3 projects Radloff MS: 2 students, 2 projects Hopkins ES: 5 students, 5 projects Mill Creek Cluster: Mill Creek HS: 18 students, 11 projects Ivy Creek ES: 6 students, 6 projects Puckett s Mill ES: 5 students, 5 projects Mountain View Cluster: Mountain View HS: 52 students, 27 projects Twin Rivers MS: 22 students, 11 projects Dyer ES: 10 students, 10 projects Norcross Cluster: Norcross HS: 3 students, 3 projects Pinckneyville MS: 2 students, 2 projects Norcross ES: 8 students, 8 projects Simpson ES: 6 students, 6 projects North Gwinnett Cluster: North Gwinnett MS: 5 students, 3 projects Level Creek ES: 2 students, 2 projects

3 Parkview Cluster: Parkview HS: 6 students, 5 projects Trickum MS: 21 students, 17 projects Arcado ES: 4 students, 4 projects Peachtree Ridge Cluster: Peachtree Ridge HS: 44 students, 27 projects Hull MS: 5 students, 4 projects Burnette ES: 6 students, 6 projects Shiloh Cluster: South Gwinnett Cluster: Shiloh MS: 19 students, 18 projects South Gwinnett HS: 19 students, 12 projects Anderson-Livsey ES: 7 students, 7 projects Norton ES: 6 students, 6 projects Rosebud ES: 9 students, 9 projects GCPS Charter schools: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology: 59 students, 31 projects Gwinnett Online Campus: 11 students, 11 projects Buford City Schools: Buford HS: 10 students, 10 projects Private Schools & Homeschooled Students: Berean Homeschool (elementary level): 7 projects, 7 students Notre Dame Academy: 20 students, 20 projects City of Knowledge (middle school level): 15 students, 15 projects In addition, the event also features student scientific work during the Distinguished Research Symposium, scheduled from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Guests will learn from the following Gwinnett students as they present their original research as part of the symposium: Aprotim Cory Bhowmik 11th grader from Parkview High Hemodynamic Interactions in Arterial Networks with Atherosclerosis Ryan Hawks & Jake Inderrieden 12th graders from Collins Hill High Harvesting Electricity from Manure Using a Microbial Fuel Cell Florey Fung 11th grader from Collins Hill High Citrus Fruits on the Percentage of E. Coli in Water Willie Jin 11th grader at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Investigaing Heme Pocket Residues in a Globin Coupled Sensor

4 Fatima Kamal 11th grader from Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Mechanistic Evaluation of Rhodium Carbenoid Mediated Cyclopropanation using ReactIR Melanie Lee & Ashley (Hye ji) Cho 12th graders at Collins Hill High Effects of Fat and Carotenoid Absorption Jonathan Rong Li 12th grader from Duluth High Kinetically Controlled Synthesis of Silver Nanoplates and Nanodisks via a Solvothermal Route Daniela Ruiz 11th grader at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Synthesis, Characterization and Kinetics of the Fastest-Folding WW Domains Prachi Patel 10th grader at Collins Hill High The Effect of Stress on Teenagers Aksal Vashi 10th grader from Collins Hill High Swine Manure as an Accelerating Agent for Oil Biodegradation Michael Yang 11th grader at Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Modulating Peptide Self-Assembly with Zinc 2+, Nickel 2+, and Cadmium 2+ All of the projects earned first place at their local school science fairs to advance to the districtwide event. At the regional fair, the projects will be judged by Georgia professionals and scientists who will assess them on scientific quality, accuracy, creativity, and experimental design. Embracing the theme Motivating the Next Generation of Science and Engineering Leaders from Classroom to Career, the fair gives students an opportunity to exhibit their work and to discuss their discoveries with volunteer judges who are experts in their field, providing these students with the opportunity to learn more firsthand from professionals in the field. Industry professionals will be on hand to speak with students about future opportunities in the science and engineering fields as part of the Career Expo. Presenters include representatives from such organizations as the American Chemical Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Gwinnett County Crime Scene Investigations, Gwinnett Medical Center, Jackson EMC, UPS, among many others.

5 The awards ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. High school and middle school students who earn first place at the district level competition will move to the next round -- the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair-- which will be held in Athens in the spring. Top projects then qualify for competition in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. For more information about the event or science in Gwinnett County Public Schools, visit or contact Dr. Jonathon Wetherington, GCPS director of science, at News media representatives are welcome to attend the event during the public open house at 4:00 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m