Florida Tech Rewards Young Science Fair Participants

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Tech’s Department of Civil Engineering recognized and rewarded 21 local middle and high school students in the Brevard South,
Intracoastal and Mainland Science and Engineering Fairs. The fairs, held in February, displayed more than 500 projects. The six first-place projects were:

Karen Gerhke, Palm Bay High School, senior division, “Biostimulation: Applying Nutrient Supplements to Increase the Growth Rate of
Bacteria Used in Bioremediation”

Ashley Carmean, Stone Middle School, junior division, “The Effects of Carbon Particle Size on the Adsorption of Dissolved Contaminants”

Emily Sotherlund, Edgewood Junior/Senior High School, senior division, “Modeling Artificial Reefs and Their Ability to create Surf Waves
and Inhibit Beach Erosion”

Adam Shaffer, Delaura Middle School, junior division, “What Type of Bridges are Strongest During an Earthquake?”

Alexandra Taraboletti, Astronaut High School, senior division, “The Study of Zeolite Capacity in Capture of CFCs and the Development of
Structural Changes in the Zeolite for Better Capture Ability”

 Dylan Pomichter, Johnson Middle School, junior division, “Catching Air Pollution”

 Second place award winners were Peeraya Sawangkum, Palm Bay High School; Justin Rhymer, Central Middle School; Melissa Ingram and Cassidy Foster,
Edgewood Junior/Senior High School; Andrew Maniscalco, Viera High School; and Alex Godwin, Kennedy Middle School.

In third place were Victoria Suda, Explorer Charter School; Devyn Russell, Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School; Quinn Bumpers, Adam Walter and Danielle
Baiunco, DeLaura Middle School; Elizabeth Hutchins, McNair Middle School; Nickolas Sexson, Astronaut High School; Cristina Santos, Kennedy Middle School;
and Alyssa Williams, Johnson Middle School.

The first and second place students in the senior division received certificates and scholarship awards of $200 and $100, respectively, to attend the
Florida Tech Department of Civil Engineering summer engineering program. Other winning students received a certificate for their accomplishment.

“The Department of Civil Engineering is committed to making these awards every year,” said Dr. Ashok Pandit, professor and department head. Florida Tech
judges were Howell Heck, associate professor, and Dr. Debra Blenis, director of teacher education.