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2003 Indiana Junior Academy of Science Winners

Over 140 students and teachers representing 9 schools attended the annual fall meeting of the Indiana Junior Academy of Science held at Indiana University Bloomington on November 10, 2003. Below is a list of activities and the winners of each.

The Problem Solving Exam
This exam provides students with a fun and meaningful exercise in scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills. Two students from each school who are selected by their sponsoring teacher take the exam. Plaques are awarded to the top two individual winners and certificates are given to the students who placed 3rd-5th.

This year’s winners were:

Individual Students

  • 1st Place – Reid Merryman, Marian High School
  • 2nd Place – James Myers, Warren Central High School
  • 3rd Place – David Matly, Northwestern High School
  • 4th Place – Scarlett Marshall, Paoli Jr-Sr High School
  • 5th Place – Clayton Marshall, Eastern High School
Top Schools – From each school, their two students’ scores are combined and the top schools are recognized.
  • 1st Place – Marian High School
  • 2nd Place – Northwestern High School
  • 3rd Place – Warren Central High School
  • 4th Place – Paoli Jr-Sr High School
  • 5th Place – North Daviess High School


Issues Presentation Competition
This competition encourages students to learn about the political, social, and scientific issues surrounding the selected topic. This year, the topic was “Considering the risks, should the U.S. develop biological weapons?". Each competitor gives a five minute presentation on the topic without the use of visual aids. The students are judged by a panel of peers, and the finalists are then judged by a panel of undergraduate students. A plaque is awarded to the winning student.

This year’s winners were:
  • 1st – Emily Drabek, Eastern High School
  • 2nd – Andrea Melcher, Northwestern High School
  • 3rd – Paul Baranay, Marian High School
  • 4th – Sondra Lynn, North Daviess High School
Science Olympiad Competitions
This year we held two Science Olympiad competitions. In the morning session, the students competed in the “Write It, Do It” event and were tested on their communication skills. In the afternoon session, the students competed in the “Mystery Architecture” event. They were given a bag of materials and were asked to build an aqueduct that could transfer 100 mL of water to a beaker.

Write It, Do It winners were:
  • 1st Place – Jen zmirski & Deanna Lind, Marian High School
  • 2nd Place – Blake Merrel & Michael Vas, Northwestern High School
Mystery Architecture winners were:
  • 1st Place – Aaron Tedrow & Anthony Lewis, Eastern High School
  • 2nd Place – Lacey, Echo, Stacey, & Marina, North Daviess High School

The Research Paper Competition
This competition allows students who have carried out an original scientific investigation the opportunity to present their work publicly. Students who wish to compete in this event submit an abstract of their work to the IJAS Director in early October. The abstracts are reviewed by a panel of impartial judges, and twelve student finalists are selected. At the IJAS meeting, these students give a 10-minute poster presentation to a panel of judges who evaluate them on originality, research procedures, and presentation skill. The second and third place winners receive a plaque. The first place winner receives a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship from the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers to attend any Indiana College or University.

This year’s winners were:
  • 1st Place – Reid Merryman, Marian High School
    “Does Triclosan Inhibit the Growth of Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria?”


  • 2nd Place – Clayton Marshall, Eastern High School
    “A Comparative Study of Southern Indiana Urban and Rural Tardigrade Populations Due to Seasonal Environmental pH Changes.”


  • 3rd Place – Kaleb Naegeli, Northwestern High School
    “Interactions of Sugar Substitutes with Warfarin Sodium and Fluoxetine Hydrochloride.”

  • 4th Place – Brandon Hood, Noblesville High School
  • 5th Place – Angie Sells, Eastern High School
  • 6th Place (tie) – Ben Brewer, Eastern High School and Richa Sharma, Warren Central High School
  • 7th Place – Megan Downey, Northwestern High School
  • 8th Place (tie) – Ryan Koerber, Graceland Christian Academy and Thomas Pottanat, Castle High School
  • 9th Place – Meeghan Miller, Marian High School
  • 10th Place – Kristopher Premier, Marian High School


The Outstanding Junior Scientist Competition
This event recognizes those students who are exemplary in overall scholarship as well as scientific ability and achievement. Each school may nominate two students for this competition. The top ten nominees are then selected to compete at the IJAS meeting, where they are interviewed by a panel of judges. The Outstanding Junior Scientist is selected based upon his/her academic record, involvement in original research and extracurricular scientific activities, and the interview. The second and third place winners receive plaques and the Most Outstanding Junior Scientist receives a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship from the Indiana Academy of Science to attend any Indiana College or University.

This year’s winners were:
  • 1st Place – Ann Chi, Terre Haute South Vigo High School
  • 2nd Place – Clayton Marshall, Eastern High School
  • 3rd Place – Thomas Pottanat, Castle High School
  • 4th Place – Reid Merryman, Marian High School
  • 5th Place – Dawn Dietrich, Eastern High School
  • 6th Place – Brandon Hood, Noblesville High School
  • 7th Place – Charlotte Swartzentruber, North Daviess High School
  • 8th Place – Ashley Ceniceros, Marian High School
  • 9th Place – Melissa Hartman, Northwestern High School
  • 10th Place – Ashley Padgett, Paoli Jr-Sr High School


The Outstanding School Award
The Outstanding School Award is given to the school with the most participation points. To calculate this score, credit is given for every abstract submitted, more credit for those abstracts accepted for the Research and for Outstanding Junior Scientist competitions, and finally for rank scores for the top presentations. Each school received credit for entering students in the Issues Competition, for having a judge at the Issues presentations, and for entering students in the Problem Solving Exam. More credit was given to the winners.

The top three schools and the teachers representing them today are:
  • 1st Place – Marian High School, Ken Andrzejewski
  • 2nd Place – Eastern High School, Sharon McElroy
  • 3rd Place – Northwestern High School, Patty Zeck