TOMS RIVER – Five district students placed at a regional science fair and two of them will advance on to the national level.
Vivianna, Giovanna, and Julietta Onofrietti; Kaitlyn Culbert; and Jake Rice placed 1st in their categories.
All five are Toms River Regional Schools Authentic Science Research students. This is a program that allows students to carry out graduate-level research.
The regional competition was the Delaware Valley Science Fair, in which they competed against students from Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South Jersey.
It was the first time that Toms River Regional students have been medal winners, let alone two of them, the district reported.
The fair has students compete by grade in 13 categories. All first-place category winners in each grade compete against each other for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards in each grade’s fair.
Students won the following awards:
The University of the Sciences $30,000 scholarship was won by Julietta Onofrietti, High School North, Botany
The Botany Harrisburg University of Science and Technology $15,000 Scholarship was won by Jake Rice, High School South, Physics; Giovanna Onofrietti High School North, Biochemistry; Julietta Onofrietti, High School North, Botany
The Eastern Regional Research Center Future Scientist Award (honors students with the Future Scientist Award for having meritorious projects dealing with agricultural research): Giovanna Onofrietti, HSN, Biochemistry
The 1st runner up in American Entomological Society – Calvert Award $50 (awarded to outstanding accomplishments in insect-related study, preferably relating to local species; all winners receive a monetary award, certificate, one-year membership in AES, and an invitation to an AES meeting in the spring): Kaitlyn Culbert, High School North, Environmental
Medal Awards that move on to the International Science and Engineering Fair:
Gold Award 9th grade DVSF: Kaitlyn Culbert placed first out of all ninth graders, earning the Gold Medal and moving on to ISEF, placing Kaitlyn in the top four students out of all high schoolers from three states.
Silver Award 12th grade DVSF: Giovanna Onofrietti placed second out of all twelfth graders, earning the Silver Medal and moving on to ISEF, placing Giovanna in the top eight of all high schoolers from three states.
Category Awards by grade:
- 1st Place 12th grade Award DVSF: Physics $100- Jake Rice Effect of Nonconductive Sleeve on Muon Interaction Rate
- 1st Place 12th grade Award DVSF: Biochemistry $100- Giovanna Onofrietti Effects of Bioactive Compounds of Berry Seed Extract on Cariogenic and Periopathogenic Bacteria
- 1st Place 9th grade Awards DVSF: Environmental- $100 Kaitlyn Culbert Breakthroughs in Honey Bee Health: Continuous-Release Mist Diffusion of Thymol-Based Essential Oils
- 2nd Place 11th grade Award DVSF: Botany $75- Julietta Onofrietti Fruit Seed Extract Effects on Pathogens Prevalent in Oral Disease
- 3rd Place 10th grade Award DVSF: MicroBiology $50 – Vivianna Onofrietti Erythritol and Aloe Vera Gel Effects on Oral Bacteria in Early Childhood Caries
The school district’s program is led by Dr. Marybeth Kretz and Christine Girtain, who thanked administration, parents, local specialist, and the Central Ocean Rotary Club for their support.
