NMS Students Win Big At Science Symposium
NMS Students Win Big At Science Symposium
For the second year in a row, Newtown Middle School students Kaitlin Woodard and Jenna Ebert took first place in the Junior Team Biological Division at the recent Science Horizons Fair & Symposium at Ridgefield High School.
Their project entitled âDoes DNA Play a Role in the Creation of the Flu Vaccine?â attracted attention from the judges, science fair participants, and the public. The girls became interested in the topic of DNA when, after meeting for the first time last year, they discovered they are distant cousins, as both of their families are related to the founder of Lyman Orchards in Middlefield.
Their project, originally research based, focused on three areas: DNA, influenza, and vaccines. After completing their research, Kaitlin and Jenna had the opportunity to see real life application of the concepts they learned about while meeting with two scientists in the research and development division at Boehringer Ingelheim in Ridgefield, one of the worldâs leading pharmaceutical companies.
The girlsâ success at the Science Horizons Fair & Symposium qualified them as entrants in the Connecticut State Science Fair at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, where they were finalists, and in the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, a national competition in which top science students are recognized for their achievements in a special presentation in Washington, D.C.