This year’s event was held virtually, but several students who received awards also participated two years ago when this photo was taken. Courtesy/LAPS

LAPS News:

Los Alamos High School students garnered the top three spots in the senior division of the 2021 New Mexico Science and Engineering Fair held virtually earlier this month. They will now move on to the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF).

This year’s ISEF Finalists include: 

• 1st: Robert Strauss: “Neuromorphic Computing: Simulating the Brain’s Visual Cortex”
• 2nd: Phillip Ionkov & Anthony Lestone: “Nondestructive Analysis of Geological Sites Through Muon Transmission Imaging”
• 3rd: Karin Ebey: “Climate Change on Crocodilians: Modeling the Effects of Phenological Shifts”

Ebey received first place in the Senior Life Sciences top projects. In the Senior Physical Sciences top projects, Robert Strauss was awarded first prize, Phillip Ionkov and Anthony Lestone garnered second, and Andres Iturregui and Daniel Kim earned fifth place for their project, “Developing the Technology for a Combat Drone.”

Nine LAHS students received awards in the Senior division, and 14 students garnered awards in the Junior Division.

“We are extremely proud of the work of our students,” said Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus. “We wish our ISEF finalists all the best as they move to the next stage of this competition.”

Los Alamos Middle School student Matthea Fung, 7th grade, was awarded third place in the Junior Life Sciences top projects for “Tune It Up!”

LAMS 8th grader Hyunoo Kim received second place in the Junior Physical Sciences top projects for “Agent-Based COVID-19 Modeling and Impact of Human Personalities.” Mountain Elementary 6th grader Aislinn Marshall garnered fourth for “Pickups” and LAMS 8th grader Wilson White earned fifth place honors for “Extracting Bismuth From Stomach Relief Tablets.”

This year’s winners representing LAPS are:

Senior Animal Sciences

• 1st place: Karin Ebey, “Climate Change on Crocodilians: Modeling the Effects of Phenological Shifts”
• 3rd place: Veronica Parra and Julian Singell, “Predicting Future Polar Bear Populations in Different Ecoregions”

Senior Chemistry

• 1st place: Aaron Philip, “Calculating Energy Levels in Copper and Chromium Ions and Comparing with Experimental Data”

Senior Engineering

• 2nd place: Andres Iturregui and Daniel Kim, “Developing the Technology for a Combat Drone”

Senior Physics and Astronomy

• 1st place: Phillip Ionkov and Anthony Lestone, “Nondestructive Analysis of Geological Sites Through Muon Transmission Imaging”

Senior Computer Science

• 1st place: Robert Strauss, “Neuromorphic Computing: Simulating the Brain’s Visual Cortex”

Junior Animal Science

• 1st place: William Borovina, Los Alamos Middle School, “Fishy Business: How Strong is That Bite”

Junior Behavioral and Social Sciences

• 1st place: Matthea Fung, Los Alamos Middle School, “Tune It Up!”

Junior Biomedical and Health Sciences

• 2nd place: Angus Smith, Mountain Elementary, “Face Mask Comparison”

Junior Chemistry

• 1st place: Wilson White, Los Alamos Middle School, “Extracting Bismuth From Stomach Relief Tablets”

Junior Earth Science

• 1st place: Aditya Viswanathan, Barranca Mesa Elementary School, “Modeling How Climate Change Affects Polar Ice Caps”

Junior Environmental Sciences

• 3rd place: Penelope Barry-Hoffman, Los Alamos Middle School, “The Long-Term Impact of Forest Fires on Local Weather”
• Honorable Mention: Malaika Philip, Los Alamos Middle School, “Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles Effects on Aquatic Plants”

Junior Energy and Transportation

• 1st place: Emmitt Tibbitts, Los Alamos Middle School, “The Water Flow”

Junior Engineering

• 1st place: Aislinn Marshall, Mountain Elementary School, “Pickups”

Junior Physics and Astronomy

• 1st place: Annie White, Los Alamos Middle School, “Refraction of Different Wavelength Light Through Various Substances”
• 2nd place: Lilia Viteva, Mountain Elementary School, “Effects of Gravity on Projectile Trajectory”
• 3rd place and Honorable Mention: Tate Plohr, Mountain Elementary, “How are Electricity and Magnetism Related?”

Junior Mathematics and Sciences

• 2nd place: Kieran Gattiker, Los Alamos Middle School, “Visualizing Complexity”

Junior Computer Science

• 1st place: Hyunoo Kim, Los Alamos Middle School, “Agent-Based COVID-19 Modeling and Impact of Human Personalities”

Check out the complete list of winners and their projects:

• 2021 NMSEF Results – Senior Division
• 2021 NMSEF Results – Junior Division