Six Wyoming Students to Represent Wyoming at International Science Fair

Six senior division students from four area schools will represent Wyoming at the 2016 International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz., this May.

The students qualified through the recent Wyoming State Fair at the University of Wyoming and also through their respective regional fair. The Wyoming representatives have an opportunity to meet student scientists from throughout the world and the chance to win prizes up to $75,000.

The four qualifying students from the Wyoming State Science Fair eligible for the international competition and the categories they competed in are:

-- Woodrow Gamboa, Laramie Junior High School, physics/astronomy/planetary sciences, first senior division.

-- Qingfeng Li, Laramie Junior High School, robotics/computer/mathematical sciences, first senior division.

-- Jennel Mead, Cheyenne South High School, microbiology, first senior division.

-- Darbi Schlenker, Meeteetse High School, engineering design and innovation, first senior division.

The two qualifying students from the Northern Wyoming Regional Fair are Ky Sorensen and Dante Sylvester, both from Greybull High School.

Eight junior division students, who also competed at the Wyoming State Science Fair, have been nominated to participate in the Broadcom Masters competition later this year. Winners will be announced in the fall at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Students nominated for the competition and the categories they competed in are:

-- Megan Anspach, Pinedale Middle School, materials and consumer sciences, second place junior division.

-- Ahlena Islam, Laramie Junior High School, biochemistry/cellular and molecular biology/bioinformatics and computational biology, first place junior division.

-- Loren Mann, Wheatland Middle School, biochemistry/cellular and molecular biology/bioinformatics and computational biology, first place junior division.

-- Arundathi Nair, Laramie Junior High School, biomedical and health sciences, first place junior division.

-- Todd Paisley, Wheatland Middle School, animal sciences, first place junior division.

-- Bryce Salzman, Meeteetse School, biomedical and health sciences, first place junior division.

-- Chloe Smith, Newcastle Middle School, biomedical and health sciences, third place junior division.

Jakobi Hibbert, Big Piney Middle School, also is eligible for the Broadcom Masters competition.

At the Wyoming State Science Fair, students displayed their science, technology, engineering and mathematics research. Those areas included subjects as diverse as robotics, environmental management, behavioral and social science, energy and transportation, and chemistry. Students competing this year also participated in enrichment activities and laboratory tours on the UW campus, a pizza and planetarium night, and a robotics demonstration.

More than 100 judges, community and campus volunteers contributed to this year’s science fair. Many local and national organizations, UW departments and industry also sponsored special awards.

For more information, contact Erin Stoesz, Wyoming State Science Fair coordinator, at (307) 766-9863 or estoesz@uwyo.edu.