Photo courtesy of Linda Messina

Students Excel at Science Symposium

Eight St. Joseph’s Academy students were among 30 high school students from across the state chosen to present original research papers at the Louisiana Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, held January 15-17 at LSU. Four SJA students finished in the top five, earning a trip to the 48th National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, scheduled for April 28-May 2 in Bethesda, Maryland.

“It was a tremendous honor to be selected to present my project at nationals.” Melissa McDowell '10

Senior Melissa McDowell finished first, senior Bonnie McLindon finished second, junior Elly Bringaze finished third and junior Alaina Leggette finished fifth. Also chosen to present their projects were senior Lynne Chapman (research done with senior Candice Schwartzenburg), junior Rachel DiMario, junior Stephanie Terhoeve and sophomore Lauren Daigle.

With 75 projects submitted for consideration from across the state, being selected to present is an honor in and of itself, according to science teacher and science fair coordinator Linda Messina. “I am so proud of all these girls,” she said. “They have invested so much time into their original research. In some cases, these girls have been working three years on their research, giving up holidays and summer vacations.”

McDowell’s project, Differentiation of Bovine Adipose Derived Adult Stem Cells, evaluated the plasticity of bovine adipose tissue-derived stem cells to determine if they would be a viable donor cell for nuclear transfer. “While presenting my research in front of an audience was slightly intimidating, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience,” she said. “Symposium was a great way for me to get out of my comfort zone and become comfortable presenting in front of people. It was a tremendous honor to be selected to present my project at nationals. I am excited about the opportunity to meet other students from across the nation and hear about their research.”

McLindon’s project was entitled Gulf Hypoxic Zones Phase II: Examining Gulf Column Transfer Coefficients and Dual Source Contributions. Begun in 2007, the project set out to determine a transfer coefficient for nitrogen release from gulf sediments, examine the significance of the dual-source contribution of nitrogen and develop a model which predicts hypoxia based on the movement of nitrogen throughout the water column. “I was so excited to see St. Joseph’s excel at this year’s competition,” McLindon said. “The girls who placed and all those who competed have worked immeasurably hard to get to this point, and their dedication to their projects showed. Students and teachers from the other schools competing repeatedly told us how impressed they were with SJA’s program. I cannot wait to go to Bethesda for nationals, and I’m so thrilled that four of the six representing Louisiana are from SJA.”

Bringaze’s project, Carboxy-terminal modulator protein (CTMP) in Adipoctyes, evaluated the presence of CTMP throughout the differentiation process of 3T3-Li cells in connection with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance and in comparison to Adiponectin and STAT 5A. “Symposium was an incredible opportunity for me to present the project that I have put hours of effort into and a chance to see that work really pay off,” she said. “Although it was so terrifying at first, I particularly enjoyed practicing public-speaking skills. The large audience was intimidating, but once I began speaking, I felt so comfortable and really enjoyed myself.”

Leggette’s project was entitled The Effects of Hurricanes Lili, Katrina and Gustav on the Salinity and Turbidity of Lake Pontchartrain. “Symposium was truly a great experience,” she said. “Although I was nervous before presenting, the feeling of accomplishment after I presented and answered questions from a panel of judges in front of an audience was truly rewarding. Participating in Symposium is not only a competition, but also a chance to grow as a public speaker and science researcher. I enjoyed listening to the projects that other Louisiana high school students researched. I am very excited for the national competition in Maryland in order to observe other research and connect with students who share the same interest in science.”

DiMario’s project was entitled Molecular Evolution Based on Protein Sequences. Terhoeve presented her project, Rescuing the minifly Mutation in the Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster, with the GFP-Nop60B Transgene: A Form of Gene Therapy. Chapman presented the team project she researched with Schwartzenburg entitled Development of a Novel Method to Forecast Atmospheric Mixing Height. Daigle’s project, entitled Come Walk in our Shoes, explored learning disabilities and the effect of a live simulation on teacher knowledge/empathy.

Messina thanked and credited the students’ mentors for helping them achieve great success, including Dr. Kenneth Bondioli, Dr. Patrick DiMario, Dr. Jackie Stevens, Dr. Ed Bush, Dr. Louis Thibodeaux and Alicia Picou.


Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director