45th Island Wide Science Fair showcases students' projects

Over 300 students from different grade levels representing schools from across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands competed in the 45th Island Wide Science Fair on Saturday at the University of Guam.

Nervous but excited students waiting to be judged stood in front of posters outlining their projects and showcasing equipment they used at several buildings around campus.

Categories of projects included ecology and earth science, physical science and math, biology and medical science, chemistry, computers, aerospace robotics and engineering and energy, inventions and sustainability. Divisions based on the grade level of the students competed in these categories.

“I feel like some people assume that science is hard when really you just need to have that curiosity. There are different types of fields like botany and marine biology so if you want to learn a certain type of thing in science, think of an experiment like I did,” said Angel Payumo, a 17-year-old junior representing George Washington High School.

Her experiment over six months focused on the role of coral pigmentation to reduce and combat coral bleaching which is the result of warming waters.

This bleaching is what is seen when corals die, which is an increasing problem along Guam’s coastal waters that Payumo wants to play a role in stopping.

She wants to encourage more public school students like herself to get involved in science fairs.

Regional Fair Director Claudia Taitano said this fair goes beyond encouraging science skills.

It helps students learn how to solve problems and think critically which they can carry with them into adulthood.

Concerned about the rise of school shootings in the U.S., 15-year-old Harvest Christian Academy freshman Eric Moon has been working on exploring different technology to prevent them from occurring.

“In the event of a shooting, everyone focuses on why and who did it, but my question was how to prevent it,” he said, with the example of better ways to use security cameras.

For his project, Moon is developing a way for GPS trackers placed in firearms to alert communication companies and then law enforcement if a gun is close to a school.

He said he always wanted to participate in a science fair and this year decided to go for it to put his computer science skills to good use.

“I think this is a really important gateway to a successful future in whatever you want to do,” said competition judge Austin Shelton, director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant.

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Shelton said, as an islandwide science fair winner when he was in high school, he knows how important an opportunity like this is for Guam’s youth.

Winners

Two overall winners were selected to represent Guam at the International Science and Engineering Fair to be held May 8-13, 2023 in Dallas:

1st Place: Andrew Kang, age 15, grade 10, of John F. Kennedy High School. His project is titled “Invisible Groundwater Discharge Patterns Across Tumon Bay, Guam: Discovery of Vital Habitats Sustained by Tumon Bay Karst Watershed Discharges from an Uplifted Carbonate Aquifer.” Sponsored by MEC, IPE Shell and Megabyte Guam on United Airlines with help from Guam Sea Grant, NSF and NOAA programs.

• 2nd Place: Angel Payumo, age 17, grade 11, of George Washington High School. Her project is titled “Understanding the Role of Coral Pigmentation in Response to Coral Bleaching.”

, being sponsored by the University of Guam INCLUDES program.

Division 3 — middle schools representing grades 6, 7 and 8:

• 1st Place: Kailee Wong, age 14, Grade 8, St. Johns School for her project entitled, “Artocarpus Atilis Hydrogel: The making of Super absorbent polymer with Carboxymelhyl Cellulose (CMC), Aluminum Sulfate and dehydrated Breadfruit.”

Division 2 — representing upper elementary grades 3, 4 and 5:

• 1st Place: Inina Harrison, age 9, grade 4 from St Anthony Catholic School for her project entitled, “Bees On Guam.”

Division 1 primary schools including grades Kindergarten, 1 and 2.

• 1st Place: Riley Zephyr Mortera, age 7, grade 2 from Wettengel Elementary for his project entitled, “Mag Lev Train: Magnetic Poles.”

Divisions 1, 2 and 3 overall winners will receive computers from Megabyte Guam.

All first-, second- and third-place category winners will receive trophies and their other prizes at the awards ceremony scheduled at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa on May 28 from 6-8 p.m.