Budding Scientist Receives Excellence Award

Christopher Colletti, a junior student of , was honored at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Science ceremony on Feb. 21, along with 36 other area high school juniors.

Colletti was nominated for this distinction by Eureka High science teacher Bill McIlwee. Criteria for the award included a grade assessment, extracurricular involvement, and a demonstration of outstanding capabilities in the sciences.  

The awards evening included:

• a welcome from UMSL Chancellor Thomas George
• the reading of a proclamation of ‘Distinguished Achievement in Science Day’ from the Saint Charles County Board,
• remarks from the UMSL Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Ronald Yasbin, and
• a presentation by keynote speaker Patricia Parker, Des Lee professor of zoological studies and chair of the UMSL biology department.

Parker's speech was entitled “Managing Diseases in the World’s Wild Places.”  She has led a team of evolutionary biologists, veterinarians and parasitologists from five countries to monitor the arrival of new diseases threatening the endemic birds of the Galapagos Island.

“Accomplishments in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines represent an essential component for America’s future,” said Yasbin.

“As a nation we need to nurture and support those students who will be the leaders in advancing our knowledge of those disciplines. By honoring students who have demonstrated truly outstanding capabilities in the sciences, we are helping to reinforce the importance of these areas of study and research.”

Coletti's prior education occurred at , and the Center for Creative Learning.

The Coletti family has been extremely active in science, as evidenced by some of their robotic activities: