4 North Hills Students Earn First Place Finishes At State-Wide Science Competition

Four North Hills students earned first place finishes at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science state-wide competition that was held May 14, 2012, at Pennsylvania State University.

Earning top honors:

• Anna Madrishin, grade 11, Microbiology: “Hand Sanitizers Versus Staphylococcus Aureus”
• Kelsey Toplak, grade 9, Behavioral Science: “Intelligence and Reaction Times”
• Matthew Selzer, grade 9, Behavioral Science: “All Hands on Dexterity”
• Matthew Plazek, grade 9, Physics: “Does BBCOR Really Work?" 

In addition, ninth grader Caroline Snyder earned second place in the Microbiology category for her project, “Mascara Versus Bacteria.”

Students qualified for the state-level competition by earning first place finishes at the regional competition in February.  Students designed a unique experiment and were judged on their ability to conduct and convey the results of their experiment using the Scientific Method.  

PJAS is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations.

- Submitted by Tina Vojtko on behalf of the North Hills School District. Have news you'd like to share with Patch readers? Email information and photos to Richard Cook at richinpgh@gmail.com.

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