Local Students Named Delaware Valley Science Fairs Winners

Students from Chester County have won major awards at the 68th annual Delaware Valley Science Fairs, held March 29-31 at the Philadelphia Expo Center. Students were recognized for their outstanding student science research work as they competed against more than 1,000 students from Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware. Nearly $2 million in scholarship and prize money were awarded at DVSF to students in grade 6-12.

The top winners from DVSF are awarded a trip to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, AZ in May.

Conestoga High School student recognized was:

• Michael Zhang (12th Grade) Gold Medalist, Microbiology: Design and Assembly of CRISPR/Cas-9-based Virus-like Particles for Orthogonal and Programmable Genetic Engineering in Mammalian Cells

PA Leadership Charter School student recognized was:

• Ralph Lawton (12th Grade) Silver Medalist, Medicine/Health: The Smoking Gun: Toxicological Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Epithelial Cells Using Air Liquid Interface (Year 2)

Downingtown STEM Academy student recognized was:

• Rachana Mudipalli (11th Grade) Bronze Medalist, Microbiology: The Identification of ATPase Activity Regulation in Tetrahymena thermophile: A Step Towards Understanding the Function of the Malarial ATP Synthase

For a complete listing of specific awards won by our students, go to the Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc. website at: www.dvsf.org and click on the link of 2016 award winners.

Since 1949, the Delaware Valley Science Fairs have stimulated interest in science, technology engineering and mathematics(STEM) among middle and high school students in the tri-state region. DVSF’s philosophy is that students learn science by doing science. Its mission is to bring together parents, teachers and industry leaders to motivate and nurture young people’s curiosity in science and problem solving as we build lifelong learners. For more information, visit www.dvsf.org or Facebook (Delaware Valley Science Fairs) or call Mr. Henry Disston, Director of DVSF at: 215-895-5840.