Fairmont Newsroom

Fairmont Theorists Win Top Awards at California State Science Fair

May 2008

ANAHEIM, CA - May 23, 2008 – Question: What happens when Fairmont Private Schools' junior high students consider science and engineering careers? Hypothesis: They rack up a variety of awards for their research at the California State Science Fair (CSSF) held annually each May.

Result: 20 Fairmont students qualified to compete at the 2008 California State Science Fair. Together, they garnered nine awards, including a first place honor for 7th grader Matthew Tatarka- Brown's Physical Product Science category project "Gone with the Light!"

Open to 6th -12th grade students, the California State Science Fair was held on May 19-20, 2008 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. This year's competition attracted 953 entries from 359 public and private California schools in 20 categories ranging from Earth & Planetary Sciences to Pharmacology/Toxicology.

Fairmont's 2008 California science fair winners included:

1st Place: ! Matthew A. Tatarka-Brown, Edgewood Campus, "Gone with the Light!"

2nd Place: ! Alyssa N. Cook, Edgewood Campus, "Dermatophytes: Analysis of the Canine Claw. Microorganism Identification in Healthy vs. Immunocompromised Animals"

3rd Place: ! Travis S. Adams, Preparatory Academy, "Maximizing the Power Output of a Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Module through the Use of Solar Concentrators" ! Ranvir Bajwa, Edgewood Campus, "Analysis of Water for Mercury using Light" Ranvir also received a $500.00 special award from the International Society for Optics and Photonics. ! Bryton A. Horner, Edgewood Campus, "Legal Pollution: Geographic Distribution of Wind- Borne Particulates Surrounding Irvine Cement Plants"

4th Place: ! Alexandria G. Fuertes, Edgewood Campus, "Honesty is in the Eye of the Beholder"

Honorable Mention: ! Andrew T. Nguyen, Preparatory Academy, "Active Noise Control: Searching for the Sound of Silence" ! Eric J. Walz, Preparatory Academy, "Hydrodynamics and Drag" ! Katherine Wu, Preparatory Academy, "America's Next Top Learner: Visual vs. Kinesthetic vs. Auditory"

"We have passionate science teachers who encourage students to problem-solve rather than memorize," said Sandy Cosgrove, Fairmont's Director of Education. "Problem-solving ability is the most important attribute for students competing and working in a global society, and it is our mission to prepare students for success in a global society. By teaching students to approach problems as scientists do – to hypothesize and test their surroundings, we are laying the foundation for future academic success."