San
Diego Science and Engineering Fair 2000
by Rhonda Mason
The
Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair is both a competition and a valuable
opportunity to nurture future scientists by giving them feedback from professional
societies. The OSSD looked at over 1,300 exhibits to find optics related entries
and interviewed approximately 50 students. The guidelines for the exhibits were
the following criteria: knowledge gained, scientific method, creativity, primary
experimental research, special skills needed for the construction or use of equipment,
thoroughness, validity of conclusions and quality of written presentation. This
was my first year as the Fair coordinator, and I found this year's fair to be
dazzling. The statistical analyses presented by these middle and high school students
would be worthy of any college student. The judges included myself, Jim Menders,
Joe Lones, Sean Re and Robert Ozarski. The judges benefited as much from this
event as the students. Corporate OSSD member Melles Griot once again generously
contributed to this event by donating a pair of HeNe lasers for the advisors of
the winning students. We will be honoring our winners in June at the annual OSSD
Educational Outreach Meeting. This year's list of winners in optics are as follows:
1st Place Jr. Division
Jennifer
Cater
"Effects of Media and Wavelength on Refraction"
2nd Place Jr. Division
Gabriel Chati
"Effects of Sun Spots
on the Magnetic Field"
1st Place Sr. Division
Ashwin
Kirshnan
"Silicon Oxidation by Electrochemical Surface Modification"
2nd Place Sr. Division
Mark Smith
"Effect of Light Intensity
on Formation of Aggregations in Planaria"
Honorable Mention
Eric Sammuli
"Predicting Laser Beam Reflections
in A Thin Layer of Fluid"
Ashwin Kirshnan happily accepts the award for 1st Place Senior Division
from Science Fair Chairperson Rhonda Mason.
Thank
You Melles Griot
The
OSSD would like to recognize and thank Melles
Griot for their past and ongoing support of our Educational Outreach efforts.
They have provide HeNe Lasers for both the Senior and Junior division OSSD First
Place Winners at the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair for over five
years and continue to assist the OSSD with encouraging optic and photonic projects
at the SD Science and Engineering Fair.
