William Byrd students excel to reach Roanoke County Science Fair

By Debbie Adams

Roanoke County Public Schools held the annual Science Fair on February 22 at Northside High
School with over 100 students entering individual or group projects, after winning first, second,
or third place in their school fairs.

According to RCPS, “The Roanoke County Science Fair brings together the best student projects
from Roanoke County’s secondary schools and the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School.”
Projects were entered in the fair in both middle and high school divisions in categories that
included Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Microbiology,
Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Engineering Technology, Environmental
Engineering, Systems Software, Materials Science, Physics, Plant Sciences, Behavior and Social
Sciences, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Energy: Sustainable Materials and
Design/Mathematics, and Robotics.

High school students who placed first, second, or third now advance to the Regional Science Fair
at Virginia Western Community College on March 8.

RCPS Science Supervisor Tammy Sauls facilitated the event and thanked the multitude of
individuals it requires to produce the District Science Fair– the students who have a spirit of
curiosity and creativity and the desire to explore new ideas; the parents who support them; the
teachers who encourage students to develop a lifelong love of science and a commitment to
problem solving; the judges who invest their time talking with students about their research; and
the community which supports the Science Fair each year.

Sauls introduced School Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely, calling him a “champion for STEM
education.” Nicely attributed the quality of the entries to the C-Change Framework program
adopted by RCPS in recent years. The program encourages deeper learning and purposeful
engagement, leaving graduates “opportunity ready” with skills transferable across subject areas.

Nine William Byrd Middle School students advanced from the Science Showcase at WBMS in
January to the District Science Fair at Northside.

They were:

Mia Hayslett (Chemistry) “Mmm…Candy.” She proved her hypothesis that rock candy grows
bigger crystals when exposed to higher temperatures.

Brett Gardner (Chemistry) “School Water: Just Add Chlorine?” He investigated whether several
Roanoke County schools closer to water treatment facilities have higher chlorine levels than
those farther away and proved his hypothesis that they do– earning him first place in his
category.

Henry Nolan (Earth and Environmental Sciences) His project, “Landslides,” proved that slopes
with more vegetation are less likely to experience landslides.

Rory Grant (Earth and Environmental Sciences) with “Purifying Power: the Effect of Charcoal
on Water” explored whether powdered or granulated charcoal is best at purifying drinking water
with real world implications. Powdered charcoal won.

Matthew Yang (Earth and Environmental Science) investigated how “Salinity in Frozen Water
Affects Melting Rates.”

Marygann Jenkins (Earth and Environmental Sciences) explored “The Effects of Different Water
Treatment Methods/Filtration Systems when Tested on Water Nitrate Pollution,” winning second
place.

Nicole Eggleston (Engineering Technology/Environmental Engineering/Systems Software)
researched “What Structure Holds Up Best Against Winds from a Hurricane? The Effect of
House Design on the Ability to Withstand Hurricanes.” She won third place and discovered that
cylindrical designs withstand hurricanes better than square homes.

Evan Bays and Brenner Alterio (Physics) proved their hypothesis that basketballs bounce higher
on harder surfaces (concrete and wood) than on softer surfaces (carpet and grass) with “Does the
Ground Surface Affect a Basketball’s Bounce?”

Twenty-two students from William Byrd High School also advanced to District competition:

Nate Buck (Animal Sciences/Behavioral and Social Sciences) who won second place with his
investigation, “An Analysis of Changes in Perceptions of Fears Over Time.” The purpose of his
experiment was to develop resources like helplines and support groups geared toward various
age groups who might experience social anxiety fears.

Anna Carter (Animal Sciences/Behavioral and Social Sciences) won third place for
“Investigating the Relationship between Dopamine-Influencing Activities and Mental Health.”
Her data showed that dopamine-inducing activities (like exercise) could improve mental health,
with excess “screen time” leading to higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Braeden Booth (Biochemistry/Cellular and Molecular Biology/Chemistry) won first place for his
project, “The Effect of Naturally Occurring Antimicrobials on the Growth of Escherichia coli.”
He researched whether white vinegar inhibits bacterial growth more than other variables.

Elena Mullen (Biochemistry/Cellular and Molecular Biology/Chemistry) won second place for
her “Analysis of the Amount of Fat Extracted from Specific Foods Versus the Corresponding
Healthy Counterparts.” She compared dark and milk chocolate, regular Lays Chips and Lays
Baked Chips, and almonds vs. cashews.

Kyleigh Ginger and Noah Wheeler (Biochemistry/Cellular and Molecular Biology/Chemistry)
won third place for “The Effect of Adding Salt and Sugar on Freezing Point of Water,” verifying
that salt decreases the freezing point of water.

Jake Moore (Biomedical and Health Sciences category) researched “The Effects of Low-
intensity Focused Ultrasound on Anxiety.” Low-intensity focused ultrasound is a non-invasive
procedure that uses sound waves on a targeted area of the brain to excite or inhibit neurons in the
brain.

Emma Whitcomb and Levi Whitcomb (Earth and Environmental Science) found in “Stranded on
a Heat Island” that heat concentration is more prevalent around areas with a higher percentage of
impervious surfaces and a lower percentage of tree cover.

Olivia Long (Earth and Environmental Science) won third place for her experiment, “The Impact
of Microplastics on the Growth, Behavior/Activity, and Survival Rate of Brine Shrimp (Artemia
salina).” Microplastic pollution is a growing area of concern. She investigated whether
microplastic exposure affects the organisms at the bottom of the food chain (brine shrimp),
potentially disrupting entire ecosystems, hypothesizing a negative impact, and was proven
correct.

Ethan Sutton (Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design/Mathematics) was the first place winner
for “The Amount of Electrical Energy Produced from Thermal Energy at Different
Temperatures.” His goal was to determine if thermal energy can be converted to electrical energy
and which temperature environment would produce more electrical energy. The real world
application of his research is to find more renewable sources of energy rather than relying on
nonrenewable sources.

Christopher Boyd (Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design/Mathematics) won third place for
“The Effect of Different Banking Methods and Firms on Financial Income,” exploring whether
online banking or banking at a building would be more profitable. (Online is more profitable.)

Josh Allen and Ryan McIntyre (Materials Science category) won first place for “The Effect of
Temperature and Humidity on Various Musical Instruments’ Timbre.” Their hypothesis was that if temperature is increased there will be an increase in the instrument’s hertz (pitch frequency),
causing a sharper sound while also making the decibels increase; if humidity is increased, the
hertz and amount of sound will be lower and quieter. Testing flutes, clarinets, oboes, trumpets,
and drums, they found that temperature plays a crucial role in performance.

Mallory Michalski, Keeli Emery, and Adalie Mills (Materials Science) won third place for “The
Water Absorption of Pumice, Sandstone, and Granite.” They found that pumice is the most
effective at preventing erosion when placed along streambanks, shorelines, and barren areas.

Gabrielle Romeo (Microbiology) and her partner Nafisah Izzat at the Roanoke Valley
Governor’s School won first place for “Developing and Testing a Coagulative Anti-microbial
Sponge on Staphylococcus Epidermidis within a Simulated Wound Cavity.” Their real-world
application would be developing a medical sponge to prevent infections and promote blood
coagulation.

Hudson Cain (Physics) won third place for “The Effect of Bat Composition on the Exit Velocity
of a Baseball,” determining that aluminum bats result in greater velocity than wood or
composite.

Aaron Start (Physics) won second place for “The Effect of Different Sized Secondary Syringes
on Model Hydraulic Systems,” exploring what size syringe is most effective in lifting metric
weights. This has applications for wheelchair lifts and car jacks.

Aaron Hemming (Plant Sciences) investigated “The Effect of Clipping Size on the Growth Rate
of Kalanchoe tomentosa.” His hypothesis was proven correct that plant propagations that include
the stem and several leaves will have the fastest growth rate, because all they need to grow is
roots.

Meera Raichura (Plant Sciences) won first place for “Rooting for Positive Thinking: How
Magnets Affect Root Growth.” She explored the effect of neodymium magnets on root
reorientation and growth.

Hardee’s, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Bojangles, Krispy Kreme, and Dunkin’ Donuts provided food
for the 2025 Science Fair.