Science Day winners awarded for local watershed research work
May 2, 2019
Students from Chillicothe and Athens received top honors for watershed research during the 2019 Southeast Ohio District Science Day, held March 23 at Ohio University’s Clippinger Laboratories. The event drew entrants from around the region.
The university’s Appalachian Watershed Research Group selected three projects to receive American Electric Power Foundation Watershed and Environmental Science Awards for work that addressed local watershed research.
Watershed and Environmental Science Awards were presented to:
- Zane Trace seventh grader Reiley Whittington’s project, “Safe Water,” which tested the safety of drinking water
- West Elementary sixth grader Iris Kachenko’s project, “Soil Water Retention,” which analyzed different soil types and their water retention
- Zane Trace seventh graders Wyatt Vick and Charley Clyne for their group project, “Algae Paper.” The duo made paper products out of pond algae, including a substitute for landscaping weed cloth and paper towels.
Each of the project winners received a medal, a certificate, and $100 from the Appalachian Watershed Research Group, an interdisciplinary cohort of Ohio University faculty, staff, and students coordinated by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. The group focuses on watershed restoration and environmental education in southeast Ohio.
The award was funded by a grant from the AEP Foundation to introduce middle and high school students to Ohio University’s science and watershed research. The Appalachian Watershed Research Group contribute faculty guidance, equipment, and mentorship to students participating in the Southeast Ohio District Science Day each year.
“I was very impressed with the projects at the District Science Fair that focused on water and our environment,” said Jen Bowman, director of environmental programs at the Voinovich School and a lead member on the Appalachian Watershed Research Group.
“It is inspiring to see young kids taking an interest in not only understanding various aspects and properties of water in the environment but taking it to the next level and creating innovative solutions.”
The event was cosponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University, the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Ohio Museum Complex, the Quidel Corporation, and Brenen’s Coffee Café.
For more information, visit the Southeastern Ohio Science Fair’s website.