On Saturday, March 14th, 2015 at the North Jersey Regional Science Fair (NJRSF) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, an elite group of students was selected to advance to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). Among these students include CHS’s Heather Newman, as well as Hayley Roy Gill, who was announced ISEF alternate from Colonia.

The Intel ISEF, a program of Society for Science & the Public (SSP), is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Today, millions of students worldwide compete each year in local and school-sponsored science fairs; the winners of these events go on to participate in SSP-affiliated regional and state fairs from which the best win the opportunity to attend Intel ISEF. At this event, more than 1,700 high school students from over 70 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for more than five million dollars in prizes.

The last student at Colonia High School to advance onto ISEF was Mr. Mark Mentzel, who is currently a computer teacher at Colonia Middle School.

“I am extremely proud of Heather and Hayley for their accomplishments, and I believe that they are going to excel at ISEF,” said Mr. Danch, Instructor and Supervisor of the Science Research classes.

Newman’s project falls into the Mathematics and Computer Science Category; it is entitled: Route Reconstruction Specificity Analysis in Sensor-optimized Vicinities Using Graph Theory. At NJRSF this past year, Newman’s project received the Karen Kranz Memorial Award, the First-Place Mathematics and Computer Science Category Award, the Mu Alpha Theta Award, and the Office of Naval Research Award, all alongside the ISEF Trip Award.

Hayley Roy Gill’s project falls into the Engineering category; it is entitled: Artificial Magnetotaxis In Blaberus giganteus. Roy Gill’s project received the First-Place Engineering Category Award, alongside the ISEF Trip Award, 2nd Alternate.

Last year’s Intel ISEF competition was held in Los Angeles during May of 2014. In 2014, Nathan Han, 16, of Boston, MA was awarded the Gordon E. Moore Award of $75,000 for developing a machine learning software tool to study mutations of a gene linked to breast cancer. Lennart Kleinwort, 15, of Germany and Shannon Lee, 17, of Singapore both won Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for their work on developing a new mathematical tool for smartphones and developing a novel electrocatalyst, respectively.

“I am so honored to be given this opportunity to represent Colonia High School,” said Hayley Roy Gill, ISEF alternate. “It means so much to me to be able to participate in an international science fair like ISEF and to represent our entire school.”

Roy Gill has stated that she would also like to acknowledge Science Research Instructor Mr. Danch, Mr. Prusik, and Mr. Chandler of Colonia High School for assisting her throughout the creation of and experimentation entailed in her project this year.

This year’s ISEF competition will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from May 10th to May 15th, 2015. Additional information about ISEF can be found here.