On March 14-15, 2014, Colonia High School’s Science Research Program participated in the Thirty-First Annual North Jersey Regional Science Fair (NJRSF) at Rutgers University. Amassing a total of 13 awards, the students were particularly successful in this year’s fair.
Operating under the dedicated instruction of Mr. James Danch, the science research program is an intensive course for students with a passionate affinity for the sciences. The year-long course requires students to develop and execute original research projects for presentation at scientific symposia. According to junior John Fantell, “Mr. Danch offers his students the tools needed to understand the scientific process, and then his students apply it to their own area of interest, whether it be music mathematics, engineering, or computers–the options are infinite.” Science research demands dedication, ingenuity, and rigor not typically encountered in a high school science class, as students often immerse themselves in  very advanced scientific and mathematical fields as topics of study. Junior Hayley Gill explained: “Students need to dedicate an extensive amount of time and energy after school. This can be a strain on your schedule but it is a necessary commitment to achieve the most accurate results.”
NJRSF provides students with an opportunity to present their findings to the scientific community, specifically to university-level members of academia. During the two days of the fair, students meet with judges versed in specialized scientific disciplines in competition for category and special awards among over 200 participants. John Fantell said of the experience: “Of all the activities and events Colonia has offered me, my best memories have involved presenting my research at the science fair.” The volume of category awards–given to students who place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in their respective categories–received by Colonia High School students this year was particularly notable and certainly a testament to the long hours devoted to the projects during and after school and on weekends. Given the level of competitiveness at NJRSF, the science research class was gratified to have accumulated such a high number of category placements. Additionally, it was pleased to announce that a group project conducted by Mahmoud Bachir, Christine Kim, and Rachel Triebwasser was selected as second alternate to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The complete awards list is shown below:
| Student Researcher | Awards |
| Daniela Chica (gr. 12) | 1st Place- General Biology |
| William Cortes (gr. 12) | 3rd Place- Engineering |
| Robert Esposito (gr. 11) | 1st Place- Microbiology |
| Hayley Gill (gr. 11) | 3rd Place- General Biology |
| Heather Newman (gr. 11) | 3rd Place- Mathematics and Computer Science, 2nd Place- Special Computing Award, NJIT Academic Fellowship, Liberty Science Center Partners in Science Award |
| Mahmoud Bachir (gr. 11), Christine Kim (gr. 12), and Rachel Triebwasser (gr. 11) | International Science and Engineering Fair- 2nd Group Alternate, 2nd Place- Chemistry, 2nd Place- Sustainable Technology Award |
| Brendan Demitus and John Fantell (gr. 11) | 4th Place- Engineering |
| Dominik Klimczak and Prem Trehan (gr. 9) | 2nd Place- Health and Physiology |
The award winners were honored with Board Resolutions at the Board of Education meeting on March 20, 2014. In addition, Daniela Chica, William Cortes, Brendan Demitus, John Fantell, and Heather Newman will be competing at the Monmouth University Junior Science Symposium on March 27-28, 2014. The Declaration congratulates the Science Research Program and wishes continued success.
