Future Scientists and Engineers Earn Accolades at Science Fair

The scientific minds of students in Hamden Hall’s signature program, Science, Innovation, & Design, were on full display as students in both Upper and Middle School presented their independent research projects at the 75th Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair. The students were mentored and advised by Director of Science, Innovation, & Design Dr. Frank Gasparro, Upper School science teacher Dr. Patrick Fitzgerald and Middle School science teacher Paulomi Aldo. 

Twenty-one students submitted projects with 10 earning awards. The students include junior Huiwen "Owen" Zeng; sophomores Theodora Aslan, Helena Chaine, Eric Huang, and Jiahui "Lucy" Chen; freshmen Andrei Balas, Ravindu Karunaratne, Neev Makin, and Sophia Vash; and seventh-grader Anna Aslan.

“To say it was another banner year for students in the Science, Innovation, & Design program would be an understatement,” said SID Program Director Dr. Frank Gasparro. “This was our best year ever at the Science and Engineering Fair as a record-breaking number of students submitted projects with many of them earning awards!”

Anna placed first in the biotechnology category of the Alexion Biotechnology Awards and earned $300 and a trophy. She was nominated to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge happening later this year. 

Theodora earned medallion in the EnergizeCT Future Sustainability Awards; Andrei earned a medallion in the Physical Science Awards, and as a team. Helena and Eric earned a medallion in the Infosys Foundation Computer Science Awards.

Rav earned a medallion in the Life Science Awards with support from Boehringer Ingelheim; Neev earned a medallion in the Life Science Awards with support from Boehringer Ingelheim; Sophia earned a medallion in the Alexion Biotechnology Awards; and as a team Owen and Lucy earned a medallion in the  Life Science Awards with support from Boehringer Ingelheim. 

Anna Aslan: “Do human and dog saliva have special antibacterial properties and help heal wounds?”

The project investigated whether saliva has any healing properties that kill bacteria and help heal wounds through testing and comparing human and dog saliva with samples of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The hypothesis proposed that if bacteria are treated with either human or dog saliva, then less bacteria will form or develop than when saliva is not applied, and the dog saliva will kill the bacteria faster than the human saliva, because it has stronger antibacterial properties. The conclusion proved the hypothesis to be partially incorrect as the human saliva had stronger antibacterial properties than the dog saliva.

Theodora Aslan: “The Water Cycle and Bacterial Resistance to Antiseptics”

The project investigated the effects of pollution on safe water consumption by testing and comparing the resistance to various antiseptics of environmental bacteria found in water samples from different stages of the water cycle. Using the Winkler Method to measure dissolved oxygen in samples from a well, rain, river, lake, and tap water, it was determined that the bacterial resistance varies depending on the water source due to the different levels of exposure to everyday manmade antimicrobial agents.

Andrei Balas: “Determination of the Equilibrium DNA-Binding Constant of the Psoralen Compound 6E”

The project investigated the activation of psoralens, an agent used to treat hyperproliferative skin diseases such as psoriasis and cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma, with UV radiation to determine the binding constant for therapeutic effectiveness.

Helena Chain and Eric Huang: “Using Surveys to Study the Evolution of Art Generated by Artificial Intelligence”

The project investigated how the evolution of artificial intelligence affects artists and its correlation between the improvement of technology and the distinguishability of art generated by AI. A survey containing artworks by artists and AI from different time periods was sent out to middle and high school students, asking them to identify whether the artwork was human-made or AI Generated. The results concluded that 41% of participants could not differentiate between the artwork and the rate at which AI is evolving can affect artists.

Ravindu Karunaratne: “Absorption of Oil & Oil-based Contaminants in Water using Exfoliated Graphite”

The project investigated how oceanic oil spills generate both immediate and long-term impacts on marine life and how more efficient techniques are needed to separate and absorb the oil. Using exfoliated graphite on different oil types in freshwater and seawater, the graphite absorbed the oil and nylon meshes were used to retrieve the oil.

Neev Makin: “MiMe: Mindly Mediation”

The project explored how the technology app MiMe: Mindly Meditation can help users feel more relaxed as it uses wavelengths of light and sounds to alter their emotion. Users create sessions by answering questions on their current mood and the app plays a specific sound and displays a wavelength of light on the screen. It was determined that wavelengths from 750 nm-565 nm, which produce warm colors calm users more than to wavelengths from 565 nm-380 nm, which are cool colors.

Sophia Vash: “The Effect of Chitosan Polysaccharide C56 H103N9O39 on the Growth of Human Gut Bacteria"

The project investigated the use of the biopolymer polysaccharide supplement called Chitosanin  in relation to weight loss and the importance of maintaining healthy gut bacteria.  The composition of bacteria in the human intestine is crucial to many functions and using Chitosanin can have a negative effect. For the test, four strands of bacteria: Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Escherichia coli were placed in nutrient broth with Chitosanin. The hypothesis was: If chitosan has a negative effect on the growth of gut bacteria, then the chosen bacteria in the presence of 1000 mg of chitosan would display reduced growth. The results of this experiment did not support the hypothesis because all four bacteria demonstrated a positive percent change in absorbance (ranging from 16% to 250%) attributable to an increase in cell number. 

Owen Zeng and Lucy Chen: “The Effect of Ash produced by Wildfire on Glacier Melting”

The project investigated the correlation between the rising sea level and the deposition of forest fire ash on ice glaciers. The hypothesis proposed that increased amounts of ash or darker charcoal will increase the ice melting rate by reducing ice albedo. Ice slabs were placed under a light bulb for 30 minutes, with varying amounts of ash or charcoal (0, 0.15, and 0.25 g). The results concluded that charcoal led to a particularly consistent greater melting and low albedo compared to other groups.