Research earns high school student national award
April 30, 2014
4/29/14
907-474-7541
William Mitchell, a junior at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, placed second at a national competition for original scientific research and won $8,000 in scholarship money. Mitchell presented his research on sulfolane contamination of soil and groundwater at the 52nd National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, April 23-27, in Washington, D.C.
Mitchell used the scientific method to examine how microorganisms break down sulfolane, a solvent used in petroleum refining, in the presence of kerosene. Mitchell concluded that sulfolane takes longer to biodegrade in soil and groundwater when kerosene, a petroleum product, also is present.
Mitchell first presented his research as part of Alaska Statewide High School Science Symposium, hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics. ASHSSS director Abel Bult-Ito, UAF professor of neurobiology, said Mitchell and four other top-five winners from West Valley High School competed at JSHS.
“William was thinking on his feet tremendously well, and that contributed to him winning second place,” said Bult-Ito. “I am very proud of him.”
West Valley High School students have a long tradition of participating in the regional competition, spanning more than a decade, said West Valley chemistry teacher Gregory Kahoe. Each year, he and West Valley biology teacher Cindy Beale ask their advanced placement students to develop and submit a research project to ASHSSS.
Many of their students reach out to UAF’s faculty and graduate student researchers to volunteer as mentors. UAF graduate student Christopher Kasanke, who studies sulfolane biodegradation in the lab of UAF microbiologist Mary Beth Leigh, mentored Mitchell.
Mitchell said he was excited to receive the award, especially after listening to the other contenders. “I sat through the oral presentations, and some were pretty interesting and pretty impressive,” he said.
The judges must have thought the same of Mitchell.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Abel-Bult Ito, ASHSSS Director, UAF professor of neurobiology in the Department of Biology and Wildlife, 907-978-2169, abultito@alaska.edu; Doris Cousens, JSHS Director, Academy of Applied Science, cousens@jshs.org.
ON THE WEB: JSHS: www.jshs.org/; ASHSSS: www.uaf.edu/cnsm/ashsss/.
The JSHS is designed to challenge and engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and is a collaborative effort with the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense and nationwide colleges and universities. National winners receive scholarship money and paid travel to the national JSHS competition.
ASHSSS helps high school students in Alaska develop science research, writing and oral presentation skills as they work on research projects for the competition. The program is one of 48 regional affiliates of JSHS.