Science Fairs

SPIE supports local, state and international science and engineering fairs by providing several Special Awards in Optics & Photonics. Volunteer judges review projects displayed at science fairs and select best projects where students apply optics or photonics technology, techniques or principles to their project.

Since 2001, the Society has awarded over $50,000 in cash awards along with many prizes to 247 talented students from elementary through high school.

We welcome our SPIE volunteers to judge optics and photonics projects at local, state, and international science fairs. If you are interested in volunteering or if you know of a science fair coming up in your area that we should be a part of, contact Ms. Pascale Barnett, Education Services Coordinator, pascale@spie.org.

This year SPIE awarded cash prizes totaling over $16,000 to 70 talented students from elementary through high school.

SPIE Optics and Photonics Science Fair Award Winners, W. Newberry, T. Nesch, and S. Tyle, at the Intel ISEF in Reno, NV.

Sujay Tyle-1st Place, Pittsford Mendon High School Project: A Novel Method to Determine the Mechanism Behind DNS-DNA Interactions Using Optical Tweezers William C. Newberry-2nd Place, Greenwich High School Project: Laser Induced Microfluidic Motion of a Liquid-Liquid Interface Thomas Nesch-3rd Place, Technische Oberschule Stuttgart Project: Sensor to Detect Liquids

Evan Lincoln (1st Place Special Award, Senior Div.), San Marcos High School Project: The Effect of LED Wavelength on the Phototaxis of Artemia

Alex Chen (1st Place Special Award Junior Div.), Ridgecrest Intermediate School Project: V-Groove Solar Cell and Mirror Arrangement for Efficiency Enhancement

Anh Nguyen (Recognition Award, Senior Div.), Ribét Academy Project: A Semiclassical Method to Predict Helium-Like Energy Levels

Pictured from left to right: Min-Yi Shih, Jeff Güell, Anh Nguyen (center), Alex Kazemi, and Albert Okorogu.

Pictured from left to right: Jeff Güell, Albert Okorogu, Lena Egbert (center), Alex Kazemi, and Min-Yi Shih.

Lena Egbert (Recognition Award Junior Div.), Milpitas Christian School Project: Leveraging Light: A Method for Measuring Minute Masses

	Michael V. DiMascio (1st Place), Waynesville High School Project: Can a Polymer be Made to Act Like a Metal and Exhibit Magnetic Properties?
	Chad Liber (2nd Place), Sylvania Southview High School Project: Stop Sign Modification for Motor Vehicle Accident Prevention at Stop Sign Controlled Intersections
	Emma Mullins (3rd Place), St. Louis Elementary School Project: Measuring Specific Gravity with a Laser Pointer

Jissa Vennat (1st Place), Vista Verde Project: The Advantages of Flexible Solar Panels Clarissa Wu (2nd Place), Turtle Rock Elementary School Project: Solar Soak! Daniel B. Li (3rd Place) Project: Solar Panel

Pictured from left to right are Jissa Vennat, Clarissa Wu, and Daniel Li at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair.

Samir Berrada (2nd Place, Junior Div.), Cortez Middle School Project: The Laser Car

Trevor M. Tanaka (3rd Place), Konawaena Middle School Project: Stereoscopic Vision: Live Within Two Eyes

Dan Simons (2nd Place), Mercer Island High School Project: Solar Recycling of Hydroelectric Power

Jordan Rashoff (3rd Place), W.F. West High School Project: The Behavior of Microwaves in Quantum Mechanics

Shawn Tuteja (1st Place, Senior Div.), Altamont School Project: Maximizing the Efficiency of a Titanium Dioxide Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Meagan Edwards (2nd Place, Senior Div.), Westminster Christian Academy Project: And so She Moves: An Examination of Jupiter and Her Moons

	Drew Bismack and Wesley Cobb(3rd Place, Senior Div), Westminster Christian Academy Team Project: Stealth Technology
	David Lofts (1st Place, Junior Div.), Covenant Christian Academy Project: Harvesting More Sunlight via Holograms: Phase 2
	Joshua Hawkins (2nd Place, Junior Div.), Covenant Christian Academy Project: Look Mom, No Wires, A Study of Signal Strenght With Shaped and Wire Mesh Reflectors on a Wireless Router

Charles Cook (3rd Place, Junior Div.), Athens Bible School Project: MazeBot

	Kaj Hansen (1st Place), Carrollton High School Project: Delayed Fluorescence as a Probe to Study Photosynthesis
	Nick Gober and Lance Clayton, (2nd Place), Washington County High School Team Project: Solar Reflector 2: Mirrors vs. Aluminum Foil No Photo Available. Anne Wang (3rd Place), Walton High School Project: Factors of Affecting the Expression of Fluorescent Protein McHerry

Fabian Diaz (1st Place), De Diego School Project: Now You See Them, Now You Don't

Alundra Dickson (2nd Place), Gillespie School Project: Colors Absorbing Heat

Alexandra Barraza (3rd Place), New Sullivan School Project: Does Material Color Affect Heat Absorption

Jacob Weaver (1st Place), Higland Secondary School Project: Robots Don't Sunburn

Brittany Smrke (2nd Place), Oakville Christian School Project: Mirror, Mirror ... Who's the Most Renewable of Them all?

Andrew Rossignol and Alexandru Stan (3rd Place), Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School Team Project: An Alternative Lighting Solution: An Investigation into the use of LEDs as a Method of Lighting and Effective Ways of Saving Energy No Photo Available. Joshua Daniel Verduyn (3rd Place), Trinity Christian School Project: Lasers and Light

Tom Harris (1st Place), Plankinton School District Project: Holography No Photo Available. Kela Cihak (2nd Place), Avon High School Project: Sound vs. Light No Photo Available. Gerald Little Owl Jr., Andes Central High School and Esteben Rodrigues, Andes Central High School (3rd Place) Project: Solar Flares and Magnetic Poles

Ryan Lindquist (1st Place, Senior Div.), Liberty Middle School Project: Detection of Peanut Contamination Using Liquid Crystals No Photo Available. Matthew Eskridge (2nd Place, Senior Div.), Covenant Christian Academy Project: An Investigation of Standing Sound Waves Using the Schlieren Imaging Technique

Ashleigh Shumake (1st Place, Junior Div.), Danville Middle School Project: How Long Until the Next Song Craig Conner (2nd Place, Junior Div.), Monrovia Middle School Project: Pendulums Equations

Darius Cepulis (3rd Place), Notre Dame Elementary School Project: Light Energy: A Solar Assisted Battery

Johnathan Gunnin (1st Place), Garland V. Stewart Middle School Project:Comparative Cost and Efficiencies of Lighting Systems

Keenan McMahon (2nd Place), Bartels Middle School Project: Covering Cancer: Which Type of Playground Cover Provides the Most Protection from Ultraviolet Rays?

Bo Moon (3rd Place), Garland V. Stewart Middle School Project: ELF Fields: Observing Radiation from Electronic Devices

	Neel Patel (1st Place), Oviedo High School Project: A Quantum Improvement in Information Communication Using Multimodel Data Representation: Phase One
	Marissa Moore (2nd Place), Indian Trails Middle School Project: Can the Power of a Laser Beam be Increased Using External Means? No Photo Available. Anish Khanorkar (3rd Place), Markham Woods Middle School Project: Does the Use of a Parabolic Reflector on a Wireless Network Router Increase its Range? Do Curvature and Composition Influence Effectiveness?