On February 8, 2023, students from Okaloosa and Walton counties assembled at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds to present their science fair projects during the 2023 East Panhandle Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Students then attended the Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, held at Beachside Community Church.

The judging portion of the science fair incorporated interviews for exhibitors with the professional scientists and engineers who served as Judges. The discussion of the project, suggestions, questions, and ideas, plus the opportunity for the Judges to become aware of the student’s interest in professional fields, are some of the important outcomes of the personal interviews. The judging session also exposed students to role models in the disciplines in which they are interested. Students are required to describe their projects in the vocabulary of the discipline and, thereby, grow increasingly articulate with the challenge and practice. Ideally, the student grows academically by encountering ideas from professionals.

The Awards Ceremony recognized the students for their hard work and dedication in participating in the science fair. The projects represented were the best of the best from schools throughout the region and showcased the creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking skills of the next generation of scientists.

Not all Category Awards and Special Awards had first-place winners, and first-place winners were not automatically State Finalists. Category placements are based on ranking within the category. First-place winners are required to meet a point threshold to receive that placement. State Finalists are chosen based on the overall scores in the fair and can include more than the first-place award in a category.

The International Science and Engineering Fair is the World’s largest pre-college STEM competition and is sponsored by Intel. The students below will be competing with 75 other countries from May 13th - 19th in Dallas, Texas.

• Aurora Mendenhall.

• Marisol Enguidanos

State nominations are selected based on the student’s overall points and score within the entire fair, not just their category. There may not be a first place from each category and not every first place will be a state nominee. In some categories, there may be multiple state nominees from multiple placements.  Florida State Science and Engineering Fair will be held April 4th – 6th in Lakeland, Florida.

Senior Division

• Marisol Enguidanos

• Summer House

• Gianna Johnson

• Sasha McCraine

• Aurora Mendenhall

• Zoe Orange

• Charlotte Peters

• Colt Stevens

• Ashleigh Tarnell

• Jillian Toppin

Junior Division State Finalists

• Koa Baker

• Catherine Humphrey

• Alessia Mastroberti

• Sierra Neitzke

• Hailey Nutt

• Judah Pierce

• Chase Pinto

• Kyle Sposato

• Cade Stewart

• Colton Wilson

The NDIA awarded each State Finalist a $100 prize towards their trip costs in memory of long-time Science Fair judge and NDIA member, Tom Hancock.

The Premier STEM research competition for Middle School Students. The top 10% of Junior Division Finalists have the honor of further competition in the Thermo Fisher JIC. The top 300 Junior Innovators will be selected to receive a $125 prize. 30 Finalists are selected from the top 300 to compete for more than $100,000 in prizes. Finalists’ schools receive $1000.

• Chase Pinto

• Alessia Mastroberti

• Judah Pierce

• Catherine Humphrey

• Koa Baker

Junior Division

• First Place – Chase Pinto

• Second Place – Elisabeth Collins

Senior Division

• First Place – Marisol Enguidanos

• Second Place – Zoe Orange

Junior Division

• First Place – Ronin Weiss

• Second Place – Cater Deering

• Third Place – Julia Milz

Senior Division

• First Place – Summer House

• Second Place – Noah Rushing

GEMS Award

Presented to a girl who shows interest in Math and Science. It is a program at the Science Center where girls will learn about the work of a renowned female scientist while engaging in hands-on lessons. Maybe one day the winner of this award will be a female scientist they feature in one of their lessons. 

• Caden Crawley

Environmental Advocate Award

Recognized a project and person that showed passion for our environment and a project that can help our planet.

• Elisabeth Collins

Presented to students that showed Imagination, practicality, creativity, and data collection design for a project that addresses a significant aspect of aviation, aerospace, or STEM. 

Junior Division

• First Place – Julia Milz

• Second Place – Cater Deering

Senior Division

• First Place – Colt Stevens

• Second Place – Summer House

Recognized projects emphasizing the practical application of chemical principles.

Junior Division

• First Place – Kaylee Dillon

• Second Place – Hailey Nutt

Senior Division

• First Place – Wesley Hall

• Second Place – Ella Farley

Presented to projects that emphasize mathematical principles themselves, rather than their application to other subjects. 

• Junior Division - Aaron Havard

• Senior Division - Aurora Mendenhall

• Junior Division – Giorgia Mastroberti

• Senior Division – Luna de Laat

Junior Division

• First Place – Julia Milz

• Second Place – Alessia Mastroberti

Senior Division

• First Place – Colt Stevens

• Second Place – Zoe Orange

Recognized numerous exceptional projects that relate to the science or engineering of robotics, uncrewed systems, or autonomous systems.

Junior Division

• Cade Stewart

• Cater Deering

• Alissia Mastroberti

• Chase Pinto

• Julia Milz

• Giorgia Mastroberti

Senior Division

• Cole Vargo

• Zachary Beattie

• Noah Rushing

• Avery Severs

• Marisol Enguidanos

Junior Division

• Chase Pinto

• Alessia Mastroberti

Senior Division

• Summer House

• Colt Stevens

Recognized an outstanding project that addresses social and environmental challenges and a meaningful solution for a more sustainable future.

• Aurora Mendenhall

• Kyle Sposato

• Kingston Mixson

• Gianna Johnson

Recognized a Junior Division finalist who identifies a critical problem that impacts their lives and identifies the various parameters a solution must have to be successful. The student develops a tangible, inventive solution that is novel and positively impacts others.

• Alessia Mastroberti

Presented to a project that demonstrates an impressive command of biomedical sciences and Regeneron’s core values.

• Ella Farley

• Koa Baker

• Elisabeth Collins

• Ashleigh Tarnell

• Jocelyn Raben

• Aurora Mendenhall

Recognized a project with outstanding research in behavioral or social sciences. 

• Anthony Aresco

Recognized a project that exclusively, correctly, and accurately used the metric system. 

•  Lucy Leslie

Recognized a project that emphasizes NOAA’s mission of Science, Service, and Stewardship

• Jillian Toppin

Awarded to a project in the Senior Division that is aimed at enhancing the quality of life through improvement of water quality and management. 

• Gianna Johnson

Recognized an exceptional project that has the potential to help address a salient international development challenge.

• Marisol Enguidanos

Presented to a project that incorporates the different spheres of the Earth systems and shows cause-effect relationships based on evidence.

• Judah Pierce

Recognized a Senior Division project that demonstrates new ways to uncover and explore connections between humans and the environment.

•  Jillian Toppin

• Julia Milz

• Aaron Havard

• Aurora Mendenhall

• Charlotte Peters

Junior Division

Second Place

• Kaley Napier: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Mollusks vs Warming Waters”

Senior Division

First Place

• Sasha McCraine: Niceville High School - “Herbal Teas’ Effect on Fruit Fly Longevity”

Second Place

• Kingston Mixson: Magnet Innovation Center - “Lights, Camera, Action”

Third Place

• Anthony Aresco: South Walton High School - “What is the effect of practice on the time it takes crickets to solve a maze?”

Junior Division

Second Place

• Maddie Caraway: Paxton School - “Kidney Stones: Let’s Burst Them” 

Third Place

• Audrey Lomax: St. Mary’s Catholic School - “Which Type of Hand Soap Removes Most Germs?”

Senior Division

First Place

• Angelina Junghaus: Niceville High School - “Blood Sugar in Coffee”

Second Place

• Wesley Hall: Niceville High School - “Effects of pH on the release of mercury from dental amalgam filling material”

Third Place

• Erika Brown: Niceville High School - “Potato, Patato, Healthy or Not-O”

Junior Division

First Place

• Hailey Nutt: Rocky Bayou Christian School - “What fabric can withstand washes with a darker color?”

Second Place

• Talan Branton: Emerald Coast Middle School - “How will different types of flour affect the height of cupcakes” 

• Brianna Nutt: Rocky Bayou Christian School - “Vitamin C of Fruits and Vegetables”

Third Place

• Jaylyn Contento: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Is graphene car wax really powerful?” 

• Denise Heidbreder: St. Mary’s Catholic School - “Marshmallows!”

 Senior Division

First Place

• Charlotte Peters: Niceville High School - “The Durability of Different Types of Candle Wax”

Second Place

• Madison Rabens: Niceville High School - “Florida’s Fencing: The Most Effective Way to Clean Your Fence”

Junior Division 

First Place

• Judah Pierce: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Rain vs. Salinity: How Does Rain Affect the Salinity of Water” 

Second Place

• Elisabeth Collins: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Unraveling the Monarch Mystery” 

• Caden Crawley: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Poison or Protection? The Effects of Sunscreen on Marine Organisms 

Third Place

• Charlotte Goodman: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Cleaning Oil Spills with Faux Feathers”

• Valerie Malley: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “The Efficiency of the M. Oleifera Seed”

 Senior Division

First Place

• Marisol Enguidanos: Niceville High School - “Reducing Coral Bleaching Using Natural Resources and A Self-Powered Filtration System (Year 4)” 

• Jillian Toppin: Niceville High School - “Aquatic Pollution: The Even Dirtier Truth” 

Second Place

• Gianna Johnson: Niceville High School - “Artificial reefs and the impact of water quality on tidal waters”  

Third Place

• Carter Skaggs: Magnet Innovation Center - “Unique Ways to Separate Oil from Water”

Junior Division

First Place

• Alessia Mastroberti: Ruckel Middle School - “Zero-Iced Friction” 

• Chase Pinto: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Building the Best Bridge” 

Second Place

• Carter Deering: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “3…2…1…Liftoff: Rocket Nose Cone Comparison” 

Third Place

• Ronin Weiss: Rocky Bayou Christian School - “Archimedes Screw: Flight Optimization for Fluid”

 Senior Division

First Place

• Summer House: Magnet Innovation Center - “What is the Best Wind Blade Shape?”

Second Place

• Noah Rushing: Magnet Innovation Center - “Airfoil Design”

Third Place

• Cole Vargo: Niceville High School - “Time to Soar”

Junior Division

First Place

• Cade Stewart: Paxton School - “Drone Thermal Imaging in Avian Science”

• Sierra Neitzke: (Night Ski) Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Bioplastics: Strength Battle” 

Second Place

• Isabella Lynch: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Erosion in Motion”  

Third Place

• Gabriel Williams: Ruckel Middle School - “VWAT vs HWAT”

Senior Division

First Place

• Zoe Orange: Paxton School - “Xωρίς Xώμα β: A realistic solution to the 2050 soil crisis and possible use for the nutrient additive to soil on Mars” 

Second Place

• Madison Balden: South Walton High School - “Salt Water Into Drinking Water” 

Third Place

• Cameron Estrada: Magnet Innovation Center - “Algae Boost”

Junior Division

First Place

• Aaron Havard: Davidson Middle School - “Looping Frenzy”

Senior Division

First Place

• Aurora Mendenhall: Niceville High School - “Folding the Future: An Innovative Approach to Solving the Supply Chain Crisis with Geometry”

Junior Division

First Place

• Catherine Humphrey: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Wild Water”

Junior Division

First Place

• Colton Wilson: Rocky Bayou Christian School - “How does the height of grass affect the resistance on a soccer ball?”

Second Place

• Lucy Leslie: Emerald Coast Middle School - “Does boiling and freezing a golf ball affect the height it will bounce”

Third Place

• Dylan Weinschenker: St. Mary’s Catholic School - “Liquidous Speeds”

Senior Division

First Place

• Colt Stevens: Rocky Bayou Christian School - “Fighting Friction - A Study in the Complexities of the Forces Acting on a Looped Roller Coaster”

Second Place

• Avery Severs: Freeport High School - “Temperature in Sound and Music”

Junior Division

First Place

• Koa Baker: Paxton School - “The germination rate of dicotyledon and monocotyledon seeds” 

Second Place

• Kyle Sposato: St. Mary’s Catholic School - “Polluted Plants!” 

Third Place

• Ava LaCorte: Okaloosa STEMM Academy - “Oil Spills; Hazardous to plant growth or not?” 

Senior Division

First Place

• Ashleigh Tarnell: Magnet Innovation Center - “Is honey a viable substitute for root rooting hormone to generate new plant cuttings?” 

Second Place

• Ella Carron: Niceville High School - “Liquid Nutrient Affect on Plant Growth”

• Jocelyn Rabens: Niceville High School - “Hey Alexa, play “Plant Growth” on Spotify: The Effects of Music on Plant Growth”

Special thanks to the following for making the East Panhandle Regional Science Fair successful:

• Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) for providing a grant supporting the Science Fair program in Okaloosa County.

• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) for providing a field trip grant for State Finalists.

• Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. and the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation, for sponsoring the Judge’s Dinner.

A special thank you to our volunteer judges, the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds, and Chef Marcus Hencinski along with the Okaloosa Technical College Culinary Program for providing the delicious Judge’s Dinner.

Scientific Review Committee

• Jennifer Cook, Okaloosa Schools, Chair

• Kathy Morris, Davidson

• Sage Mallory, Emerald Coast

• Scarlett Brock, Niceville, S&D Chair

• Shelly Langshaw, OSA

• Brande Stephenson, Paxton

• Lisa Nall, Ruckel

• Daniele Stils, St. Mary’s

• Angela Reinke, Walton

• Ed Lyons, Walton Schools

Internal Review Board

• Jennifer Wee, IRB Medical

• Becky Gilpatrick, IRB Consultant

School Representatives

• Shannon Madison – Destin HS

• Meredith Ness – Laurel Hill

• Bruce Bates – Freeport HS

• Margaret Aresco – MIC, SWHS

• Joan Kennett - SWHS

• Brian Aldredge – Rocky Bayou