Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards On May 16, 2008, young researchers from the Waterloo-Wellington Science and Engineering Fair attending the Canada Wide Science Fair in Ottawa won a total of at least $61 100 in cash and scholarships combined. They were awarded a total of one Gold Medal, two Silver Medals, three Bronze Medals and three Honourable Mentions. Daniel Burd was awarded the "Best of Fair", which means he is the Canadian Champion. Details are below. For information on past achievements at the CWSF, go to the Archives All 2008 award winnners

Daniel Burd Waterloo Collegiate Institute Canada Wide Science Fair 2006 Awards Gold Medal in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences ($1500 and a certificate) University of Western Ontario Scholarship($2000 Scholarship) Dr. Michael Smith Innovation Award ($700 and a certificate) WWSEF 2006 Awards Pfizer Award of Excellence Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Biotechnology Best of Category, University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship. WWSEF 2005 Bronze Medal Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards EnCana Best of Fair ($10 000) EnCana Platinum Award - Best Senior Project ($5000) Gold Medal, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science ($1500) Silver Medal, Environmental Innovation ($700 ) University of Western Ontario Entrance Scholarship ($2000) Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship ($4000) University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship extendable for four years (4x$5000 =$20000) University of British Columbia Entrance Award ($4000) NSERC Undergrad Student Research Award ($4500 plus an automatic Research Award if the student applies after the first year of university) Manning Achievement Award ($500) Youth Innovation Tour   WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Senior Biotechnology, Best Biotechnology Project Best Senior Written Report Conestoga College Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship, Wilfrid Laurier University Entrance Scholarship. 2008 Project Report Plastic Not Fantastic Plastic bags, made from polyethylene (PE), are very popular in our daily lives and have a harsh environmental impact on our ecosystems. Two PE degrading strains belonging to the genus Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas were isolated from a soil microbial consortium and the development of a biotechnological approach to plastic bag degradation was investigated.

Mackenzie Carter St. John's Kilmarnock WWSEF 2006 Awards Silver Medal. Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards Bronze Medal, Automotive ($300) Bronze Medal, Engineering ($300) University of Western Ontario Entrance Scholarship ($1000)   WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Intermediate Engineering. 2008 Project Report The Coanda Conundrum This project tested the amount of lift produced using the Coanda Effect. Using variable airspeeds from a leaf blower, I could determine the amount of lift produced by different curved foils. I found that the tighter the radius of curvature the more lift produced.”

Zach Elgood Individual Entry Canada Wide Science Fair 2007 Awards Bronze Medal in the Junior Physical and Mathematical Sciences Category $300 and a certificate) Entrance Scholarship to the University of Ontario ($1000) WWSEF 2007 Awards Award of Merit, Best of Junior Physical Science, Junior Sir Isaac Newton Award Stephen J. Little Presentation Award Gold Medal. Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards Honourable Mention, Earth and Environmental Science ($100)   WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Stepping Stone Award, Junior Sir Isaac Newton Award Gold Medal, Junior Physical Science. 2008 Project Report How Much N2O is in your H2O? This project examines nitrous oxide, nitrate and ammonium concentrations in municipal and private drinking water supplies. The highest concentrations of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, were found in municipal groundwater. The data suggests that the potential release of nitrous oxide, from certain municipal water supplies, could be equivalent to 50% of the flux from a nitrogen limited forest.

Jeff Graansma Forest Heights Collegiate Institute Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards Honourable Mention, Engineering ($100) Engineers Without Borders Prize, an all expense paid trip to the National Conference in January ($1500)   WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Senior Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Innovation Award, Conestoga College Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship. Wilfrid Laurier University Entrance Scholarship. 2008 Project Report The Pandemic Ventilator During an influenza pandemic, the need for ventilators may greatly exceed supplies. Triage protocols implemented by governments determine who will get access, and who will die if denied. It will not be possible to construct enough commercial ventilators in time once a pandemic begins. This project constructs and tests a ventilator made from industrial components that will be available even after a pandemic has started.

Devin Howard Individual Entry WWSEF 2006 Awards Silver Medal WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Senior Life Science, Conestoga College Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship, Wilfrid Laurier University Entrance Scholarship. 2008 Project Report You are Not a beautiful and Unique Snowflake Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" explains how fads are really social epidemics, and can be analyzed in the same way that diseases can be analyzed. There are three rules that govern an epidemic's spread, and understanding those rules can help one to understand social science. I used a controlled computer model to measure the effects of simultaneous social epidemics on a small community of people.

Matt Kirby Individual Entry   WWSEF 2007 Awards Honourable Mention Certificate Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards Silver Medal, Health Science ($700) University of Western Ontario Entrance Scholarship ($1500) WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Gold Medal, Junior Life Science, Best Life Science Project, Best Junior Written Report, Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories Award. 2008 Project Report How Does Stress Increase Smoking Behavior? A glucocorticoid hormone such as dexamethasone (a man made drug) and cortisol (a natural hormone) released during stress increases the activity of an enzyme found in mouse hepatocytes that metabolizes nicotine. Low nicotine levels in the blood increases the urge to smoke. These enzymes are CYP2A5 in mice and CYP2A6 in humans.

Pinky Langat and Chris Palmer Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute Canada Wide Science Fair 2008 Awards Bronze Medal, Environmental Innovation ($300) Honourable Mention, Earth and Environmental Science ($100) University of Western Ontario Entrance Scholarship ($1000 each) University of Ottawa Scholarship ($1000 each)   WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Excellence, Award of Merit, Best of Engineering, Gold Medal, Senior Engineering Hydro One Award, Conestoga College Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship, Wilfrid Laurier University Entrance Scholarship, University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship. 2008 Project BRIGHT FUTURE of ENERGY: Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Lawrence Xie Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute WWSEF 2008 Awards Award of Merit, Best of Physical Science, Gold Medal, Senior Physical Science, Senior Sir Isaac Newton Award, Conestoga College Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship, Wilfrid Laurier University Entrance Scholarship. 2008 Project Report Prime Probability Paradox through Parity! By considering the relationship between sets of prime numbers and even numbers in the natural number set, this study investigates the probability of a randomly selected number being prime. The probability determined through this analysis was then compared with the results from a computer program. This study offers a new approach to understand the distribution of prime numbers through the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.