23 April 2010
Posted in Dr. Ying Competition

Rachel Aaronson is most recent winner of “Best in Fair” at the Lockheed Martin Science Challenge held last month at the Orlando Science Center. Now, she’s a finalist in the 12th Annual Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition.

Rachel is a freshman at Satellite High School in Satellite Beach. This is her third year in science research and her second year competing in the engineering category. She has always been passionate about physical science and mathematics and is planning on majoring in biomedical engineering.

When Rachel is not working on research, she enjoys running, reading, and weight training. She is the Vice President of Satellite High’s Student Government and the freshman representative for the School Advisory Council. She is also an active member of both Mu Alpha Theta and Beta Club.

This is Rachel’s fourth competition showcasing her humanoid gripper and she is excited to continue improving the design. Involvement in Little People of America sparked her to develop this product and she plans on conducting a medical workshop at an upcoming LPA conference. Her goal is to allow short statured or wheelchair bound people to reach items without help.

Rachel is seeking the coveted Ying Prize this year, along with four other finalists. The 12th Annual Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition will take place April 23-25, 2010 at the Orlando Science Center.

22 April 2010
Posted in Dr. Ying Competition

Sarah Von Sickle’s tech research has landed her as a finalist in this year’s Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition.

Sarah is currently a freshman at Satellite High School in Satellite Beach. She is a straight-A student who has been participating in science fairs since first grade. Music, math and science are her favorite subjects in school. She plays guitar and violin in her spare time and enjoys being concert master/first violin for the Satellite High School ninth-grade orchestra. Last month, Sarah took first place in the Computer Science division during the Lockheed Martin Science Challenge at the Orlando Science Center.

Her project is entitled, “Is 802.11n Worth the Extra Money? Wireless Studies, Year 2.” Wi-Fi operation has become a particular interest for Sarah over the last two years. It was sparked by the need to improve the performance of her home wireless networking system. Sarah’s research found that the average consumer would probably not see significant performance improvements by spending 42% - 96% more money to upgrade to the new 802.11n equipment.

Sarah will be competing in the 12th Annual Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition on April 23-25, 2010 at the Orlando Science Center. The Ying Prize will be awarded on Sunday, April 25, 2010.

21 April 2010
Posted in Dr. Ying Competition

Oviedo High School student, Neel Patel, will be representing Seminole County in the 12th Annual Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition.

Only in tenth grade, Neel is also enrolled as a student in the Dual Enrollment program at the University of Central Florida. Being involved in science research is nothing new, Neel has won multiple awards at the county, state, and national levels since sixth grade. He is also active with extracurricular activities in various academic clubs, including Beta Club and Mu Alpha Theta.

Neel’s notable research involves sonification, which is representing patterns through sound by changing the pitch, loudness, or speed of a sound to reflect changes in data – similar to the way a Geiger counter represents information. Included in his research is the human comprehension of, and reaction to, sonifications. He presents possible ways in which factors in both the sound, and the human listener, affects this performance. The applications of this research range from offsetting visual overload in military situations, to representing data for visually impaired scientists.

Neel will be competing for this year’s Ying Prize on April 23-25 at the Orlando Science Center. The winner of this year’s Dr. Nelson Ying Student Science Competition will be announced on Sunday, April 25, 2010.