Innovative projects win students a place at event

News release from the Royal Society of New Zealand

For immediate release

3 November 2010

Innovative research projects win students a place at national event

Twenty students from all over the country have been selected by the Royal Society of New Zealand to attend Genesis Energy’s Realise the Dream, a prestigious national event taking place from 5-11 December.

The secondary school students were nominated based on an outstanding piece of science research or technological development they had undertaken during the year.

Projects that caught the eye of the judges this year range from Beauty Tema’s investigation of smelly seaweed to Nicholas Mabey’s transformer robots.

The lucky nominees will be flown to Auckland to start an all expenses paid adventure to Wellington, stopping at the country’s top science and technology organisations along the way. Students will be the VIPs at hands-on programmes run by some of the country’s top research and development organisations including the Liggins Institute, DairyNZ, Genesis Energy and Massey University in Palmerston North.

They will also participate in a workshop teaching them to up-skill in communication and promotion of research. They will end their journey in Wellington where they will spend two days visiting places of interest such as Zealandia – Karori Sanctuary and the Carter Observatory.

Debbie Woodhall from the Royal Society of New Zealand said “The judges were very impressed with the quality of nominations this year. It is fantastic that the standard of the science research is so high from these secondary school students.”

The event is topped off with an award cocktail function where awards, including cash scholarships and travel grants will be announced. This year, the student who takes home the $7000 Supreme Award, will not only receive a trip to attend the European Union Young Scientist Competition in Finland, they will also be awarded the Prime Ministers Future Scientist prize of $50,000 to support their tertiary education.

Genesis Energy is proud to be in its eighth year as the principal sponsor of Realise the Dream. “I’m constantly impressed by the vision that the students demonstrate,” says Genesis Energy Chief Executive, Albert Brantley. “It’s truly a pleasure for Genesis Energy to be involved in assisting the leaders of tomorrow realise their potential.”

The students who have been selected are:

NORTHLAND REGION
Lina Barthlen-Potter, 17 from Kerikeri High School with her research on ‘Girdling Kiwifruit’
Sarah Pirie, 17 from Kerikeri High School with her research on ‘Oyster Storage’
Hammond Peace, aged 17 from Kerikeri High School with his research on ‘Virtual Company’

EAST AUCKLAND
Leon Forbes, 18, Tamaki College with his research on ‘Plastic not so fantastic’
Chris Ryan, 14, Howick College with his research on ‘What the DO’

CENTRAL AUCKLAND
Alana Wylie, 18, Diocesan School for Girls’ with her research on ‘Who’s running my fairways?’
Priya Mittal, 17, Mt Roskill Grammar School with her development of a ‘ Communicating Doorbell’
William Quach, 17 Mt Roskill Grammar School with his development of ‘Caller ID Divert System’
Yufei Chen, 17, Auckland Grammar School with his investigation into ‘Brilliant Patterns’

SOUTH AUCKLAND
Nicholas Mabey, 18, King’s College with his development of a ‘Transformer Robot’
Beauty Tema, 17, Onehunga High School, with her investigation into ‘Smelly Seaweed’

WAIKATO
Hayley Haskell, 13, St Peter’ School, Cambridge with her research into ‘Flying High’

GISBORNE
Maia Ihimaera, 13 Gisborne Girls’ High School with her research “Maximising Carbon Sequestration in Pinus Radiata 2”

EAST WAIKATO
Alicia Harrison, 14, Morrinsville College with her development of ‘Glo Tags’ for cattle

HAWKES BAY
Shahn Taylor, 18, Taikura Rudolf Steiner School, Havelock North with his development and research on ‘Wind Power’

MANWATU
Allan Bailey, 13, Palmerston North Boy’s High School with his technological development of ‘Magic Marshmallows’

CANTERBURY
Hadleigh Frost, 15, Lincoln High School with his research into ‘Light Logic’
Reuben Posthuma, 16 Homeschooled, Canterbury with his development of ‘Drive Minder’

OTAGO
William Fitzgerald, 17, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, (Correspondence School) Dunedin with his research into ‘Salt tolerance of Puccinellia fasciculata at Sutton Salt Lake

SOUTHLAND
Bailey Lovett, 17, James Hargest College, with her investigation of ‘Bacterial Bivalves’

ENDS

© Scoop Media