Student Science Experiments Recognized at PRSEF

Three Ellis Upper School students were recognized for their scientific investigations at the 82nd Annual Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair (PRSEF).  At this year’s virtual competition, Eleanor Barth Wu, Class of 2022, Viola Haggerty, Class of 2023, and Erika Rispoli, Class of 2022, were honored by judges for their research, findings, and presentations at the annual fair.
Eleanor Barth Wu, Class of 2022, was awarded second place in the Senior Chemistry category for her project, “Accelerated Disintegration of Single-Use Face Masks Into Microplastic Fibers.” She also earned a certificate of recognition of superior application of scientific resources in literature review.

Viola Haggerty, Class of 2023, was recognized with a certificate of recognition of superior application of scientific resources in literature review and a certificate of recognition of excellence in creative thought for her project, “The Effectiveness of a Bag-of-Words Model For Author Age Determination.”

Erika Rispoli, Class of 2022, was awarded fourth place in the Senior Biology category for her project, “Understanding mechanisms of MDD: model extension of the BDNF-NFκB pathway using VIOLIN.” She also earned a certificate of recognition of superior application of scientific resources in literature review, a certificate of Excellence from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neuroscience, a scholarship for Penn State Greater Allegheny, and a scholarship for Chatham University.

The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair began in 1940 and is the third oldest science and engineering competition in the United States.
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