Six Advance to PJAS States

The first-place winners are Conrad Davis, Claire Dietiker, Aanya Jha, Antara Mondal, Hadley Maxwell and Daniiar Zamirbekov. Claire, who earned a perfect score, also received a special award from the Society of Women Engineers.

In addition, Sophia Henderson earned second- place honors at the regional competition.

Students researched and presented the following projects:

• Conrad Davis: “Near-Earth Supernovae and Their Effects on Earth”
• Claire Dietiker: “The Mathematics of Art: Graphing the Concorde”
• Aanya Jha: “Computational Analysis of Planet Detection Methods”
• Antara Mondal: “A Mathematical Framework and Algorithm for Quantifying and Preventing Partisan Bias in Electoral Maps”
• Hadley Maxwell: “Under Pressure: Bridge Structure”
• Daniiar Zamirbekov: “Effect of Different Concentrations of Milk on Plant Growth”
• Sophia Henderson: “Equine Wound Dressings for Bacterial Growth Prevention”

"We were given a wide range of STEM fields to explore and opportunities for growth,” Claire said. “Not only have I furthered my academic interests, but other skills (such as time-management and public speaking) were also pushed and challenged throughout working on my project.”

The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS), is a statewide science competition for students in grades 7-12. The program promotes excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while also emphasizing research skills, public speaking, long-term planning and perseverance.

The Upper St. Clair students were led by Dawn Mostowy, biology teacher. She said the PJAS experience allows students to steer their science, math or computer science projects in directions that excite them.

“It is incredible to see the passion that students have and the dedication they are willing to commit to be successful in this endeavor,” Mrs. Mostowy said. “These seven students should all be commended for their hard work.”

PJAS is organized into 12 regions across the commonwealth. Upper St. Clair competes in Region 7, which includes Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Students must earn a first-place award at the regional level to advance to the state competition.