Carbondale Area’s Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) recently competed in the virtual PJAS Region 2 Competition. Ms. Samantha Masco and Ms. Emily Baileys, co-advisors of the club, are proud to announce that Carbondale Area earned twenty First Place Awards and seven Second Place Awards; additionally, the students who placed first have earned a berth in the state competition later this school year.
Notably, sisters Emily and Molly Kelly, a junior and a freshman, respectively, each earned perfect scores for their respective projects. They both presented in the topic of Computer Science. Emily’s title of research was “Predicting Antares ISS Rendezvous Opportunities” and Molly’s project was titled “Computer Modeling of Coronavirus Transmission.”
“My PJAS project used a computer model to find out when resupply missions to the International Space Station can occur,” explained Emily. “My program calculated the position of the ISS to determine the best date for a launch. I was fortunate enough to receive a perfect score at the regional competition. My sister, Molly, also received a perfect score. It was a great experience to share with my sister.”
“This year PJAS was very different, but it seemed to have worked out well. My project modeled the spread of the coronavirus through a computer algorithm. My project basically showed how quick the virus can spread in different scenarios,” explained Molly. “At the regional competition my hard work resulted in me receiving a perfect score, along with my sister Emily. I am very grateful for this experience and am ready for states.”
Senior Giana Arnese also earned the Perseverance Award for six years of participation in PJAS, which she started in seventh grade. “PJAS is a club that has helped me develop public speaking skills and has taught me how to perform scientific projects,” stated Giana. “Receiving this Perseverance Award means a lot to me. It took a lot of hard work over the last 6 years, but it was worth it in the end.”
A complete list of winners, their categories, and titles of specific projects are listed below.
First place winners:
Abigail Lent- Behavioral Science- The Placebo Effect
Natalie Skeba- Behavioral Science- Decisions and Drinks
Audrey Cobb- Behavioral Science- In the Children’s Eyes
Julia Gorel- Behavioral Science- Is there a Correlation Between Mental and Physical Health?
Shauna Durst- Behavioral Science- Do Looks Really Matter?
Mia Perri- Behavioral Science- Why Are Teens So Stressed?
Rylie Toolan- Biochemistry- What Paper Towel Brand is the Strongest
Olivia Lawler- Biology- Can Sugary Drinks Affect the Shell of an Egg?
Megan Cosklo- Biology- I Love Milk, But It Does Not Love Me
Kylie Kelly- Chemistry- Salt Bridge Over Electrified Water
Kaci Bannon-Chemistry- The pH Levels in Bottled Water
Jocelyn Brown- Chemistry- The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time
Ellie Higdon- Chemistry- Which Type of Tylenol Dissolves Quickest?
Molly Kelly – Perfect Score– Computer Science- Computer Modeling of Coronavirus Transmission
Emily Kelly- Perfect Score– Computer Science- Predicting Antares ISS Rendezvous Opportunities
Caitlyn Burns-Mathematics- What Color Player in the Game “Among Us” Gets Imposter More?
Michael DeRichie-Microbiology- Which Hand Sanitizer Works Best for Killing Bacteria?
Caden Brennan- Microbiology- How Well Do Disinfectants Work?
Alyssa Cosklo- Microbiology- What Face Mask is the Most Effective?
Erika Hollis-Physics- Forensics: How Does it Matter? Measure the Splatter
Second place winners:
Stephanie Baker- Behavioral Science- Are People Bias Based Off Pictures?
Sarah Parry- Behavioral Science- Does Age Change Your Opinion
Makenna Fedorchak- Biology- Why Aren’t All Medicines Pills?
Gianna Arnese- Perseverance Award for 6 years of participation in PJAS– Biology- How Sweet is Your Sports Drink?
Joshua Berg- Engineering- What is the Best Type of Insulation?
Matthew Serkosky- Mathematics- Dice Probability
Jacob Berg- Physics- What Materials Can Block a Wi-Fi Signal?
The Carbondale Area School District congratulates the PJAS participants on continuing their tradition of excellence at the regional competition and wishes the state qualifiers the best of luck at the state competition in May.
