LIHUE — Kauai High School student Brent Torres said he wanted to use energy and bacteria in his science project.
“I just typed those words in a search engine and it came up with bacteria whose excrements can result in energy,” Torres said. “That was the start of the research.”
The Kauai High School student was one of the winners announced during the Kauai Regional Science and Engineering Fair Award Ceremony Saturday night presented by the Hawaii Academy of Science and coordinated by the Kauai Area Complex Department of Education at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club.
First overall went to Jenna Takata and Charlene Tan, who submitted a project dealing with alternative energy sources — “Determining the Role of n-Hexane in Multiple Phases of Nannochloropsis sp. and Nitzcchia sp.”
Winners in both the junior and senior divisions move on to the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, which will be hosted on Oahu in March.
Torres’ project, entitled “The Effect of Additional Energy Sources on Microbial Fuel Cells,” finished the night by earning awards in Best in Category, multiple awards in the Special Awards, and second overall.
The top winner of the senior division will be eligible for the international competition which will be held in Pittsburgh in May.
The awards are only possible due to the growing number of sponsors, said student emcees Anna Broyles of Waimea High School and Jacob Herr of Kauai High School. Many of the winning entries earned cash awards in addition to the trip to the state fair.
Tyler Tanaka of Kapaa Middle School topped the junior division with his “Velocity: Video Game for the Visually/Hearing Impaired.”
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School student Dylan Crowe got accolades from the Surfrider Foundation for his “Fish Population Survey at Hanakaape Bay (Koloa Landing).”
Traditionally held at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, this year’s event was relocated to the Kauai Marriott due to the convention hall being closed for renovation work.
The event was also compressed into an all-day affair, starting early Saturday morning with registration and interviews before being opened to an audience of several hundred, many of whom were proud families and friends.
There were 59 projects from 73 students representing four elementary and middle schools and three high schools.
“We love having the students and their families,” said Tricia Page, the Kauai Marriott lead in coordinating the event.
“Kauai Marriott loves to support the children, and this event is just one of the ways we do this. We’re looking forward to our next event, the Wilcox Health Center’s Keiki Summer Fest, which is returning in June.”
Results
Junior Division Category winners:
Behavioral: Keahilani Bacon, Riley Zablan, Tristee Souza (Kap Middle School)
Biological: Alexander Henriques (Kap Middle School)
Animal Sciences: Keisha Suga (Wai Canyon Middle School)
Theoretical Sciences: Tyler Tanaka (Kap Middle School)
Energy: Ignacio Elzaurdia (Hanalei Elementary School)
Environmental: Kaytin Taba (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)
Senior Division Category winners:
Biological Sciences: Alana Takata (Kau High School)
Animal Sciences: Kaya Labanon (Wai High School)
Theoretical Sciences: Leonila Fulgencio (Kau High School)
Energy: Jenna Takata, Charlene Tan (Kau High School)
Environmental: Brent Torres (Kau High School)
Advanced Technologies: Vittorio Altomare (Wai High School)
Special Awards:
Associations for Women Geoscientists, ASU Sustainability Solutions: Brent Torres (Kau HS)
Mu Alpha Theta (mathematics): Leonila Fulgencio (KauHS)
Fujimoto Engineering, LLC: Kaya Labanon (Wai HS); Brent Torres (Kau HS)
County of Kauai Wastewater Management: Braelyn Cayaban (Wai HS)
Office of Naval Research: Alexander Henriques (Kap MS); Brent Torres (Kau HS)
NTBG Young Ecologist: Jim Ehia (Kau HS)
Surfrider Foundation: Dylan Crowe (CKMS); Edilyn Marquez (Kau HS)
Apollo Kauai: JR Div – Ignacio Elzaurdia (Hanalei El.); SR Div – Jenna Takata, Charlene Tan (Kau HS); Brent Torres (Kau HS); Haley Silva, Jessica Hreljac (Kau HS)
Regional Fair, Junior Division Winners:
Tyler Tanaka (Kap MS); Dylan Crowe (CKMS); Alexander Henriques (Kap MS); Hope Newton (Wai Canyon MS); Kaytin Taba (CKMS)
Regional Fair, Senior Division Winners:
Jenna Takata, Charlene Tan (Kau HS); Brent Torres (Kau HS); Kaya Labanon (Wai HS); Alana Takata (Kau HS); Renee Anderson-Navarro (Kau HS)
