​The American Phytopathological Society (APS) honored five young scientists at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), May 11-17, 2003, in Cleveland, OH. ISEF is the largest science and engineering fair in the world and is often dubbed the "Olympics of Science Fairs." ISEF hosted more than 1,500 high school students from grades 9-12, representing almost every state in the United States and more than 40 countries worldwide.

APS member Chuck Curtis with 2003 ISEF APS Award winners (left to right) Parker Fennell, Lauren Smith, Emma Donaldson, Thomas Cleveland, and Glenna Wink.

APS was one of 50 professional societies presenting special awards to the youthful participants. A judging team composed of Enrico Bonello, Chuck Krause, Randy Rowe, Sally Miller, and Chuck Curtis from the Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, reviewed dozens of projects across a wide variety of subject matter sections. Categories for review included exhibits in botany, microbiology, biochemistry, and environmental sciences. Students from the most outstanding displays with plant pathology content were individually interviewed to determine the award winners.

First prize was awarded to Lauren Marie Smith of Colorado Springs, CO, for her work "Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria: A Study of the Relationship Between Extra Cellular Material and Heightened Host Response." Second prize went to Thomas Edgar Cleveland of Mandeville, LA, for his project "The Identification of Antimicrobial Volatile Compounds and Their Effects on Representative Species of Medically and Agriculturally Important Fungi." Third prize was awarded to Parker Fennell and Emma Donaldson of Austin, TX, "Clearing the Air: The Effects of Tropospheric Ozone in Live Oak Leaves from Various Levels of Urbanization in Texas." Glenna Matthews Wink of Morley, MI, took fourth prize for "An Alternative to Synthetic Nematicides: Brassica rapa as an Antagonistic Green Manure Against Meloidogyne arenaria."

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)-the world's largest pre-college science competition-provides an opportunity for the best young scientists to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge science projects, and compete for over $3 million in awards and scholarships.

Upcoming Fairs
Portland, Oregon, May 9-15, 2004
Phoenix, Arizona, May 8-14, 2005
For more information: http://www.sciserv.org/isef/

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