The 2006 NC Student Academy of Science Annual Meeting and State Competition was held on Friday, March 24th. The agenda included registration and the annual business meeting as well as paper presentations, keynote address, and awards ceremony, all on Friday. The event was structured to allow students to participate in the Student Academy Competition on Friday and the State Science Fair at Meredith College in Raleigh on Saturday.

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The keynote presentation was by Dr. Peter Agre, M.D., Nobel Laureate, Vice Chancellor for Science and Technology, Professor of Cell Biology, and Professor of Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine. In “Cellular Plumbing Systems and the Nobel Prize,” he described the process by which he and a global network of top scientists have elucidated the function of aquaporin, a series of proteins that regulate the movement of water into and out of cells.

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There were 70 middle school and high school student participants. They made 55 presentations in 17 different categories describing the results of their scientific investigations. First place in each category was awarded a handsome plaque and a gift certificate. Second and third place winners received a science magazine subscription and/or a science book. All students received a certificate and the new conference tee shirt, an especially popular item designed by Mr. Juan Scivally, Art Instructor at NCSSM.

The competition was judged by almost 50 professionals from state agencies, educational institutions, and businesses in the Triangle. Many of the judges returned from the 2005 competition and have expressed interest in judging again in 2007. Students were given the chance to meet with the judges over dinner after the competition to get additional feedback about their projects and learn about the science interests of the judges.

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In addition to the category awards, students were recognized with cash awards from the 2007 NC Academy of Science meeting. Eli Hornstein, Elizabeth Liles and Sagar Indurkhya were awarded expense-paid trips to San Francisco for the 2007 the U.S. Navy and invitations to attend American Junior Academy of Science and American Association for the Advancement of Science meetings. Kimberly Dixon received the annual $1,000.00 Charles Lytle College Scholarship. Finally, two teachers were recognized with NCSAS Teacher Recognition Awards, Rob Halpern of Piney Grove Middle School and Myra Halpin of the NC School of Science and Mathematics.