The 2010 NC Student Academy of Science Annual Meeting and State Competition was held Friday, March 26th. The keynote presentation was by Dr. Joe DiSimone, Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill and William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State. His talk was entitled "Nanomaterials: Bench to Market. Using the Fabrication Technologies from the Microelectronics Industry To Make Highly Uniform, Shape-Specific Carriers for Drug Delivery and Vaccines." For the 160 student researchers, their sponsors and families, it was an extraordinary opportunity to hear a highly respected researcher and prolific inventor describe the process of conceiving and developing ideas, then turning them into products that help shape the way we live. Dr. Joe DiSimone speaks in an interview on Local Tech Wire about his March 26th keynote address at http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/biotech/blogpost/8624553/.

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The students made 90 presentations describing the results of their scientific investigations. First, second and third place in each category were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. First place winners additionally received an invitation to travel expenses-paid to present their research at the American Junior Academy of Science meeting at Washington, DC in February, 2011. Other awards included U.S. Navy awards and the Charles Lytle Scholarship, which was presented to Zach Williford. All students received the new conference tee shirt, designed by Mr. Juan Scivally, Art Instructor at NCSSM.

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The competition was judged by 50 active and retired professionals from state agencies, educational institutions, and businesses in the Triangle. 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. Two teachers were recognized with NCSAS Teacher Recognition Awards: Coleman Bailey, Jr. of D.H. Conley High School in Greenville, and Lynn Gregory of Camden Middle School in Camden, NC.

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Elections were held to choose student officers for 2010-11. They were High School President Shinobi Sidberry, High School President-elect Isabella Gillespie, and Middle School President Jake Nester.