The Kauai Regional Science and Engineering Fair witnessed a vibrant display of student ingenuity as approximately 37 projects advanced to the state competition on Oahu. The event, held at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, featured presentations from students in grades six through twelve who demonstrated their hard work and dedication to scientific inquiry.
Strong winds and heavy rain greeted attendees on the day of the fair, but that did not deter the over 180 students who initially participated in the competition. Dan Matthews, the coordinator of the fair, noted that this year’s efforts resulted in more than 150 research projects. Schools across Kauai held preliminary competitions to select the finest projects for the regional fair. Ultimately, only 37 projects made the cut.
Following rigorous judging by panels of community professionals, a total of 10 projects, along with four alternates, were selected to represent Kauai at the state fair. “We aim to provide as many students as possible with opportunities to engage in science fairs beyond Kauai,” Matthews shared.
Among the standout projects was Nathaniel Knickel‘s “How Effective is a Homemade Hydrometer,” which earned top honors in the Junior Division and will represent Kauai in the National Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the leading science fair for students in grades six to eight.
In the Junior Division, the second-place project, titled “Stretchin’-N-Movin’,” was presented by Anthony Riola and Teiva Hesapene, both students at St. Theresa School. The third-place project, initially called “The Power of Plastic” and later renamed “Plastic Sand Concrete” by judges, was submitted by James Burkhart, a sixth grader also from St. Theresa School. Fourth place went to Makayla Oliver from Hanalei Elementary School for her project “Fantastic Flour,” and Sophia San Agustin, another student from St. Theresa School, earned fifth place for her project “WHITE noise-BLACKout.”
In the Senior Division, Drezdin Taylor from Kauai High School received top honors for “Analyzing the Mycorrhizae of Non-Native and Native Hawaiian Trees,” which also secured several additional awards. House Speaker Nadine Nakamura commended Taylor’s project, stating, “This project took a lot of painstaking work and pushed the boundaries of our knowledge regarding tree fungi.”
Another notable project was presented by Adelaide Mottley, a freshman at Kauai High School. Her project, “Using Fractal Geometry to Identify Super Reefs,” was one of the top two projects in the Senior Division. Nakamura praised the project’s relevance and potential impact, noting that the judges found Mottley’s methods and analysis to be among the best at the fair.
The third-place project in the Senior Division was submitted by Kasarah Navor and Joy Lin, titled “CRB-Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle.” Fourth place went to Cora Rosenthal from Island School for her research on “Can Water Kefir Scobies Survive Without Cane Sugar?” Finally, Tanner Miller, also from Island School, secured fifth place with his project on “Impact of Sunscreen Ingredients on Algae.”
Earlier in the evening, Matthews introduced two students, Jayna Sams from Waimea High School and Tanner Miller, who will represent Hawaii at the National STEM Festival in November 2023. Both projects emerged as finalists for a prestigious national research competition in Washington, D.C.
“Science moves forward because people are willing to ask questions and challenge what they think they know,” Nakamura concluded. “Today, we saw the next generation doing exactly that. I hope everyone leaves inspired to keep exploring, keep asking ‘why,’ and keep imagining what is possible.”
