Hamden High, SHA Students Shine at Science Fair

Two Hamden students took prizes Saturday at the final day of the 63rd annual Connecticut Science Fair held at Quinnipiac University. 

Yiyuan Hu, a junior at Hamden High School, placed second in the fair’s Life Sciences category. Yiyuan will now compete for more than $5 million in cash and scholarships at the 2011 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science fair, being held May 8-13 in Los Angeles.

In a project, called "Role of MyD88 in DNA Damage Response," Yiyuan investigated an unexpected and novel role for the myeloid differentiation primary response protein (88) (MyD88) in the cellular response to DNA damage. Current experiments are exploring, as well as elucidating, the details underlying this interaction between the innate immune and DNA damage responses.

Olivia N, Kelly, a freshman at Sacred Heart Academy, will be competing as a Connecticut representative at the GENIUS Olympiada new international science competition focusing on global environmental issues that will be held at the State University of New York in Oswego, NY June 26-30.

Olivia was cited for her project, "A Comparative Study of Herbs Grown Using an Aquaponic vs. a Hydroponic Growing System."

This year, a record 70 energy-related projects were entered in the fair. Some investigated revolutionary concepts. For example, one student built a wind turbine that does not have blades; instead, it utilizes a turbine invented 100 years ago by the great genius, Nikola Tesla.

Another used algae to create bio-fuels. Yet another project proposed using a kite that flies autonomously at high altitudes and acts as a wind-power generator to replace ground-based wind turbines.

Gov. Dannel Malloy became the first governor to attend the fair in its 63-year history. He personally congratulated the winners before speaking to the several hundred people in attendance.

“Being here today renews one’s faith in our possibility in Connecticut,” Malloy told the audience. “The young people in our midst are capable of great things. They have put together outstanding projects and research that may one-day solve problems in our society ranging from breast cancer to our dependence on foreign energy sources. They are already working toward solutions to the great questions the world must solve in the next generation."