Thirty-four students from MMI Preparatory School earned awards during the regional convention of the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS), hosted by King’s College, Wilkes-Barre.

Of those, 21 MMI students earned first-place awards and will continue to the state level competition and attend the PJAS State Convention, hosted by the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, in May.

Three MMI students received perfect scores and one Excellence Award, which is presented to the best project in a specific subject area.

Sophomore Sarah Careyva, daughter of Edward and Jill Careyva, Ringtown, received a perfect score and the Excellence Award in the category of Senior Biology for her project “Testing the Transference of Antibiotic Resistancy of E.Coli.” Perfect scores were awarded to eighth-grade students Paul Brasavage, son of Mark and Bernadette Brasavage, Freeland, for his project “Measuring Static Electricity”; and Balagansesh Natarajan, son of Rajamanickam and Vijayalakshmi Natarajan, Mountain Top, for his project, “Study of Fatty Acids: Saturated and Unsaturated.”

Earning first-place awards were:

Twelfth grade: Lynsey Daniels, daughter of Bruce and Denise Daniels, Beaver Meadows, “The Effects of Metal Ions in the Iodine Clock Reaction.”

Eleventh grade: Niklas Anthony, son of Mark and Barbro Anthony, Drums, “Are Potatoes Supposed to Fly”; Megan DiBernadino, daughter of John and Cathy DeBernardino, Drums, “Investigating Hyperbolas”; William Hood, son of Thomas and Mary-Lee Hood, Freeland, “Effect of Cucumber Mosaic Virus Squash Plant on Aphid Growth”; Jacob Lesitsky, son of Neil and Julie Lesitsky, Albrightsville, “Which Energy Drink Works Best”; Kristyn Lizbinski, daughter of David and Christine Lizbinski, Drums, “Spherical Geometry”; Kelci Scirrotto, daughter of Chris and Ronda Scirrotto, Freeland, “Drug Levels and Difference Equations”; Traci Smith, daughter of Steven and Debbi Smith, Conyngham, “Cryptography”; and Adam Wisniewski, son of Thomas and Susan Wisniewski, McAdoo, “An Analysis of Meat Products.”

Tenth grade: Diana Anthony, daughter of Mark and Barbro Anthony, Drums, “The Geometry of Soccer”; Joseph Caputo, son of Richard and Fran Mannell, Hazleton, and Joseph Caputo, Drums, “Determining Enthalpy Change via Hess’ Law”; Sarah Careyva, daughter of Edward and Jill Careyva, Ringtown, “Testing the Transference of Antibiotic Resistancy of E.Coli”; Brone Lobichusky, daughter of Joseph and Suzanne Lobichusky, Barnesville, “The Transfer of Antibiotic Resistancy in Escherichia Coli”; Megan Veglia, daughter of Anthony and Kathleen Veglia, Sugarloaf, “Happy Integers”; Shannon Wenner, daughter of Willard Wenner, Drums, “The Mathematics of a Perfect Pitch”; and Robert Yamulla, son of Robert and Ann Yamulla, Sugarloaf, “Effect of Commonly Used Antibiotics on Bacteria Resistance.”

Ninth grade: Megan Beggs, daughter of Rebecca Davis, White Haven, “Solubility Curves”; and Shital Patel, daughter of Dilipkumar and Minaben Patel, Drums, “The Ideal Gas Law.”

Eighth grade: Paul Brasavage, son of Mark and Bernadette Brasavage, Freeland, “Measuring Static Electricity”; and Balaganesh Natarajan, son of Rajamanickam and Vijayalakshmi Natarajan, Mountain Top, “Study of Fatty Acids: Saturated and Unsaturated.”

Seventh grade: Kristen Young, daughter of Bradley and Wendy Young, Drums,  “Audio and Visual Ways of Learning.”

Earning second-place awards were:

Twelfth grade: Megha Patel, daughter of Dilipkumar and Minaben Patel, “Stimulating the Heart Rate of Daphnia Magna with Caffeine.”

Eleventh grade: Katrina Enright, daughter of Robert and Maria Teresita Enright, Berwick, “Polynomial Grapher”; Morgan Palermo, daughter of Michael and Michelle Palermo, Drums, “Fractals”; and Jan Wessel, son of Dierk and Andrea Wessel, Drums,  “Enzymes in Action.”

Tenth grade: Lewis Bevans, son of Lewis and Vicki Bevans, Sheppton, “Is an Aspirator an Accurate Human”; Robert Dougherty, son of Barbara Calabrese, Hazleton, and Robert Dougherty, Hazleton, “Fibonacci Ratios in Music”; Jordan Gorski, son of Lynn Gorski, Hazleton, and William Gorski, Hazleton, “The Mathematics of Cribbage”; Zachary Haupt, son of David and Mary Ann Haupt, Hazleton, “Target Shot”;

Alyson Klush, daughter of Frank and Karen Klush, Mountain Top, “The Mathematics of Dieting”; Taylor Olian, daughter of Anthony and Stacey Olian, Hazleton, “Simulation of a Bouncing Ball”; and Alaina Titus, daughter of Albert and Donna Titus, Weatherly, “Egyptian Multiplication.”

Earning third-place awards were:

Ninth grade: Daniel Plavin, son of Steven and Dorothy Plavin, Lake Harmony, “Devising an Algorithm for Solving Rubiks Cube.”

Tenth grade: Connor McNelis, son of Edward and Florence McNelis, Conyngham, “The Newcomb Problem.”