Biology Students Attend Science Research Conference

Science students at GHS were chosen to participate in the Science Research Conference this past Tuesday, from 8:30 to  1 p.m.

“Students completed investigations in fall and drafted scientific research papers and posters throughout winter. Top papers/posters were chosen to be sent to UW-Milwaukee for review in March. Professors at the University choose the top papers for a verbal presentation,” science teacher Amy Zientek said. “Top posters, artwork, and video submissions also received recognition. While Honors Biology and AP Biology students completed work that aligns to conference goals, students who show interest and inquire about the event may also attend.”

Senior Dani Hamilton attended the conference and enjoyed it.

“I went on this trip because I thought it would be cool to see how other people put a different spin on a similar project that I did,” she said.

This conference allows students to not only present their findings but also listen to others.

“Students present the results of their investigation. Three students are chosen to give verbal presentations of their findings. Every student who creates a poster shares his/her findings during a poster session,” Zientek said. “Art and video work are shared, and top submissions receive recognition. Students who receive recognition have their paper published in an online journal.”

Unfortunately not all the students who submitted their projects made it in. But the whole class had the opportunity to attend the trip either way.

“Me and my partner’s paper had been submitted with the potential to win, and if it did we would have to be there to present. Our paper didn’t win, but two of our other friends did, so we were happy there to support them,” senior Vanessa Osterberg said. “I also remember going my freshman year and loving to see all of the other research the other students there have done because it’s always super interesting.”

All students who attended, whether they lost or they were there to present, learned something from the conference.

“You always learn something new at these kind of conferences, and even just seeing others’ abstract thoughts or experiments is always a ton of fun,” Osterberg said. “You go there and see all of the other things that kids do, and you see their results, but results in an experiment usually only bring up more questions than answers. I think one interesting thing was to see other people who had done experiments similar to mine and see what results they got.”

This field trip was a learning experience for everyone who went.

“We listened to some presentations and then walked around and looked at posters that people made. I also made a poster, so I had to present that to people who walked around, which was fun,” Hamilton said.