NAISEF

2009 NAISEF "A Universe of Opportunities"

The 2009 National American Indian Science and Engineering Fair (NAISEF) kicked off with a bang in St. Paul, Minnesota – not so much a bang but a rousing drum beat courtesy of Standing Rock at the Opening Ceremony. A prayer, led by Jerry Dearly, Oglala Lakota, of the Saint Paul Public Schools, followed to help set the tone for the event. Following a greeting from Pamala Silas, AISES CEO, students welcomed Navy Lieutenant Kenneth Vargas, a citizen of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, to the stage. Lt. Vargas inspired the students with the personal story of his collegiate, professional and military career. 

Dr. Eric Jolly, President of the Science Museum of Minnesota was next to the stage for the keynote address. Dr. Jolly, a member of the Cherokee Nation, amused the crowd with his stories of his childhood spent at his grandmother’s home while his hands were busy weaving a basket. With every loop he made, he incorporated scientific and mathematic principles, explaining to the audience how science is all around us, from the most complicated formulas to the beauty of a basket. Using the basket as a metaphor for life, Dr. Jolly wove in his inspirational message of how cultural traditions build a strong foundation and with patience and perseverance, the finished product will stand strong and the outside will mirror the inside. It was a meaningful opening to an exciting journey in a new city.

Once again, AISES gave viewers an eye into the world of NAISEF with its second year of webcasting. Through an Innovation Generation grant from the Motorola Foundation, AISES was able to stream live from the Judges Hall, EXPO Hall and Awards Ceremony. In addition to a real time look at the events as they unfolded, AISES interviewed several students, judges, expo participants, parents and teachers. Hearing from the participants gave insight into the work, dedication and effort made by students as they strove to attend NAISEF to compete.

Also in its second year was the EXPO. There were 26 booths with hands-on exhibits and useful information. Among all of the science and engineering was one vendor booth doing a great job representing the Native arts of the region. Also included in the EXPO area was the Math Competition, which had 58 participants.
Two booths, the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology and the US Navy, had robots. At the General Electric booth, students were taught to make paper airplanes, while at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and National Security Agency booths students were challenged to decipher messages in different ways. The Army Corps of Engineers taught students about the engineering necessary to build a dome, and the United States Forest Service asked the age of a tree using a slice displaying the concentric rings of time. The EXPO, with all of its activities and demonstrations, gave NAISEF participants the opportunity to continue their exploration of science and technology beyond the judging process.

At the awards ceremony, Standing Rock Drum once again started with an opening song. Dave Dahl, Chief Meteorologist for KSTP, was soon introduced to the stage where he kept an attentive crowd as he announced winners of each category and special award.
 

2009 NAISEF Grand Award Winners

Each year, NAISEF selects six high school Grand Award winners who will go on to compete at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF). In 2009, Intel ISEF will be held May 10-15, 2009 in Reno, Nevada. Intel ISEF is the largest pre-college science competition. ISEF brings together more than 1,500 high school students representing over 50 countries who compete for various awards and scholarships.

The following are the 2009 Grand Award Winners and the three alternates:

Sara Nix (Cherokee)
Grade: 9
Grove High School
Project Title: “A Bioassay of Pungent Botanicals Testing the Pesticidal Properties of Pungent Botanicals on Mosquito Larvae, Lumbriculus & Flour Beetles”

Charlotte Kirk (Cherokee)
Grade: 11
Westville High School
Project Title: “DNA Sequencing of the Large Sub-unit of Chloroplast Enzyme Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase in Native Plants”

Bretton Medlin (Cherokee)
Grade: 9
Grove High School
Project Title: “FLIPPIN' CRAZY: The Effects of Insulin and Glucose on the Escape Reflex of Palmeri Longimanus”

Courtney Jackson (Fond du Lac)
Grade: 10
Cloquet High School
Project Title: “Mapping Venus - The Use of Magellan Radar Data to Determine the Overall Geologic History of an Area”

Aracella Ramos (Chippewa Cree)*
Grade: 12
Box Elder High School
Project Title: “Artemisia: A Homeopathic Insect Repellent”

Logan Pallin (First Generation Canadian First Nation)*
Grade: 11
Cloquet High School
Project Title: “The Use of a Rain Garden to Control Road Runoff on Scanton Creek”

Grand Award Alternates:

Alydia Rodriguez (Ojibwe)
Grade: 12
South High School
Project Title: “Venison Safety: Lead Concerns”

Katie Nix (Cherokee)
Grade: 12
Grove High School
Project Title: “Effects of Ethanol & Glucose on Liver Enzyme Function: As Tested Through Catalase Oxidation of Hydrogen Peroxide”

Joseph DePerry (Chippewa)
Grade:12
Bayfield High School
Project Title: “The Effect of Gathering Bark from Wiigwaasi-mitig (paper birch)”

*Ms. Ramos and Mr. Pallin were selected as ISEF finalists at their state’s science fair competitions and have chosen to represent their state at ISEF. This allowed the first two alternates to attend and compete at ISEF.

Join us next year, March 11-13, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico!