WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., January 31, 2024 — West Liberty University’s College of Sciences welcomed 83 students from Ohio County Schools to host the third annual Ohio County Science & Engineering Fair in the Academic Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC) on the hilltop today, January 31, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WLU has been organizing and hosting the Regional Science and Engineering Fair for 64 years in addition to the Ohio County Science Fair.
The categories of projects in the fair include Plant Science, Technology, Engineering, Behavioral Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Chemistry, Animal Science, Biomedical Science, Physics and Astronomy, as well as Math and Data.
Specific student project titles this year included, “Lego the Distance,” “What Season Has the Dirtiest Rainwater?”; “Magnetic Linear Accelerator” and “Do You Need a More Expensive Sunscreen?”
Linsly School sophomore Sophia Funke was excited to visit the hilltop. “I put a lot of work into my project, and I’m excited to see how it turns out. The science fair gave me an opportunity to take my personal interests and make it into a project,” she said.
Wheeling Park High School junior John Fletcher has returned for another year at the Ohio County Science and Engineering Fair. “It’s an honor to be here. I’ve done this a few other years, and it’s super fun to be a part of the science fair community,” he said.
Judging took place from 10 a.m. – noon and was followed by lunch in the Bear’s Den.
“The College of Sciences at WLU has a committee that is dedicated to organizing the Ohio County and Regional Science and Engineering Fairs. We feel that it is essential to encourage young people to develop an active interest in science and engineering, and the importance of recognizing quality scientific investigation in grades 3-12,” said Dr. Holly Racine, Assistant Professor of Biology and coordinator for both the Ohio County and Regional Science and Engineering Fairs.
Racine was assisted by Bree Blum, Christopher Vopal, Shelby Heath, Ray Holsapple, Nicole Garrison, Zachary Loughman, Kinsey Gutherie, Leslie Quinn, and Natasha Godkin. In addition, members of the community and other WLU faculty and staff served as judges at the fair.
The awards ceremony began at 1 p.m. in the ASRC. The full list of the 2024 Ohio County Science & Engineering Fair winners can be viewed here.
First and second-place winners in each division and category will have the chance to compete at the WLU Regional Science and Engineering Fair that will be held at the Highlands Event Center on Saturday, February 10th, 2024. The winners from the regional fair will be able to compete at the State Science and Engineering Fair in Charleston, West Virginia.
For more information about WLU’s Regional Science and Engineering Fair, please email holly.racine@westliberty.edu.