Cloquet students clean up at state science fair

Macklin Caruso, The Pine Journal, Cloquet, Minn.
·2 min read

Mar. 27—ST. PAUL — Cloquet middle and high school students swept the 2024 Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair, with local students taking home nine awards.

High school students Grace Lavan and Johanna Bernu and middle school students Raelyn Wuollet, Melanie Buhs, Jeremiah Bents and Finley Holz were honored for their research at the science fair March 24 at the St. Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul.

The state science fair, hosted by the Minnesota Academy of Science, invites hundreds of middle and high school students to present original research to professionals and to compete for awards.

Accompanying the Cloquet students were research mentors Bill Bauer, technology support technologist for the district, and Cynthia Welsh, retired Cloquet Middle School science teacher.

"They worked really hard, especially the high school kids," Welsh said. "I mean, they're really doing almost graduate-level research."

Lavan and Bernu took home two bronze Grand Awards, which recognize excellence in science, technology, engineering and math research at the middle school and high school levels.

Lavan, a senior, won for her research, "Meet the New Neighbor: Can Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) Establish Territories in Areas of Higher Human and Road Density Than Expected."

Mike Schrage,

wildlife biologist from the Fond du Lac Resource Management Division, provided mentorship.

Lavan's work also won her the Kailey Soller Woman in Science — Impact Award, presented to a student expected to make an impact in the scientific world as demonstrated by their creative project idea, strong presentation skills or the unique way they demonstrated potential for their project to transfer into a product. The award is presented to one middle school and one high school student.

Bernu, a junior, was awarded for her research, "Disinfectant Properties of Nuphar Advena: An Ethnopharmaceutical Approach." Jessica Sieber, microbiologist at the University of Minnesota Duluth, was her mentor.

Bernu's work also won her three additional awards from sponsors of the science fair:

* Minnesota Environmental Health Association's Award for Excellence in Environmental Health Science, which recognizes the best projects investigating environmental factors influencing public health;

* Regeneron's Biomedical Science Award, which recognizes a high school student scientist who demonstrates an impressive command of biomedical science and research and reflects Regeneron's core values and behaviors; and

* Society for Science's Community Innovation Award, which recognizes a high school student whose project will better humanity and improve conditions in the local community.

Eighth-graders Jeremiah Bents and Finley Holz's research project, "Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Movement Before, During, and After Deer Season On and Around the Fond du Lac Reservation," took home a bronze Grand Award.

Eighth-graders Raelyn Wuollet and Melanie Buhs were awarded the American Fisheries Society, Minnesota Chapter's Aquatic Sciences Achievement Award, which recognizes projects focusing on aquatic science, for their research, "What Effect Does Water Quality Education and Different Water Quality Parameters Have on the Occurrence of Algal Blooms on Eagle Lake?" and "Lemnoideae and Acetaminophen," respectively.