Rainbow students compete at Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton

Four young scientists from Rainbow Schools who captured top honours at the Sudbury Regional Science Fair will compete at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton, Alberta from May 14 to 19, 2023.

Aaryan Harshith, a Grade 12 student from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, impressed the judges with his device LightIR, a handheld surgical cancer detection probe he created. While surgery is one of the leading treatments for cancer, millions of these procedures lead to cancer recurrence because surgeons leave behind undetectable traces of tumour in their patients. LightIR operates on the principle of spectroscopy, differentiating between cancerous and healthy tissue based on their unique responses to light. For his project “LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections,” Aaryan garnered First Place, Senior Division, Engineering, the Biotechnology Award, an OPG Engineering Award, an OPG Innovation Award, the Laurentian University School of Natural Sciences Biology Award, the Laurentian University School of Natural Sciences Physics Award and the Best in Fair Award.

Ben Kawa, a Grade 8 student from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, engineered a device using artificial intelligence that detects when drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel. Programming language was used to train the device and a USB camera was added to create a livestream. Once the device detects that a driver has fallen asleep, an alarm goes off to wake them. For his project, “Driver Wake Up!”, Ben Kawa took home First Place, Junior Division, Computer Sciences, the Founding Members’ Award, the Modern Mining and Technology Sudbury Award, the Bharti School of Engineering and Computer Science COMPUTER Award and the McEwen School of Architecture Award.

Grade 8 students Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School endeavored to find a quick and efficient way to eliminate Styrofoam, one of the world’s most dangerous non-compostable plastics. Using worms, a known weakness to the substance, the pair discovered that superworms could consume more styrofoam than hornworms, waxworms and mealworms. For their project “Can worms be a part of the Styrofoam Pollution Solution?” Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly earned First Place, Junior Division, Life Sciences, an OPG Environmental Award, a Harquail School of Earth Sciences Award, and a Laurentian University School of Natural Sciences Biology Award.

Rainbow District School Board Chair Bob Clement commended the students. “We wish them the best as they compete against the top young scientists in Canada,” he said.

“We are extremely proud of Ben, Arthur, Thomas and Aaryan for their outstanding achievement,” added Director of Education Bruce Bourget.

Rainbow District School Board congratulates all Sudbury Regional Science Fair winners from Rainbow Schools. The Sudbury Regional Science Fair was held on April 1 and 2, 2023.

2023 SUDBURY REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS FROM RAINBOW SCHOOLS

JUNIOR DIVISION – COMPUTER SCIENCES

First
Driver Wake Up!
Ben Kawa
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

JUNIOR DIVISION – ENGINEERING

First
Cooling is Cool
Alissa Timusk and Adelina Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
A Colourful Solution: To Light Pollution
Olivia Cecutti and Sara Brenton
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

SENIOR DIVISION – ENGINEERING

First
LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

JUNIOR DIVISION – LIFE SCIENCES

First
Can worms be a part of the Styrofoam Pollution Solution?
Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Second
CLICK QUICK!
Nadia MacDonald and Riya Nalla
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Third
Plants Vs Drought
Zavier Simard and Anderson Whittington
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
How Steady is Your Hand?
Amelia Falcioni and Chloe Plexman
Algonquin Road Public School

JUNIOR DIVISION – PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Third
What’s in your golf bag?
Jack O’Connell
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Honourable Mention
Prisms and Light
Gurjas Bhatia and Amelia McNeil
MacLeod Public School

Honourable Mention
Ice Free Roads and Salty Water
Eden Abols
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

SPECIAL AWARDS

BIOTECHNOLOGY AWARD
The project that best demonstrates the application of knowledge of biological systems to:
solve a problem, create a product or provide a service.

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

CLEAN AIR SUDBURY AWARD
Outstanding project dealing with air quality or climate change.

Cooling is Cool
Alissa Timusk and Adelina Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

FOUNDING MEMBERS’ AWARD
The best project that exemplifies effort and perseverance, and honours the contributions of such founding members as Don Davidson, Ed Higgins, and others.

Driver Wake Up!
Ben Kawa
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

JACK AND MAIJA CEMING CHEMISTRY AWARD
The project must demonstrate outstanding chemistry.

Sperifying Liquids
Khushi Patel and Manu Patil
MacLeod Public School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
The project that best addresses issues of environmental responsibility, and/or sustainable development.

Can worms be a part of the Styrofoam Pollution Solution?
Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION ENGINEERING AWARD
The projects that best contribute to the fields of chemical, electrical, mechanical, nuclear or civil engineering.

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION INNOVATION AWARD
The projects that best demonstrate innovation by contributing to a new idea, method or device.

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

MODERN MINING AND TECHNOLOGY SUDBURY AWARD
The best overall project that deals with some aspect of mining.

Driver Wake Up!
Ben Kawa
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

SCIENCE WRITING AWARD
The two best written presentations – in English and French – that include clarity and efficacy of writing style.

Memory and Music
Addison Beauparlant
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

FROSKR Environmental Award
A project that reduces our impact on the environment, improves our understanding of the natural environment and/or ensures the quality of water, air, soil and the diversity of living things.

Ice Free Roads and Salty Water
Eden Abols
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

BHARTI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE COMPUTER AWARD
The best project that contributes to the field of computer science, a related topic or process.

Driver Wake Up!
Ben Kawa
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

HARQUAIL SCHOOL OF EARTH SCIENCES AWARD
The two best projects that contribute to the field of earth sciences.

Can worms be a part of the Styrofoam Pollution Solution?
Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES BIOLOGY AWARD
The two best projects that contribute to the field of biology.

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Can worms be a part of the Styrofoam Pollution Solution?
Arthur Queiroz and Thomas Mullaly
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY AWARD
The two best projects that deal with chemistry or biochemistry, a related topic or process.

Soap Opera
Amelia White and Evan Siemann
Alexander Public School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES ENVIRONMENT AWARD
The two projects – one English and one French – that best deal with environmental issues, environmental science, environmental studies and/or archaeology.

Plants Vs Drought
Zavier Simard and Anderson Whittington
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

Which Cleaners are Less Meaner
Felix Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES FORENSICS AWARD
The two projects that best deal with forensic science, a related topic or process.

Is the 5 Second Rule Really True?
Ryan Snow and Vienna Corsi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES PHYSICS AWARD
The two projects that best deal with physics and/or biomedical physics.

Cooling is Cool
Alissa Timusk and Adelina Naghi
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

McEWEN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AWARD
The TWO projects that best demonstrate creativity and originality.

Driver Wake Up!
Ben Kawa
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

BEST IN FAIR AWARD

LightIR: An Intraoperative Probe to Enhance Tumour Resections
Aaryan Harshith
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171, ext. 7217.