(ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Virginia) Students in Albemarle High School's Math, Engineering & Science Academy (MESA) earned both Best in Show Awards at the 34th annual Piedmont Regional Science Fair, held at the John Paul Jones Arena this month. Students from MESA also received the two runner-up Best in Show awards.

Overall, Albemarle County Public Schools students won first-place awards in 11 of the 15 science fair categories and received 30 of the 38 first, second or third place awards. The division's students also received 31 of the 45 Special Awards sponsored by local businesses and organizations in the senior or high school category.

The two Grand Award winners, Monika Grabowska and the team of Seth Liyanage and Ishpreet Singh, automatically qualified for the international science fair, sponsored by Intel and being held this year from May 10-15 in Pittsburgh.

Monica's research focused on the use of antioxidants as a molecular strategy to supplant the need for injections in the prevention and treatment of heart attacks. Seth and Ishpreet studied how to use electrolysis to develop the capability for swimmers and divers to stay underwater for prolonged period of time without the need for cumbersome breathing tanks.

Will Knopse and Selena Feng were the two runners-up. Will proposed using the game theory behavioral strategy commonly employed by businesses to track and respond to the incidence and spread of infectious diseases. Selena researched the use of a tiny camera as a non-contact method for monitoring heart rhythms. Her device would serve as an alternative to the often-used electrocardiogram.

These projects are classic examples of the value of the science fair, said Jeff Prillaman, MESA's director. We challenge our students to develop their own ideas as solutions or preferred alternatives to real-world needs, Prillaman said. You can easily see practical applications for these projects, uses that would improve upon current technologies or strategies, he added.

The research, planning, discipline, design, testing and collaboration that make a science fair project a winner, Prillaman said, are exactly the skills a student needs over a lifetime to ensure success in any career path. I really believe this is our purpose in educationit's not about choosing the right answer on a multiple choice test, but about student-driven discovery, the excitement and enthusiasm you see whenever students are creating knowledge, he said.

First-place winners in the high school category from Albemarle High School included Monica Graboswka in biochemistry; Doyeop Kim in chemistry; Tyler Cosgrove in computer science; Selena Feng in materials and bioengineering; Seth Liyanage and Ishpreet Singh in electrical and mechanical engineering; David Calhoun and Danny Smyth in Energy & Transportation; Will Knospe in mathematical sciences; Rahim Zaman in medicine & health sciences; David Hatter and Brendan Ventura in physics & astronomy; and Graham Haynie in plant sciences.

Lillian Xu from Western Albemarle High School won first place in cellular & molecular biology.

To appreciate the impact of the science fair, said Western Albemarle's Carol Stutzman, two of our 2014 winners independently told me that in their college admission interviews, the majority of their discussion was about their science project. It's understandable that some of the best universities in the nation would place a high premium on a student's ability to complete and utilize independent research in a compelling way, she added.

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ACPS Students Earn 1st Place Awards in Piedmont Regional Science Fair