Conejo Valley students shine at State Science Fair

Thousand Oaks eighth-graders Miranda Fung of Colina Middle School and Samuel Blaustein, who attends Redwood Middle School, placed second in their respective divisions at the 2006 California State Science Fair, held May 22 to 23 in Los Angeles.

Two other students from Conejo Valley schools submitted science projects that were judged third best in the state, while another earned honorable mention at the 55th annual event at the California Science Center.

The event attracted 967 participants from 390 schools throughout the state who competed for more than $50,000 in total rewards.

Fung placed second in Junior Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Division for her project "A Leaf's True Colors." Blaustein was honored in the Junior Mammalian Biology Division for his project "Does Exercise Affect Weight?"

Both received $150.

Allison Martin and Lindsay Gilliland, eighth-graders at La Reina High, teamed to place third in the Junior Aerodynamics/Hydrodynamics Division for their project "Measuring the Effect of Aerodynamic Design and Vehicular Drag," while Sonia Barrad, a seventhgrader at Colina Middle School, took third in the Junior Social Sciences Division for "Voices That Speak for Us."

They received $100.

Thomas de Lyon, an eighthgrader at Sequoia Middle School,

earned honorable mention in the Junior Physics and Astronomy Division for "Polarimetry: Measuring the Optical Activity of Sugars."

The honorees were among 60 students from Ventura County schools who qualified for the state competition by placing either first or second in their categories at the Ventura County Science Fair in April.

The Ventura County Science Fair is sponsored by the Ventura County Office of Education, along with HAAS Automation, Amgen and various science-related organizations.