The St. Mary’s 2017 Middle School Science Fair was held on February 9, 2017. A total of fifty-seven projects were entered for judging. The projects were divided into two categories, physical and biological sciences, and the judges awarded a first through fifth place in each category. Additionally, two honorable mentions were awarded in biological sciences and seven in physical sciences.
Physical Sciences 
- 1st Place – Marissa Dalton – A Clay Array of Amazing Glazing
- 2nd Place – Mateo Gorrondona (not pictured) – Fight Drought with Solar Panels
- 3rd Place – Anna Kasemir – Can You See Me Now?
- 4th Place – Amelia Van Berkel – Did that Get the Lead Out?
- 5th Place – Jacqueline Audet – O-Pine Wood Derby
Physical Science Honorable Mentions:
- Luca Filigenzi – Battery Versus Battery
- Paige Halcrow & Genevieve Krass – The Great Buffer Race
- Elizabeth Brands – Rubber vs. Cotton
- Joshua Luttrell – How Does that Sound?
- Caroline Elliott – Good-Bye Graffiti
- Elliot Barnes – Waste Heat? Wasted Energy!
- Joey Wood – Making Light of It!
Biological Sciences
- 1st Place – Sydney Mesmer – Don’t Give Mosquitoes a Biting Chance
- 2nd Place: Sarah Tackett – Milk: The Next Generation
- 3rd Place: Luke Cheadle – Home Remedies: Healing or Hurtful?
- 4th Place: Miko Zolnierczuk – The Mysterious Flatworm
- 5th Place: Parker Sorah – Healthy Hydration Outdoors
Honorable Mention
- Ian Hubbard – Radiation Observations Revealed
- Ethan Sherlock – Battle of the Genres
These students qualify to participate in the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair (SASEF) to be held at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville on March 28 – 30, 2017.
The 2017 St. Mary’s Science Fair panel of judges included representatives from local business and industry who volunteered to serve in this capacity. St. Mary’s would like to recognize and thank all of the judges for their gracious contribution of time and expertise in support of the students and their pursuit of science. The following individuals served as judges this year: Glenn Dye, Anna Gaultney, George Golightly, Ana Gonzalez, Melissa Hutchinson, Harold Ketterer, Michelle Kidder, Rick Lowden, Rich Snead, Fred Sloop, Deacon Gary Sega, and Kendra Smotherman.