Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh students win science awards

Twenty-three eighth graders from Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh in Hampton won awards at the Region 7 Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Competition in February at Baldwin High.

Students in Ellen Kaffenes’ and Dorina Manolache’s science classes worked on their projects for several months, starting as early as the summer.

Aquinas first-place award winners include Matthew Bauer, Thomas Bird, Willis Ennis, Peter Koble, Victoria Lee, Andrew Lesnefsky, Kian Miller, Eve Pellathy One Sihlangu, and Alexandra Swift

Second-place winners from the school include Giancarlo Flati and Mark Rounding, and Triumph Tarr, third place.

Two Aquinas students, Peter Koble for biochemistry and Andrew Lesnefsky for microbiology, won Directors’ Awards given by the PJAS to the top project in each scientific category for each age group, middle or high school, within Region 7. Each award comes with a cash prize of $100:

The PJAS is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations.

The state meeting is held each May at Penn State. All first-place award winners from regional meetings are eligible to compete.