Lawrenceville School Senior Wins Grand Prize at Mercer Science and Engineering Fair

Jon Ho Lee, a junior at The Lawrenceville School, won the grand prize for his project, Small molecule grafted quantum dot white light emitting diode, at the 60th Mercer Science and Engineering Fair on March 19 at Rider University in Lawrence Township.

More than 450 students from 35 Mercer County schools in grades 4 to 12 registered for the fair, hosted by Rider for the 30th consecutive year.

As the grand prize winner, Lee, a resident of South Korea, earned an all-expense-paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix from May 12 to 17.

If he is unable to attend, Alexander J. Lin of Newtown, Pa., a junior at The Lawrenceville School, who claimed first runner-up honors for his project, Caffeic Acid Protects Lung Cells from Smoke-induced Oxidative Stress, will attend in his place. Lee and Lin are also eligible to compete in the SUNY-Oswego Genius Olympiad from June 16 to 21.   

Judges from area companies, agencies, schools, Rider and the military evaluate the projects, and all senior division students were required to present their projects to numerous judges during a four-hour judging session on Monday.

This year, eight sponsors allowed the Mercer Science and Engineering Club to send the senior division grand-prize winner to the Intel ISEF. In addition to Rider University as the lead sponsor, the other local supporters include Covance, Digi International, Integra Foundation, Hovione, and HostAndStore.com.

School and science administrators, as well as parent-teacher organizations interested in science and engineering should consult the Mercer Science and Engineering Fair website (http://www.mercersec.org) to learn how their students can participate in next year’s fair. Students may begin work on their projects starting in the summer.

Listed below are the various honors awarded to students from Lawrence Township public schools and The Lawrenceville School:

Society For Science & The Public

• Junior
• Biological
• Broadcom Masters Award: Rebecca Huizer, Villa Victoria; Mary Zsolway, Villa Victoria; Nicholas Stewart, St. Gregory the Great; James Gow, Lawrence Middle; Emma Bennett, St. Gregory the Great; Katherine Dubrule, St. Paul’s

Mercer Science and Engineering Club

• Junior
• Physical
• Honorable Mention: Abhyan Jaikishen, Lawrence Intermediate; Amanda Gill, St. Gregory the Great; Teddy Masterson, Lawrence Intermediate; Austin Nance, St. Gregory the Great; Christian Zapata-Sanin, Timberlane Middle

Mercer Science and Engineering Club

• Junior
• Biological
• Superior Achievement: Nicholas Stewart, St. Gregory the Great; James Gow, Lawrence Middle; Mary Zsolway, Villa Victoria

Rider University

• Senior
• Chemistry
• Most Superior: Jong Ho Lee, Lawrenceville School

Mercer Science and Engineering Club

• Senior
• Chemistry
• Earle S. Rommel Communications Award: Jong Ho Lee, Lawrenceville School

U.S. Navy/Marine Corps

• Junior
• Physical
• U.S Navy/Marine Corps Award: Matthew McChesney, Lawrence Intermediate; Kristen O'Mara, Villa Victoria; Austin Nance, St. Gregory the Great

U.S. Army Research Office

• Senior
• Medicine and Health
• Life Sciences Award: Alexander Lin, Lawrenceville School

Yale Science and Engineering Association

• Senior
• Chemistry
• Excellence in Engineering: Jong Ho Lee, Lawrenceville School

Chemistry

• First Place: Jong Ho Lee, Lawrenceville School
• Honorable Mention: Meghan Murtha, Villa Victoria
• Second Place: Ciera Jones, Hamilton High East

Engineering Electrical and Mechanical

• First Place: Michael Soskind, West Windsor-Plainsboro High
• Honorable Mention: Esther Baek, Lawrenceville School; Adam Cyran, Hamilton High East

Medicine and Health

• First Place: Alexander Lin, Lawrenceville School
• Honorable Mention: Jessica Ihem, Villa Victoria; Carly Thompson, Hamilton High East

Mercer Science and Engineering Club

• Senior
• Medicine and Health
• 1st Runner-up: Alexander Lin, Lawrenceville School

Mercer Science and Engineering Club

• Senior
• Chemistry
• Grand Prize: Jong Ho Lee, Lawrenceville School