Cloquet science students win top awards

Cassandra Roy, Preston Jackson and Kendra Pallin, all Cloquet High School juniors, were honored on Jan. 21 at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Science Fusion Series American Indian Good Job Awards. This award is given to three Minnesota American Indian 7-12th grade students who have shown exceptional achievement and passion for a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math)-related fields of study, in or outside of the classroom.

Students are nominated by their teachers or mentors. Roy was nominated by her research teacher/mentor Dr. Cynthia Welsh, Jackson by Richard Rhoades and Pallin by Cynthia Edwardson, all Cloquet teachers.  Five other Cloquet students also presented their research at the science museum: Anna Pollak, Caleb Charon, William Bauer, Christian Wood and Abby Anderson.

The purpose of the Science Fusion series is to stimulate youth interest in STEM careers. The Science Fusion events expose youth to real professionals with whom they can identify. Up to three students from across Minnesota will be honored at each event: African Americans in Science, American Indians in Science, and Amantes de la Ciencia (http://www.smm.org/sciencefusion/americanindians).

All three Good Job Awards were given to these three Cloquet students. These students have participated in science research activities since they were in seventh grade, receiving many awards for their research. Welsh has been the science research mentor for all three

students.

Pallin’s current research project is titled: “Identification of Environmental Mycobacteria Isolates , DL505A and DL592 Using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Amplification and DNA Sequencing of Genes.” Pallin received professional assistance and guidance from Dr. John Dahl, microbiology professor at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. 

Roy’s current research project is titled: “The development of a cloud based methodology to share images of dicentric chromosomes and collect data for use in an international collaboration for dose assessment in a radiation emergency.” Roy was given assistance on her project from Dr. Gordon Livingston and Mollie Abbot, cytogenetic researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. Preston

Jackson and Lamirande’s research project is titled: “The design and fabrication of a drop test apparatus to evaluate vector force dispersion in materials; such as a non-Newtonian fluid mixed with recycled paper and plastic–Phase V.” Jackson and Lamirande were given expert assistance from Joe Nicol.

All three projects were presented at the University of Minnesota-Duluth Northeastern Minnesota Regional/American Indian Science and Engineering Science Fair, and the Minnesota Academy of Science State Science Fair. In March they will attend the National American Indian Science & Engineering Fair (NAISEF) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (www.aises.org/NAISEF).

Pallin and Jackson were also selected as one of the five finalists from their region to attend the Intel International Science and Engineering fair in Pittsburg, Penn., May 13-20. Intel ISEF, the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, provides an annual forum for more than 1,600 high school students from nearly 60 countries, regions, and territories to showcase their independent research.

These students have had financial support for their project from Cloquet Public Schools, the Cloquet Educational Foundation, with special assistance from Holly Pellerin, director of the Manoomin Project which is funded through the National Science Foundation and the University of Minnesota’s Geoscience Alliance’s Diversity Director Diana Dalbotten.

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