ROME — The Rome Academy of Sciences conducted the 66th annual Rome Science Fair recently with a total of 43 students submitting a total of 20 entries in pursuit of a possible 36 awards.

The students, who competed at Strough Middle School, the New York State School for the Deaf, and at Rome Free Academy, were judged in 14 categories, six grades, and for two specialty awards. The winners of the 14 categories competed for three Best of Fair Awards.

The category winners are eligible to compete at the 44th Utica College Regional Science Fair on Saturday, April 1.

The Rome Science Fair continues to be a total Rome community event, organizers said, adding 17 local companies were part of this year’s event.

NYSSD

The first part of the Rome Science Fair was held at NYSSD on Wednesday, Feb. 15. There were six entries with 10 competing in the Egg Mobile for a total of 16 students.

Junior Division (sponsor Frank Schiro) — First place ($75): Luke Singleton, grade 8, “How Lightning is Created”; and second place ($50): Natasha Clifton, grade 8, “Melting Ice Sculptures/Polar Ice Caps.”

Senior Division (sponsor IESolutions) — First place (1-yr MVCC Scholarship): Jayden Dibble, grade 10, “Deforestation;” second place ($100): Lily Spencer, grade 11, “Pollution and Weather.”

“Egg Mobile” (sponsor DESTINY: IESolution) — First place (three-way tie; winners received $40 each): Dominick Bistrol, grade 10; Jayden Dibble, grade 10 and Anvita Corron, grade 11; Natasha Clifton, grade 8.

RFA/Strough

Behavioral and Social Science (sponsor: Rome Academy of Sciences): First place ($80): Tiana Gonzalez, grade 11, “Love on the Brain.”

Botany (sponsor: Rome Academy of Sciences): First place ($80): Miranda Catanzaro, grade 12, “Aloe Cloning: Will It Rule the World?”

Chemistry (sponsor: Rome Firefighters Benevolent Association): First place ($80): Karl van Hoesel, grade 10, “Oil-Be-Gone: Eco-Friendly Oil Disposal Alternatives;” second place, Carly Wutsch, grade 8, “Gum Wars.”

Earth Sciences (sponsor: Friends of Science): First place ($80): Aleksander Vecic, grade 8, “Slippery Slopes.”

Engineering (sponsor: Rome Academy of Sciences): First place ($80): Dennis Van Hoesel, grade 12, “Myco-tecture: Assessing the Strength of Sustainable Mushroom Bricks;” second place ($40): Chapoteau Celens-Carter, grade 8, “Electrolytes in Sports Drinks.”

Environmental Sciences (sponsor: Rome Academy of Sciences): First place ($80): Levi DeMatteis, home-schooled grade 7, “Space a Watt, Save a Lot;” second place ($40): Rachel O’Rourke, “Nature’s Filtration … The Safer Way to Clean Water.”

Medicine and Health (sponsor: Rome Health): First place ($80): Abdullah Shaik, grade 10, “When Live Gives You Berries;” second place ($40): Tatum Butler, “Proof is in the Prints.”

Physics (sponsor: ANDRO Computational Solutions): First place ($80): Madelyn Parry, grade 8, “Fire vs., Ice;” second place ($40): Sydney Mendiola, grade 8, “Hockey, Flex, and Speed.”

Grade awards:

Seventh-grade: (sponsor: Primerica): First place ($80): Charlie Johnson, “Tasty Colors;” second place ($40): Levi DeMatteis, “Space a Watt, Save a Lot.”

Eighth-grade: (sponsor: Kicks for Kids Foundation): First place ($80): Rachel O’Rourke, “Nature’s Filtration … The Safer Way to Clean Water;” second place ($40): Madelyn Parry, “Fire vs., Ice.”

Ninth-grade (sponsor: Revere Copper Products): No entries.

10th grade (sponsor: MANIAC Consulting): First place ($80): Abdullah Shaik, “When Live Gives You Berries;” second place ($40): Karl van Hoesel, “Oil-Be-Gone: Eco-Friendly Oil Disposal Alternatives.”

11th grade: (sponsor: the Daily Sentinel): First place ($80): Anderegg Dylan and Rinaldo DiCastro, “Alternative Energy Sources;” second place ($40): Aly D’Aiuto and Mary Denton, “Sunscreen: Helpful or Harmful.”

12th grade: (sponsor: Hannaford’s): First place ($80): Dennis Van Hoesel, “Myco-tecture: Assessing the Strength of Sustainable Mushroom Bricks;” second place ($40): Alyssa Nardslico and Drew Kopek, “Has the Loss of Honeybees Resulted in a Decline in the Production of Apples in Lafayette, New York?”

Specialty Awards:

Education Award (sponsor: Rome Teachers Association): First place ($100): Alysa Gill, grade 10, and Antannette Lambiase-Megerell, grade 10, “Deep Water Horizon.”

Joseph Uvanni Chemistry Award (sponsor: Joseph Uvanni): First place ($50): Karl van Hoesel, grade 10, “Oil-Be-Gone: Eco-Friendly Oil Disposal Alternatives.”

“Best of Fair” Awards:

Grand Prize Awards (sponsor: MVCC and Rome Academy of Sciences):

First place ($1,000) (Sponsor: Rome Academy of Sciences): Dennis Van Hoesel, grade 12, “Myco-tecture: Assessing the Strength of Sustainable Mushroom Bricks;”

Second place ($500) (Sponsor: Wal-Mart): Karl van Hoesel, grade 10, “Oil-Be-Gone: Eco-Friendly Oil disposal Alternatives;” and

Third place ($250) (Sponsor: Price Chopper: Golub Foundation): Abdullah Shaik, grade 10, “When Live Gives You Berries.”