Seven University of Georgia students were awarded various scholarships after placing in the Capturing Science Contest of 2018.
Ben Burgh, a senior computer system engineering major, placed first among undergraduates for his game N3TW0RK: An Analog Game of Digital Communication.
The game is an interactive lesson in basic computer networking, and makes the process of computer networking seem more tangible and human as players rely on each other and shaking hands in order to succeed, according to a description by Ariel Ackerly, one of the judges of the contest.
Burgh, in the cover explanation submitted with his project, described the game as “a real-time cooperative game for 10-14 players designed to simulate a computer network”.
The first-place graduate winner is Tong Li, a PhD student studying learning, design and technology. His video “Quantum Teleportation and Magic” explains quantum concepts using magic.
Li said he believes a good science teacher should think like a magician in order to guide and engage students.
"I am not only demonstrating this concept with magic but also using magic to explain the related scientific process. The purpose of this video is to bring quantum science closer to students and raise their interests in pursuing a deeper scientific exploration,” Li said in his cover letter.
The second-place undergraduate award went to Kayla McElreath, a junior geography and history major, who created an animated video about the effect urban heat has on climate change.
The video was selected because of its “broad appeal” and because it would be “a great teaching tool for not only K-12, but adults as well," Mazie Bowen, another judge for the contest, said in her description.
McElreath said she has been animating since high school, and was able to use those skills to raise awareness about climate change.
“The goal of this video was not only to entertain an audience with quirky animations and an interesting topic, but also to motivate the audience to make changes in their own community,” McElreath said in her cover letter.
Cassidy Lord, a master's student studying forest resources, was awarded second place among graduates for her Educational Guide “Where’s My Creek?”, which discusses Athens water quality problem and aims to educate Athens residents about their water.
Ackerly said in her description that the guide "explicitly considers the feelings of residents, so that facts are portrayed in a way that both accurately reflect water degradation in the area without making the residents feel helpless to act."
Third place for undergraduates was a tie between two students, Jenna Scott, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major, and Kelly Mayes, a junior journalism and ecology major.
Scott created a board game designed to help players understand the renal system in an easy, fun way. Each player is either a water molecule, ice cube, kettle or water bottle, and their goal throughout the game is not get reabsorbed into the system.
Mayes created a podcast titled “All That Crawl: An Anthropod-cast”, which aims to educate the public on important issues in science through the lens of entomology.
The first episode dives into the world of entomophagy, the science of eating bugs. Judge Lindsey Reynolds described the podcast as an “engaging and informative listening experience”, and she looks forward to following the podcast into the future.
Third-place for graduate students is Kathryn Koopman, master's student studying music composition, for her art video “gamma rhythm”. The video was inspired by Alzheimer’s research at MIT, and is aims to convey how the mind is impacted by memory loss.
Ackerly said while it isn’t necessary to know STEM concepts to understand the video, knowing about those concepts “only adds to the narrative richness of it.”
The first-place winners was awarded a $500, second-place winners were awarded $250 and the third-place winners received $100 in scholarships.
To view and read more about these projects, visit the UGA Library Website.