1. Welcome Lori Lauver – Whitaker Center, Director of Education President: Kathryn Armstrong, Linglestown MS President-elect: Secretary: Michelle Banks, St. Theresa School Treasurer: Jeff Pratt, Carlisle-Sentinel SRC Chair: Tricia Britton, Upper Dauphin MS Past President: Tim Dawson, Ellucian Solutions Fair Director: Valerie Knowles Executive Board Officers

2. CASEF Partners : Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts Carlisle Sentinel Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Messiah College Penn State College of Medicine Penn State Harrisburg Shippensburg University

3. Junior Division Grand Champions Philip Andreoli, Saint Theresa School R unners-up: Maureen Hartwell, Seven Sorrows School Joshua Silverman, Eagle View Middle School (Cumberland Valley School District). Grand Champion Finalists Senior Division: Augustey Mongia Hershey HS (alternate) Maggie Wu, Hershey HS Samuel De Angelo, Carlisle HS Junior Division: Jared Novacich, St. Joseph Mechanicsburg Stephanie Uroda, St. Theresa School Team Project from Bermudian Springs: Cole King Ethan Mechling George Sebright Philip Andreoli’s Project, “Damp It,” measured sound waves to determine the effects on various materials on snare drum dampening.

4. FOR 2015 CASEF President – Kathryn Armstrong, Linglestown MS By-Law/Constitution Changes Dates & Fair Schedule Forms Categories Opportunities Social Media & Communication Help Needed Financial Sponsorships 60 th Anniversary in 2017 4

5. What would you say to a student who participated for the first time and placed with an honorable mention? My advice to any CASEF participant who may not have placed as well as he or she would have liked: don’t give up. It may sound a bit cliché, but perseverance is invaluable. I know what it feels like to have spent so much time and effort on something and not get the recognition you wanted. Last year, I got a third award while other kids from my school were getting grand champion callbacks and I admit – it was extremely discouraging. With that as my first experience participating in a science fair, I was so tempted to quit and not enter this year. The fear of failure and of harsh criticism of my project would have prevented me from participating again had I not realized that obstacles are essential to growth. Failure itself is not detrimental, but the refusal to try again is. Of course, if you stop trying, you cannot fail, but you also can never succeed. Success is not always immediate and sometimes small setbacks, whether at a competition such as CASEF or not, can knock you down. In these cases, be resilient. Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and try again. Nancy Wang, Hershey HS Project: “Lights, Nanoparticle, Crosslink! A Novel Nanocarrier For Drug Delivery” ISEF 4 th Place Life Science

6. My first year at CASEF, I was a sophomore sitting in the award ceremony nervous and uncomfortable. I had entered CASEF in a school where the science fair was perceived as nerdy and only the thought of college applications kept me involved. Yet as the ceremony continued a change occurred. I started flipping through the booklet of participants, trying to deduce what projects lay behind those individuals who kept going up. I wanted to emulate these mavericks, who gave impressions not of awkwardness but of confidence, intelligence, and achievement. At CASEF, science is a fascinating foray into the unknown instead of a geek’s obsession. If you truly want students to become engaged in science, to gain that spark of interest and enthusiasm that rises above social stigmas, do everything you can to help them to enroll. No other environment is better suited for instilling love and awe for science. Patrick Young, Carlisle HS Project: “Go With The Flow: The Potential of Continuous Flow Microbial Fuel Cells” What would you say to the teacher who is contemplating the value of spending the time and budget resources to enter students into CASEF?

7. What would you say to a middle school student who is not sure about entering CASEF at the senior level? Participating at the junior level gives students a basis for competing at the senior level since they become familiar with the scientific method and comfortable with presenting. While the senior level is more demanding, there are more opportunities and resources available for students especially in terms of working with scientist mentors. The senior level requires more advanced projects, but encourages students to explore avenues of research not covered in a school curriculum. Competing at the senior level has helped me make connections with students and scientists not only in the Capital Area but also across the state, country and world. Also, conducting research now gives students a head start in college by helping them choose an area of interest and understanding the requirements of research earlier. The time and effort I have invested in participating at the senior level have yielded rewarding results and I would encourage every student to continue CASEF. Grace Hwang, Hershey HS Project: “Effect Of Physical Activity And Sleep Patterns Health Of Adolescents” ISEF 4 th place Life Science Psi Chi International The Honor Society for Psychology Special Award