The Nittany Lion poses with awards about to be presented during the Science Olympiad.
DALLAS, Pa. — Penn State Wilkes-Barre hosted the Northeast Regional Science Olympiad on March 12. The event brought about 650 students from throughout the northeastern Pennsylvania region to campus for the annual middle and high school science competition. Penn State Wilkes-Barre has hosted the annual competition for more than 25 years and is the only institution in northeastern Pennsylvania to host a large-scale regional tournament for Science Olympiad.
Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of science education, increase student interest in science and provide recognition for outstanding achievement in science education. The Northeast Regional Science Olympiad tournament is an academic interscholastic competition consisting of a series of individual and team events that students prepare for during the academic year. The events are designed within the framework of various scientific disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, engineering, physics and computers. Events balance students’ knowledge of science facts, concepts, process skills and science applications.
This year’s event at Penn State Wilkes-Barre included participants from 14 middle schools and 24 high schools from counties across northeastern Pennsylvania. About 100 volunteers assisted during the event.
Tim Sichler, Northeast Regional Science Olympiad director and Penn State Wilkes-Barre assistant teaching professor of engineering, coordinated the Science Olympiad along with Rianna Karalunas, financial assistant.
“We are proud to host this event each year and see the passion that these young people have for science, as well as their desire to learn and grow,” Sichler said. “We always receive great feedback about the campus and the outstanding support from the staff. I appreciate the enthusiasm our community shows for the Science Olympiad each year.”
This year’s competition featured 46 events with 23 events for each division. Events included Air Trajectory, Crime Busters, Disease Detectives, Ecology, Entomology, Geological Mapping, Microbe Mission, Potions and Poisons, Reach for the Stars, Robot Tour, Wind Power and more.
Winners were:
- Middle school division:
- Harlan Rowe Middle School
- North Pocono Middle School
- Abington Heights Middle School
- Wilkes-Barre Academy
- Wayne Highlands Middle School
- Pocono Mountain East Junior High School
- Lehighton Area Middle School
- High school division"
- North Pocono High School
- Athens Area High School
- Pocono Mountain East High School
- Lehighton Area High School
- Wyoming Area Secondary Center
- Abington Heights High School
The master of ceremonies for the event was Kara Hart, promotions director at Cumulus Media, on-air personality for Magic 93, Hot 97.1 and 100.7 WLEV and voiceover talent for 99.9 The Hawk. She came to Penn State Wilkes-Barre to compete in Science Olympiad in middle and high school. Hart presented awards during a ceremony to conclude the event.
“As a past participant, it was incredible to see a new generation of students bringing the same passion, curiosity and competitive spirit that made the event so special for me,” Hart said. “Their enthusiasm was infectious, and it was amazing to watch them tackle challenges with such determination. I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. It was an unforgettable experience!”
Winners in the Northeast Regional Science Olympiad advance to the state-level tournament, which will be held at Penn State Altoona on April 26.
