IMG-20180425-WA0008-1Best school, best teacher and best question were only three of nineteen awards the young scientists from the Bower picked up at this year’s Scifest exhibition at Athlone Institute of Technology on Wednesday, 25 April. Led by mentors Ms Maguire, Ms Benson, Ms Greaney and Audrey, the STEM mad girls were delighted to have their hard work recognised at this annual local event attended by Scifest guru Sheila Porter.

Second year Nirmitha Premnath was a triple prize winner with ‘Cultivation on Ocean’ which won the Junior Technology Award (Individual), Intel Best Technology Award and Best Communicator Award. Sixth year Tierna Maguire was awarded first in the Senior Life Science Individual category with Marinating Your Way Around Cancer as well as the Health and Nutrition Award.

First year Kylie Chen took first in the Junior Physical Science Award (Individual) and a Best Display for ‘A Natural Remedy for Preventing and Curing Kidney Stones?’ while Millie O’Brien, Hannah Lennon and Eimear Galvin, also in first year, were first in the Junior Technology category with their project called ‘Lamb Watch.’

Mia Samovich was given the Enterprise Ireland Award for ‘Create Worlds, Expand Imaginations and Break

Nirmitha Premnath from Our Lady's Bower won the Intel Award for Best Physical Science or Technology Project and also Newstalk Best Communicator Award for her project 'Cultivation on Ocean’ at the SciFest Festival at Athlone Institute of Technology. Nirmitha is pictured here receiving her award from Sheila Porter CEO SciFest (R), Dr. Dawn Howard AIT and her teacher Julie Anne Greaney(L). Pic: N Cafolla

Stereotypes’, Róisin Grennan and Shauna Martin – A Farming Facility on Mars- won the Discover Space Award while Ms Maguire took home the Discover Space Teachers Award.

The school has long been recognised for its strong focus on STEM subjects, offering four science subjects at senior level with a huge uptake in two. Thanks to the committed staff, we have won the Best School Award four times at Scifest in the last ten years and have enjoyed regular success at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition.

Here is a full list of winners :

Scifest 2018 – Results

 Tierna Maguire – Marinating Your Way Around Cancer

Senior Life Science Award (Individual)

Health and Nutrition Award

Katie Ward and Eimear Bohan – A study into the effect of active ingredients used in

anti dandruff shampoos on basidiomycetes

Senior Life Science Award (Group)IMG-20180425-WA0009-1

Kate Olwill – Thought, A Product of Language?

Junior Life Science Award (Individual)

Clare Reidy and Grace Mc Gorisk – Ibuprofen Over the Counter Under the Radar

Social Science Award (Group)

Katie Commins and Alicia Lawless – Adaptive L and N Plates for Use on Cars

Intermediate Technology Award (Group)

 Millie O’Brien, Hannah Lennon and Eimear Galvin – Lamb Watch

Junior Technology Award (Group)

Katie Boyle, Rebecca Coffey and Maria McLynn – You Can Save the Planet

Junior Technology Award (Group) – runner up

Nirmitha Premnath – Cultivation on Ocean

Marist College past pupil Robbie Benson and Dundalk FC offically opened the SciFest Festival at Athlone Institute of Technology. Pictured here (L-R) Dr Don Faller Dean of Faculty Health & Science AIT, Sheila Porter CEO SciFest, Dr Sean Reidy AIT, Robbie Benson, President of AIT Prof. Ciarán Ó Catháin and Dr Noreen Morris AIT. Pic: N Cafolla

IMG-20180425-WA0010

Junior Technology Award (Individual)

Intel Best Technology Award

Best Communicator Award

Kylie Chen – A Natural Remedy for Preventing and Curing Kidney Stones

Junior Physical Science Award (Individual)

Best Display

Chloe Gavin – The effect of mindfulness on insight problem solving

AIT Health and Wellbeing Award

Mia Samovich – Create Worlds Expand Imaginations and Break Stereotypes

Enterprise Ireland Award

Róisin Grennan and Shauna Martin – A Farming Facility on Mars

Our Lady’s Bower Athlone won the Best School Award Sponsored by the President of AIT at the SciFest Festival at Athlone Institute of Technology. Dr Noreen Morris iis pictured here presenting Julie-Anne Greaney and Ellen Maguire(R) with the Award on behalf of AIT.Sheila Porter Founder & CEO Scifest (L) Pic: N Cafolla.

 

Discover Space Award

Ellen Maguire

Discover Space Teachers Award

Natasha Maimba – Best question at senior science career talk