Science Project Extraordinaire

Not that many middle school students get a chance to have their science projects included in an international science journal, but then Sarah Mayo isn't your average eighth-grade student.

Mayo won the 11th grade science projects science fair last year, placed first in the district science fair at Shawnee State University and placed among the top in the state science fair. Now, that project is up for publication in the "Ohio Journal of Science," said Gretta Lewis, a Chesapeake Middle School science teacher.

"For a high school student to be in this journal is very rare," Lewis said Tuesday. "This is something graduate students in college participate in."

"I'm surprised and honored by this," Mayo said. "It's a big privilege to get this far. If it does get accepted, I have to go to Cleveland in April and make a presentation."

Mayo started out her science fair career two years ago with 11th grade science projects and a particular project about which bridge design is the strongest. She built on that last year with a project about whether increasing the member width increases the tensile strength of bridges.

That was the project that led to the awards and a chance to be published in the "Ohio Journal of Science," a journal with an international reputation and readership, Lewis said. The project also was a semifinalist in the Young Scientist Challenge by the Discovery Challenge, meaning it was among the top 400 of some 4,000 science projects from around the country, she said.

"She's always been interested in science and engineering," Lewis said. "This is a wonderful start for her."

Mayo submitted the project for publication in the Ohio Journal of Science last November and four scientists, including Dr. Liang-Shih Fan, a professor at Ohio State University, commented on it and suggested some minor changes. Mayo changed a few things and sent the project back earlier this month.

"Now I'm just waiting to see if it will be published," she said. "I never dreamed I would make it this far. It's been crazy in a good way. I've had letters of recognition from state senators and state representatives."

She's also getting familiar with Microsoft Word and typing.

This week she'll be participating in the Lawrence County Science Fair being held at Chesapeake Middle School, Lewis said. Her project this year is whether increasing the member length increases the tensile strength of bridges. The project was selected the top one in the eighth grade.

Her younger sister, Anna, won the top award for sixth-grade students, said their mother, Julie Mayo, a school psychologist at Chesapeake Middle School.

"It's opened up avenues for (Sarah), more than we would have dreamed possible," she said. "She's networking with other female students and scientists. She attended the College of Wooster summer science camp for girls. It's been so much fun...a real experience."