Kerry students triumph at Young Scientist awards
SO many things have changed this year but, thankfully, at least one constant has remained the same - Kerry students coming out on top at the annual BT Young Scientists Awards.
This year’s event saw three Kerry projects emerge as the winners of their categories while numerous other projects from around the county had close second and third place finishes.
One student who was a big winner from the three-day event was Conor Casey, a sixth year student from Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine in Kenmare.
Conor won first place in the senior individual category of the ‘Chemical, Physical and Mathematical’ section for his project ‘Using Machine Learning to Improve Numerical Weather Prediction’.
Additionally, Conor was also the recipient of the CISCO Best Chemical Physical and Mathematical Project award.
Elsewhere in the county, four students from CBS, The Green in Tralee joined the winner’s circle thanks to their hard work on their respective projects.
Conor Flaherty, Ethan Ward and Philip Tracey, all 1st year students, showed that they have a very bright future ahead of them as they were named winners in the junior group category of the Technology section for their project entitled: ‘Using GDPR compliant QR codes in the hospitality sector to simplify Covid 19 contact tracing’.
Flying the flag for CBS The Green as well was Preston O’Keeffe who came in 1st place in the Junior Individual category for project on ‘ The impact of Infodemic on possible Covid 19 vaccine hesitancy’.
Preston also won a special award from IE Domain Registry for his efforts.
Elsewhere, a trio of Mercy Mounthawk students, Dara Newsome, David Hughes and
Conor Bradshaw, won a Special Analog Devices Award for Best Project in Technology for their ‘Adapted Spectacle System for Dementia Patients’.
Other projects which were ‘Highly Commended’ were that of Liam McSherry and George Leonard of Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra and Ali O’Donoghue and Eilís Mullane of St. Brigid’s Secondary School.
RIGHT: CBS The Green student Preston O’Keeffe pictured with teacher, Ms Enright, who won 1st in the junior individual category of the Social and Behaviour category for a project looking at possible COVID vaccine hesitancy.