On Saturday, March 5, 2022, Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School hosted its 19th Annual Science Symposium featuring original research from students in the class of 2022 across all three CBGS campus sites.  This was the second year the symposium was hosted virtually over Zoom for CBGS parents and students due to COVID precautions.  This year, however, seniors presented live from their campus sites.  The accommodation for the in-person presentations on site allowed students to attend each other’s talks in person and preserved some of the feel of the live experience, while also allowing attendees from all over to enjoy the students’ research virtually.  During the symposium, each virtual room was hosted by a proctor and attended by students from all three campuses, while judges from universities, government, and industry evaluated talks and gave feedback to presenters.  At the end of the symposium, judges chose students who gave exemplary talks for special recognition .   

Every student at CBGS undertakes an authentic, original research study starting formally as juniors and progressing through the spring of their senior year.  Students brainstorm scientific questions that cover a broad range of topics from natural science to psychology to engineering and beyond with the help of their Marine and Environmental Science teachers. Once a topic is chosen, students design their studies and execute the data collection generally over the summer months, returning in their senior year to analyze data graphically and statistically, and write formal science manuscripts.  Students also present posters of their research during a formal poster session, and the entire experience culminates in the annual Science Symposium at Virginia Commonwealth University under normal circumstances. Many will also submit their work to the Virginia Junior Academy of Science and a few will be chosen for the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium as additional opportunities to showcase their research.   Hopefully 2023 will see a return to VCU for the 20th symposium, marking an impressive milestone of two decades of student research at CBGS.  Research titles and authors for 2022 can be accessed through the 2022 CBGS Science Symposium Program link.

Projects that received special recognitions are listed below:

Class of 2022 Research Presentations of Special Merit (by room)

Piankatank Room:
Allison Blake, Steven Lilly, Jonah Ibanez

Nanticoke Room:
Danielle Asnicar, Bri Cooksey, Aaron Sweeney

Rappahannock Room:
McKenna Condrey, Andrew Grossen, Aleksandra Witkowski

Wicomico Room:
Mackenzie CAuthorn, Alyssa Boisseau, Arika Gray

Chester Room:
Madison Nelson, Kiersten Hannah, Autumn Satterly and Angela  Clayton

Choptank Room:
Brenna Hendrix, Chase Smith, Conner Benson

Potomac Room:
Caleb Greene, Arianna Fortune, Kendra Kraisser

Susquehanna Room:
Carter McGee, Madelyn Tyler, Amaya Thacker

York Room:
Cassie Kincaid, Gabrielle Brown, Kyle Reviello

James Room:
Ella Indseth, Wyatt Evans, Malik Hickman