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Wilkes University Hosts 600 High School Students at Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Regional Competition on February 29

by Vicki Mayk

Wilkes-Barre, PA (02/27/2020) — More than 600 high school students from 49 northeast Pennsylvania high schools will compete when Wilkes University hosts the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science regional competition on Saturday, February 29. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the University campus.

The students are competing in various scientific, mathematics and engineering disciplines. Their projects are judged against a standard that includes scientific objectives, experiments and analysis. First-, second- and third-place awards are presented in each category. Those students earning a first place are eligible to compete at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science State Competition in May at the main campus of Penn State University.

The event schedule is:

7 to 8 a.m. -- PIAA Athletes, Henry Student Center, 2nd Floor, Register & present

8 to 10 a.m. -- Student Registration, Arnaud C. Marts Center

9 to 10:15 a.m. - Judges' Breakfast, Henry Student Center (2ND Floor-Ballroom)

10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. - Competition presentations, various locations on the Wilkes Campus

11 a.m. -- Interviews for Scholarship, Fellowship, and Pennsylvania Science Talent Search (PSTS), Chase Hall

4:30 p.m. -- Awards Ceremony, Arnaud C. Marts Sports and Conference Center

Contacts on campus on the day of the event are Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science regional co-chairs Maureen Elswick (570-436-5778) and Susan Moyer at smoyer@mmiprep.org. Robert Taylor, chair of the Wilkes University Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics, also can be contacted at 570-313-5068.

In addition to competing, senior students also will be interviewed at the event for college scholarships awarded by Wilkes University, the University of Scranton, Penn State-Scranton, King's College and Marywood University. Luzerne County Community College offers a scholarship for junior students. The Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine awards a medical fellowship and Lacawac Sanctuary offers environmental science fellowships to students interviewing at the competition. Pennsylvania Science Talent Search candidates are interviewed at the regional event and the awards are given at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science state competition.

The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations. The PJAS is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, as an Affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is divided into 12 PJAS regions. Each PJAS region consists of two or more counties. Every PJAS region has one or more directors and a treasurer who oversee the operation of the region.

About Wilkes University:

Wilkes University is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, Wilkes is on a mission to create one of the nation's finest doctoral universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small college, open to all who show promise. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 46 majors, Wilkes offers 24 master's degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu.

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