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YourHub.com \\ Fort Pierce \\ Stories \\ Education \\ Student Achievements

ST. LUCIE'S BRIGHTEST TO COMPETE IN UF BRAIN BOWL

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Contributed by: Robin Koestoyo on 4/25/2007

Seven St. Lucie County high school students were selected for participation in the 2007 University of Florida Biological Control Brain Bowl program at the UF Indian River Research and Education Center near Fort Pierce.

"The students selected for this program possess outstanding speaking and science talent with an enthusiasm for the environment," said Robin Koestoyo, media coordinator at the UF site.

The students are: Matthew McCord, Jeannette Mills, Vishal Korlipara, Negar and Negin Nasiri-Kenari, Alonnah Creswell and Steven Shotola.

The participants are the "St. Lucie Brain Team" and will compete in the official 2007 Biological Control Brain Bowl on Saturday, May 12, from noon until 3 p.m., against teams representing Indian River and Martin counties.

Deanna Pick is leading the team in their program participation. David Pick and Neel Patel, 2006 St. Lucie Brain Team members, and championship winners, are serving the group as a team mentors.

Preceding the brain bowl competition event, the team members are carrying out an experiment under the direction of Ronald Cave, Ph.D., in the $3.8 million UF Norman C. Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory. The experiment involves the use of an invasive insect, the Mexican bromeliad weevil, and pineapple tops, a type of bromeliad plant, to test several media for growing the weevil. Other activities the team has or will participate in are a mini-Melaluepooza, hosted by St. Lucie County Extension Agent Ken Gioeli, a cockroach race hosted by Okeechobee County Extension Agent Dan Culbert and educational sessions during which team members learn about the state's $90 annual fight with invasive species and biological control as the most efficacious method to control them.

Scott Adkins, Ph.D., a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Horticultural Research Laboratory, is conducting an experiment with Martin County participants. William Overholt, Ph.D., a researcher at the UF/IFAS Norman C. Hayslip Biological Control and Research Laboratory, with Indian River County participants.

The program will culminate with the official 2007 Biological Control Brain Bowl on May 12, after which each participant is asked to serve as a spokesperson for the research.

The UF Biological Control Brain Bowl is an award-winning initiative that commenced in 2005 with a grant made by Florida Integrated Pest Management, based at the UF Gainesville campus . The objective for the program is to share with the public, the research being carried out in the UF Norman C. Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory, a facility in which only researchers and staff members are permitted.

"The brain bowl program is made possible in large part with the support of local sponsors," said Robin Koestoyo, media coordinator at the UF Indian River Research and Education Center.

Program sponsors are: The University of Florida, Pelican Island Audubon Society, St. Lucie Audubon Society, Audubon of Martin County, 4-H, TAME Melaleuca, The Florida Research Center for Agricultural Sustainability, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the Bug Master Inc., an ethical, local pest management organization that practices IPM, and Papa John's Pizza in Fort Pierce.

"Participation in this program by past brain team members has solidified their science-based career choices," said Deanna Pick. "The program allows the team members to experience working in a research lab and various aspects of science research that they do not experience in high school."

The public is welcome to attend the 2007 Biological Control Brain Bowl. Please call (772) 468-3922, Ext. 103 for more information or for directions to the facility.

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