National medals, scholarships for N.L. science fair winners

Newfoundland and Labrador punched above its weight at this year's Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa — with an unprecedented number of medals.

The province sent six representatives to compete against nearly 500 students between Grade 7 and Grade 12 at the three-day affair.

"We only send six, but I say our team is small but mighty," said Yvonne Dawe from the Eastern Newfoundland Science Fairs Council.

And mighty they were. All six students placed in the national competition, taking home three silver medals and three bronze medals.

Oishi Hawlader, a soon-to-be graduate from Gonzaga High School in St. John's, was awarded silver for her groundbreaking vision research.

During a summer stint at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Hawlader worked on a non-invasive treatment for strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes.

Her computer program tricks the eye into re-rotating to fix vision. Hawlader said her treatment is successful for only a short-period of time — 10 to 15 minutes — but is a promising development for future research, her passion.

"I am so interested in research," she said. "You can make mistakes and that's what's interesting in science. The more mistakes you do, the better 'cause you can keep expanding on whatever you learn."

"It's such a weird concept," she said.

Building a rocketship

In the name of science, Henley Mullins's garage was turned into a rocket-ship workshop.

The seventh-grader from St. Bonaventure's College fashioned a wind tunnel system out of ducting and a blender fan to compare the drag of model rockets.

"I wanted to do something along the lines because my grandfathers — they were both engineers. Also, because it's just cool," said Mullins.

Mullins was awarded bronze for his project, and took home the Junior Physics Prize.

He said he wants to be a mechanical engineer just like both of his parents, and having two parents in the field had its advantages for such a young scientist.

"I had help with the wiring and all of the dangerous stuff ... like when the fans exploded and the Mason jars exploded," said Mullins.

"My dad is right there and he's looking into this little keyhole when it happens, and it just goes boom!" Mullins recalled.

"It was crazy."

Even bigger things ahead

Hawlader will begin an undergraduate degree in biochemistry next year, and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.

She won best senior project at the regional science fair last month, and was awarded free tuition to the Faculty of Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

At the national competition, Hawlader was offered $10,500 in scholarships from a number of post-secondary institutions, including Dalhousie University, the University of British Columbia and Western University.

The brain power that's here is truly inspiring.- Yvonne Dawe

Mullins, although only in Grade 7, was also offered an entrance scholarship from Western University.

"I want to send something into space," he said. "It's just so cool."

One thing is for sure — this isn't the last that Canadians will be hearing from Hawlader, Mullins and their fellow medallists Mitchell Hynes, Aaron Sakar, Erin Burt and Jasmine Rahman.

"I don't think so," said Dawe. "It's amazing. We're a small province, small population, but the brain power that's here is truly inspiring."