Auckland Science Students Excel in Selection for Finals of Rotary’s Sir Paul Callaghan EUREKA! Awards

Secondary and undergraduate tertiary students compete for a first prize of $10,000 cash, and other awards that together exceed $50,000.
 
The Sir Paul Callaghan EUREKA! Awards is an annual national series of awards administered by Rotary for the top student science communicators in NZ.  Secondary and undergraduate tertiary students compete for a first prize of $10,000 cash, and other awards that together exceed $50,000. At 6 regional competitions, students deliver an illustrated presentation before 4 judges on a topic of their choice in science, engineering, technology, or maths that has potential to benefit this country.
 
The Auckland Regional Competition was organised by St Johns Rotary and hosted by AUT, with 15 students competing. Katrina Young (pictured) from Orewa College was the overall winner with her presentation on a speciality area of health. The national selection panel then assessed videos of all regional presentations, and selected the top 12 students (6 secondary, 6 tertiary) to compete at the Finals in Wellington on 6 Sept.
 
Auckland students achieved a best-ever result, with 6 students selected for the Finals: Katrina Young, and Shalin Shah & Germain Hellriegel-White (both from Mt Albert Grammar); Karan Banker, Bronwyn Wilde, and Charlie Spicer (all from Univ. Auckland). On 6 Sept., five judges will assess the finalists’ presentations with Kim Hill asking follow-up questions. The several Awards will be presented by the Governor General at the Student Forum on 7 Sept.   
 
These awards were established by Rotary Club of Wellington as a tribute to the achievements and aspirations of one of NZ’s greatest scientists, the late Sir Paul Callaghan. For further details about the Awards, see:  https://www.eureka.org.nz/eureka-awards
 
Katrina's actual topic has been withheld until after the Finals have been held but here are some presentation titles from the Auckland 2017 Eureka competition:
 
Hybrid Incubators
The Use of Nanobots in Medicine
The Future of Farming: Restorative Ocean Farming
Making the Cut – CRISPR-Cas9, A Genetic Breakthrough
Aerospace Engineering - New Field for New New Zealand
CRISPR - Arts and Crafts with Genes
The Ultimatum between New Zealand’s Environment and Agricultural industry
 
Peter Buchanan, with assistance from Isabella Tedcastle and David Hartstone, on behalf of the Environment & Science Committee