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| EDLINE Nerinx Hall |
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Nerinx Science Department |
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Contact Science Teachers |
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Webpages of Science Teachers |
| Mr. Weinkauff |
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Nerinx Hall Science Projects |
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Ongoing Work Towards |
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| Melissa Hopfinger ('09) presented Nerinx progress on the invention at the April 23, 2009 Sustainability Conference in St. Louis. The water project has been included in a moving museum exhibit that is sponsored by the LCWR (Leadership Conference for Women Religious). The exhibit is highlighting the works and influences of women religious in the United States. The water project is considered a more recent example of the influence of Loretto values, something that shows nuns are not hiding!!! The exhibit opened in Cincinnati. It will eventually move to the Smithsonian in DC. The other sites are not finalized yet but St. Louis is a possibility, at the History Museum perhaps. |
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| Ten students voluntarily organized a team in the Spring 2005 and decided what they thought needed to be invented. They chose to invent a portable water carrier / purifier to ease the burden on women in Third World countries. With the support of science teachers, engineers, and other members of the Nerinx community the girls built a model of their invention. The girls received a Lemelson - M.I.T. InvenTeam grant. Only 17 other teams from across the nation were awarded such a grant. The prototype of the Nerinx design travelled along with a service group of Nerinx girls who visited Mexico in the Spring 2006. Their feedback on the utility of the device enabled the ten seniors to use the grant money to further develop the invention, which they then displayed at M.I.T. in the summer of 2006. The originators of the project graduated, but other Nerinx students have continued to come forward each year to continue developing this much-needed invention. |
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Science Fair 2009 |
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Lexi Ragsdale '10 received a blue ribbon, a special award from the American Chemical Society and was a division winner. Her project examined the aspects of the enzyme catalase. Kristen Holley '10 won a special award from the American Chemical Society for her examination of the amount of iron in different types of spinach, fresh, frozen, or canned. Juniors Abby Go and Jordan Lewis received a blue ribbon for their examination of the breakdown of vitamin C over time in various types of orange juice. Claire Porter and Jennifer Yacovino received a red ribbon for their examination of the effectiveness of different SPF's on the growth of bacterial cells. Brittany Heavner & Haley Hunter received a red ribbon for bioremediation, the ability of different water sources to break down different oils. And finally, Mary Petrovich and Mackenzie King received a red ribbon for their examination of the efficiency of different household cleaners.
In February 2009, 52 science fair projects had been completed by sophomores taking Honors Chemistry and juniors taking Honors Biology. The ten first place winners at Nerinx proceeded to the Greater St. Louis Science Fair at Queeny Park May 5 - 9, 2009 where they received the awards and ribbons. |
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Envirothon 2008 |
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| Two teams of students took part in the St. Louis Regional Envirothon at August A. Busch Conservation Area on April 3, 2008. This is a competition-style event sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Soils and Water Conservation District. The 1-day outdoor event tests student's knowledge in 5 areas: forestry, aquatics, wildlife, soils, and current issues. Within each area students were required to answer questions such as identify fish or trees within a specific habitat, to assess soil characteristics or to solve environmental poblems such as habitat resotration, pollution recovery, and recreational impacts. | ||
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Pfizer Donations Enhance Biology Study |
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Physics Film Is A Winner |
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| In the Spring of 2005 freshmen using their laptops made videos to explain any physics concept they had learned during their year of Conceptual Physics. Miss Julie Sutfin, Nerinx Hall's Physics teacher, entered four very good videos into the American Association of Physics Teachers national student video contest. The 2005 winners included Nerinx's own Margaret Leohnig and Carriet Mitchell taking first place with their entry entitle Physics--It's Magic! | ||
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Nobel Prize Winner Visits Nerinx |
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| On the afternoon of April 22, 2004, Dr. William S. Knowles visited Nerinx to speak with Mr. David Weinkauff's two Honors chemistry classes. Dr. Knowles was one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. As they shared with the students, Mr. Weinkauff has known Dr. Knowles since 1970 (he was Mr. Weinkauff's first boss at Monsanto ) and Mr. Weinkauff was part of the team at Monsanto that worked on the "catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation" process for which Dr. Knowles won the Nobel Prize. Mr. Weinkauff was also a co-author with Dr. Knowles on several papers and articles about the process, in addition to other papers and patents for work that Mr. Winkauff did himself. Prior to Dr. Knowles' arrival Mr. Weinkauff gave the students copies of a couple of the articles that they had authored on the Prize winning process. Dr. Knowles shared with the students some of the history of Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prizes, as well as the stories of how he first learned of getting the prize and of the actual ceremonies in Sweden and Norway, and some of the history of his prize-winning discovery -- including the fact that there were a number of discoveries by a number of chemists that all contributed to making Dr. Knowles' work successful. In response to questions from the students, he shared some of his thoughts about how scientific discoveries come about, as well as some stories about famous chemists and other scientists in general This was a wonderful opportunity for the Nerinx girls to meet with someone who has been able to use his gifts to achieve something truly worthwhile and has been recognized around the world for it. |
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