Earth Science Week Contest Winners Announced

Alexandria, VA - Anna Lee of Suwanee, Georgia, won first place in the visual arts contest with a showing colorful connections among Earth systems in her community. Finalists were Akhshitt Swetha Karthikeyan, Nia Maheshwari, and Ava Chang. Students in grades K-5 made two-dimensional illustrations demonstrating the theme “Picturing Earth Systems.”

Mary Lide Parker of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, won first place in the photo contest with her image of hiking along a frigid cliffside. Finalists were Simon Lucas Taylor, Orion Martin, Ezra Hanlin, and James Saunders. Submissions illustrated the theme “Earth Systems Interacting.”

Henry Harris of Virginia Beach, Virginia, won first place in the essay contest with his paper on “Soil Moisture and Its Importance to Society.” Finalists were Cayden Martin, Leif Darnall, Alexandra Perez, and Omar Khan. Students in grades 6-9 wrote essays of up to 300 words addressing this year’s theme, “Earth Science Visualization Today.”

Congratulations to the winners, finalists, and hundreds of students and others who entered. Each first-place winner receives $300 and a “Geoscience Handbook.” Entries submitted by winners and finalists are posted online at http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/2015.