The Charles Darwin Room of the Burjassot Campus hosted this Friday, May 14, the awards ceremony of the XVI Experimenta Fair-Contest organised by the Faculty of Physics and held with face-to-face and streaming success on April 25. The Foundation for Science and Technology - Ministry of Science and Innovation, as well as other entities and institutions collaborate in this initiative. The winning teams received cash prizes and gifts of scientific material, in an act in which the rector of the University of Valencia, Mavi Mestre, participated.
A total of 800 people in person and more than 1,750 connected to the broadcast in real time, lived the fair on April 25, held outdoors and with strict prevention and capacity measures, both globally and around each exhibiting table. The visiting public and also the groups of judges were able to see the experimental projects exhibited, ask questions and listen to the explanations of the ESO and high school students, out of a total of 36 admitted projects. The jury especially valued the understanding that the students have of their work and the quality of their dissemination.
In the act of this Friday at 6:00 p.m.,the student body members of the teams that have been winners in this fair-contest, made up of 50% women, participatedin a STEM activity focused on physics in its relationship with technology. High school students and teachers joined them in a limited number of companions due to anti-COVID measures, such as capacity control, flow control and social distancing. For those who were not able to attend, the ceremony was streamed.
As is tradition in the Experimenta fair-contest, the award ceremony was preceded by a short scientific show. This year it was entitled: “Why does glue stick?”, and it has been prepared by 4th year students of the Grade in Physics at the University of Valencia: Núria Falcó Moreno, Javier Reig Navarro and Pablo Rosillo Rodes.
The prize winning groups in each of the four contest categories received € 300 in cash. In turn, the prize based on the public vote, which this year could be held online, was € 200. These awards were delivered by representatives of the Association of Technology Teachers of the Valencian Community (APTCV) and the Royal Spanish Physics Society (RSEF) and its Division of Teaching and Dissemination of Physics, entities especially involved in this aspect of the initiative. The dean of the Faculty of Physics, organiser of the event, also participated in the table of the event, and the rector of the University of Valencia, Mª Vicenta Mestre, presided over the event.
In addition, the teaching staff was presented with teaching materials, such as experiments and demonstrations of physics and technology. Students and teachers recognised with different Honourable Mentions in each category also received gifts.
Collaborative work
The Experimenta Fair-Contest of Physics and Technology experiments is carried out thanks to the joint work of public and private entities and institutions, and teachers of the Faculty of Physics-UVEG. In addition, as always, students from the same faculty have collaborated, 39 people this year, helping the organisation and the participating groups.
The collaborating institutions are the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology - Ministry of Science and Innovation (FECYT-MICINN), the Valencia City Council, the Corpuscular Physics Institute (IFIC), the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit of the UV, the Delegation for Incorporation to the UV, the Equality Unit, the Archimedes Physics Working Group and the School of Engineering (ETSE-UV). In addition, other external entities are added such as the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF) and its Division of Teaching and Dissemination of Physics (DEDF), Caixa Popular, the Association of Technology Teachers of the Valencian Community (APTCV), Analog Devices, Prodel and Ventus, together with the IPN-Bio and ScienceFlows projects. Also the Museum of Sciences of Valencia, where it is customary to hold this fair that has had to relocate this year, as the City of Arts and Sciences is a massive vaccination centre against COVID-19.
The Experimenta organising committee is made up of teachers from different departments of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia, such as Chantal Ferrer Roca, coordinator of the fair and director of the Department of Applied Physics and Electromagnetism, Miguel V. Andrés Bou, Amparo Pons Martí and Jordi Vidal Perona, dean of this faculty.
It should be noted that this initiative arises from the university-secondary education relations that have been forged over more than twenty years of collaboration, especially through the Archimedes Working Group, which has existed since 1999. In fact, the 19 members of the jury – 9 women and 10 men – they are teachers of the Faculty of Physics-UVEG and also of different secondary schools of the Valencian Community, in addition to a representative of the Museum of Sciences.
Winning groups XVI Experimenta Fair-Contest
The prize in the Physics-ESO category is for the project “Oops! What a tension!”, of the team formed by Sergio Alfonso Navarro, Sabrina El Ghazouni, Jorge Ortega Rosell and Adriana Vilreales Berga, students of the IES Peset Aleixandre (Paterna). Their tutors are Mara Yuste Vila and Ana Segura Martín.
In the Physics-Baccalaureate category, the winning project is “Electromagnetism and resonance to save lives”, from the team formed by Alfredo Martínez Solaz, Christian Antero Montal and Olivia Montesinos Micó, students of the San José de Calasanz School (Valencia). His tutor is Antonio Moya Ansón.
In the Technological Applications-ESO category, the winner was the project “Classes without COVID or colds”, from theteam formed by Macarena Hernández Torrent and Nadi Embuena Sudani, students of the IES Ramon Llull (Valencia). Their tutors are Martín Gómez Sánchez and Hermini Añó Quiles.
In the Technological Applications-Baccalaureate/CFGM category the winning project is “PÉSER 1.0.: Geolocator-Laser Orientator”, from the team formed by Miguel Pérez Reinoso and Pau Serneguet Sangüesa, students from IES La Canyada (Paterna). Their tutors are Jaume Rolíndez Garayoa and Alejandro Fuestes Fernández de Mendiola.
Finally, with 891 votes, of the 4,222 registered, the Audience Award goes to the project “Water Rocket” by Víctor Rubio Jiménez, a student at the Colegio Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Valencia). His tutor is Pilar Guerrero Latorre.
Honourable mentions
The 1st honourable mention in the Physics-ESO category is for the project “What’s the speed of waves?”, by Alejandro Canuto Chiva, Carlos Macías Gil, Jordi Alonso de Lelis and Diego Latorre Ros, students of the Colegio Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Valencia). Their tutors are José María Ajenjo Vento and Antonio Molins Riera.
The 2nd honourable mention is for the project “The Dead Sea in your class”, from the students of the San José de la Montaña Cheste School (Cheste) Sara Dalmau Sánchez, Claudia Morte Bae, Claudia Saiz Manzanera and Rocío Toledano. Their tutors are Asunción Navarro Pacheco and José Plaza Catalán.
The 3rdhonourable mention is for the project “Viscosity in a hydroalcoholic gel”,also from the students of the San José de la Montaña Cheste School (Cheste) María Casas Monzón, Claudia Morell Landeta, Carla Saiz Manzanera and Maria Sinisterra Arcos. Their tutors are also Asunción Navarro Pacheco and José Plaza Catalán.
Finally, the 4th honourable mention of the Physics-ESO category is for the project “The music of God Pan”, of the students of the Gençana Educational Centre (Godella) Elisa Belda Muñoz, Ariadna Redón Fuentes and Carlos Celada Esteve. Their tutors are María Luisa García Baños and Miguel Martínez Martí.
In the case of the Physics-ESO category, the honourable mention goes to the project “Water rocket”, by Víctor Rubio Jiménez, a student at the Nuestra Señora del Pilar School (Valencia). His tutor is Pilar Guerrero Latorre. This project is also the winner of the Audience Award.
In the Technological Applications-ESO category, the 1st honourable mention is for the project “Wash your hands well!”, again for students of the San José de la Montaña Cheste School (Cheste). This time, for Carla Banacloy Vicent, Asier Fortea Alarcón, Clara Elorriaga Valenzuela and Javier Nieto Sánchez. Likewise, their tutors were Asunción Navarro Pacheco and José Plaza Catalán.
The 2nd honourable mention is for the project “Recycling is easy”, from the students of the Gençana Educational Centre (Godella), Iván Maestro Pascual and Joán Monzó Ávila. Their tutors are Miguel Ángel Martínez Martí and Maria Luisa García.
Teachers and students recognised with an Honourable Mention received gifts and a diploma.
Streaming broadcast at:
All the information of the XVI ExperimentaFair-Contest at:
https://ir.uv.es/experimenta/feria2021 (Spanish version)
https://ir.uv.es/experimenta/fira2021 (Catalan version)
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