College of Science

40th Annual Biology Merit Exam brings out the best in young scientists

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Students gather for Biology Merit Exam.
More than 500 students from 16 South Carolina schools participated in the 40th Annual Biology Merit Exam on Friday on the campus of Clemson University.

CLEMSON – More than 500 students from 16 South Carolina schools participated in the 40th Annual Biology Merit Exam on Friday on the campus of Clemson University.

The longtime mega-event, which recognizes and promotes outstanding achievement among middle and high school students in South Carolina, is sponsored by the College of Science’s department of biological sciences.

After registration, the morning began in the auditorium of Tillman Hall with an opening address from biological sciences interim chair Saara DeWalt. The students then took the Biology Merit Exam, competing against students at similar grade levels for awards. The exam consisted of 40 multiple-choice questions of varying degrees of difficulty that are distributed among the major areas of biology.

Here are the exam winners:

DIVISION III

High school students having completed or presently enrolled in a second year of a high school life science class.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 86

HIGH SCORE: 81.82

AVERAGE SCORE: 50.29

FIRST: Courtney Stuart, Rock Hill High School

SECOND: William Lewis, Rock Hill High School

THIRD: Annie Buck, D.W. Daniel High School

Students enjoy biology exhibits
After taking the exam, the students spent the next couple of hours visiting six different exhibits in Long Hall, Jordan Hall, the Campbell Museum of Natural History and the Entomology Museum.

HONORABLE MENTION: Shaan Chhabra, Green Charter School; Broc McCarthy, Pendleton High School; Heather Lenti, Rock Hill High School; Avery Rainey, Crescent High School; Case Redmond, D.W. Daniel High School; Claire Gibbon, D.W. Daniel High School; Adley Lawton, D.W. Daniel High School; Makenzie Granzin, Rock Hill High School; Eric McGuff, D.W. Daniel High School.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION: Fannie Xuan, D.W. Daniel High School; An Nguyen, Rock Hill High School; Mac Martin, D.W. Daniel High School; TJ Robertson, Rock Hill High School; Sophie Call, Calls’ Classical Academy; Andrew Fiorentino, D.W. Daniel High School; Tatiana Zambrano, Rock Hill High School; Jacob Owens, Crescent High School; Noah Floyd, Crescent High School.

 

DIVISION II

High school students having completed or presently enrolled in their first biology course.

 

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 138

HIGH SCORE: 74.75

AVERAGE SCORE: 40.82

FIRST: Sophie Cox, D.W. Daniel High School

SECOND: Sam Bruce, D.W. Daniel High School

THIRD: Frank Yang, D.W. Daniel High School

HONORABLE MENTION: Griffin Thomas, D.W. Daniel High School; Madison Peterson, Legacy Early College High

School; Della Evans, D.W. Daniel High School; Lillie Eldridge, D.W. Daniel High School; Annslee Smith, D.W. Daniel High School; Jessica Mason, D.W. Daniel High School; Chris Shober, Green Charter School.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION: Adrienna Davis, D W. Daniel High School; Olivia Kittle D.W. Daniel High School; Mary Walker Felder, D.W. Daniel High School; John Li, D.W. Daniel High School; Sean Rogers, Pendleton High School; Charlie Smith, D.W. Daniel High School; Sam Housand, D.W. Daniel High School; Nicholas Greenway, Pendleton High School; Rhecia Majors, Pendleton High School; Robert Peek, Pendleton High School.

 

DIVISION I

Middle school students having completed or presently enrolled in life sciences or high school students having credit for middle school life science only.

 

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 282

HIGH SCORE: 68.69

AVERAGE SCORE: 30.93

FIRST: Ahan Shi, R.C. Edwards Middle School

SECOND: McKenna Adams, R.C. Edwards Middle School

THIRD: Blake Maynard, Seneca Middle School

Students parade through campus.
Hundreds of students from area high schools and middle schools parade from Tillman Hall into the center of campus.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jane Laurence, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Lana Pierce, Seneca Middle School; Turner Wilson, Seneca Middle School; William Lewallen, Riverside Middle School; Bree Sloan, Seneca Middle School; Kaydence Amarillas, Seneca Middle School; Savannah Cato, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Mary-Kate O’Brien, Palmetto Scholars Academy; Bailee Kay, Riverside Middle School.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION: Levi Cunningham, Riverside Middle School; Bella Winkler, Seneca Middle School; Maria Gasic, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Davis Swann, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Noah Burkett, Seneca Middle School; Michael Rash, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Alyssa Martin, West Oak Middle School; Bayleigh Brewer, R.C. Edwards Middle School; Toby Cox, R.C. Edwards Middle School.

After taking the exam, the students spent the next couple of hours visiting six different exhibits in Long Hall, Jordan Hall, the Campbell Museum of Natural History and the Entomology Museum.

  • Wild about Wildlife, which featured an interactive display of native endothermic and ectothermic species found in the Southeast.
  • Fun with Polymers, which included creating DNA jewelry based on the DNA code of the students’ names.
  • Meet College of Science Ambassadors, which helped students explore available majors and learn about current SCIENCE research at Clemson.
  • Snakes of South Carolina, which displayed live local snake species and shared information about the snakes that live in South Carolina.
  • Vertebrate and Plant Collections, which included life-sized mounts of bison, antelopes, big cats, as well as carnivorous plants and herbarium species.
  • Arthropod Collection, which included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Entomology Museum.
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