Student Attends NSTA National Science Conference

by Macayla Scarpello
4.17.07

In early February, select students from different states gathered at NSTA’s National Conference on Science Education in Boston and senior Nichole
Johnson was one of them. Due to her achievements and work in her academy, Johnson was able to attend the fair to learn more about the ever-changing world of science.

During her junior year, Johnson was required to enter the Metro Science Fair as a part of being a member of the zoo academy. In doing so, she
conducted an experiment on the diets of fossa. She earned second place overall and was given the opportunity to attend the state science fair in Lincoln. Johnson placed in the top five and received an all-expenses paid trip to the national science convention.

Only four students from Nebraska were invited to attend and Johnson was the only one from the Omaha area. Once in Boston, the attendees were able to tour the labs of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and present their poster projects for the National Academy of Science.

“It was cool because normally I don’t get to talk to people the same age who have the same interests,
usually everyone I work with is older,” Johnson said.

Students who attended became lifetime fellows of the National Junior Academy of Sciences and the conference exceeded Johnson’s expectations.

“The conference was a lot of fun and it wasn’t what
people would normally think of a science fair,” Johnson said.

This year, Johnson conducted another project on the energy requirements of the cat species while working at the zoo. She will be attending the state science fair on April 18 and will be presenting the same research she brought to the metro competition about
the tigers, lions and pumas. Johnson’s interest in
science started at a young age.

“I’ve always been interested in science and animals,” Johnson said. “When I was little I used to fix my stuffed animals with Band-Aids.”

With Johnson’s involvement in science and helping out at the zoo for her academy, she intends to continue with her studies after high school.

“I’m going to be attending the University of Missouri and studying animal sciences,” Johnson said. “From there I plan on going into grad school and studying animal nutrition.”