The ISEF state fair was recently held at Portland State University on April 11, bringing together students and young scientists from across Oregon. A total of 65 students attended, representing West Linn, Wilsonville, and Riverside.
The fair took over the majority of the day, as judges needed time to review and score every project. Sophomore Lilian Tatsumi attended with a project she completed with her sister, senior Julia Tatsumi. Lilian stated, “We got there at 7 am and didn’t get to leave until 7 pm.”
Throughout the day, judges would approach projects and make decisions based on different criteria and categories. Avani Patel, a sophomore, also competed in the fair. “They look through your materials and ask questions about your project to get a deeper understanding,” she said.
Patel’s project analyzed the rate at which high school students experienced instant gratification using an eye tracker and a questionnaire. The eye tracker would determine how fulfilled students were after experiencing different stimuli. She added, “We figured out how long they were looking at certain things on a screen.”
Tatsumi’s project explored long-lasting effects of COVID-19 on a person’s senses, specifically examining taste and smell. She visited her grandmother, who was still experiencing the aftermath of the illness. “She couldn’t taste black licorice, which started our thinking,” Tatsumi continued.
Throughout her project, Lilian faced issues with confidentiality. To get their desired research, Tatsumi noted how they’d need to hold a taste and smell lab, but they couldn’t share information about the participants, so they made it anonymous.
While Patel conducted her research, there were problems with obtaining IRB approval. “Some of our questions were too invasive,” she said. So, she had to revise parts of the survey to complete her project.
Finally, judges awarded people for different aspects of their research. Patel worked with Olivia Sheng and Lauren Shin, placing third in their category: Behavioral and Social Science. She continued, “We didn’t qualify for internationals, but we’ll potentially be doing this again next year.”