Three students from Athens Middle School participated in the State Science Day on May 5, 2012, at The Ohio State University. Eighth grader Kate Dispenza received an “excellent” rating with her project, “Bioremediation of herbicide glyphosate.” Seventh grader Meredith Suhr received an “excellent” rating for her project, “What factors affect the darkness of coffee?” Seventh grader Derek Demel received a “superior” rating with his project, “The geometry of bridges: Design, efficiency, and cost.” In addition, Derek received engineering awards: first place for Excellence in Engineering, second place for the American Society of Highway Engineers Award, and third place for the Excellence in Civil Engineering Project award. Derek also was nominated to apply for the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars).