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Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has presented eight “Future Discovery Awards” to 4-H participants at the 2014 Iowa State Fair.

The new Future Discovery Award is a $500 scholarship, which will be given to each student upon enrolling at ISU and pursuing a Liberal Arts and Sciences major.

The scholarship was presented to 4-H participants whose State Fair exhibits exemplified “innovation, curiosity, and scholarship foundational to a liberal arts and sciences education.” Winning entries ranged from photo journalism to a history of barbed wire.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with younger students. I am very impressed with their talents, interests and commitment,” Beate Schmittmann, dean of the college, said. “Their exhibits relate directly to many of the majors that we offer in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.”

More than 3,000 participants presented exhibits, which were first reviewed by 4-H judges. Afterward, Liberal Arts and Sciences staff selected eight award recipients from about 1,500 blue ribbon-holding exhibits.

“This year’s awardees are smart, motivated, and have shown remarkable intellectual promise and enthusiasm for the sciences, the social sciences, or the humanities. I am very pleased to present them with a Future Discovery Award,” Schmittmann said.

Dan Rice, the college’s Director of Recruiting and a judge, said the number of exhibits was initially overwhelming as they looked for entries that showed future potential and interest in one of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ many majors.

“That narrowed the pool, but it was hard getting it down to only eight,” Rice said. “For me, the real joy was being able to take a critical look at so much talent and scholarship potential in Iowa’s young students.”

Will Stone, LAS digital services coordinator and judge, said they looked for exhibits that were directly or closely linked to one or more majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Exhibits that demonstrated an aptitude for innovation, investigated an answer to an interesting question, and showed research ability and application were ultimately selected as winners,” he said.

Meet the 2014 Future Discovery Award recipients:

JACOB HLAVACEK, 12
Exhibit: “Fertilizer Gone Awry”
Related LAS major: Biology
About his exhibit: Applied the scientific method to investigate different fertilizer options.

EMMA KIELMAN, 14
Exhibit: Toothpaste whitening
Related LAS major: Chemistry
About her exhibit: Tested active ingredients in teeth whitening toothpaste by using stone blocks.

BRAEDEN WEYHRICH, 15
Exhibit: Swing Fling composition
Related LAS major: Music
About his exhibit: Created an original jazz music composition.

JULIA TUBBS, 11
Exhibit: Black and white firemen photo
Related LAS major: Photo journalism
About her exhibit: Succeeded in capturing a news event as it happened while using a telephoto lens.

SARA SCHOENING, 16
Exhibit: Medieval trebuchet
Related LAS major: Physics
About her exhibit: Applied principles of mechanics to construct and refine a trubuchet capable of launching a tennis ball 200 feet.

ISAAC FRANZEN, 11
Exhibit: A History of Barbed Wire
Related LAS major: History
About his exhibit: Combined well-captioned historical photos and a collection of barbed wire samples in an excellent display.

CHARLIE EHLERS, 10
Exhibit: Trifold-Polydactyl Cats
Related LAS major: Genetics
About his exhibit: Explored the history and implications of a genetic mutation that causes cats to have more toes than usual.

HANNAH JOHNSTON, 17
Exhibit: Disability or Difference: You Decide
Related LAS major: Psychology
About her exhibit: Explored what it means to be dyslexic and the subtle distinction between what is considered a psychological disability and thinking differently.

About Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a world-class learning and research community. Iowa State’s most academically diverse college, LAS educates students to become global citizens, providing rigorous academic programs in the sciences, humanities and social sciences within a supportive personalized learning environment. College faculty design new materials, unravel biological structures, care for the environment, and explore social and behavioral issues. From fundamental research to technology transfer and artistic expression, the college supports people in Iowa and around the world.

NEWS RELEASE
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University

Contacts:
Dan Rice, (515) 294-4831, drice@iastate.edu
Jess Guess, Liberal Arts and Sciences Communications, (515) 294-9906, jguess@iastate.edu