Iowa chemistry wiz

BGM student wins state chemistry challenge; national next

STAFF REPORTS powcr@dmreg.com

Elaina Maltas, a 7th grade student from BGM in Brooklyn, competed against other fifth through eighth grade students to win the Iowa State You Be the Chemist Challenge.

She will represent Iowa at the 10th annual National You Be The Chemist Challenge in Philadelphia in June.

This is the first time the state of Iowa has participated in the challenge.

BGMs Elaina Maltas, front row, right, was the champion of the first ever Iowa State You Be The Chemist Challenge held in Malcom. She will represent Iowa in the upcoming national challenge. Participants, volunteers and BASF employees who took part in the competition include; front row, from left Dawn Hamilton, local challenge organizer and BASF employee; third runner up Wright Hilpipre, grade 8; second runner up Avrie Bayse, grade eight; first runner up Lara Hilpipre, grade eight; and Iowa state champion Elaina Maltas, grade seven. Back row are Anna Hilpipre, BASF employee; Al Ribby, BASF employee; Andy Schuster, co-organizer and BASF employee; Chad Stonebraker, BASF employee; Brad Hamilton, BASF employee; and Danya Crites, volunteer educator.

Developed by the Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF), the challenge is an exciting question-and-answer competition that allows students to test their knowledge of chemistry concepts, scientific theories and laboratory safety as they compete to represent their state on a national level.

The challenge program relies on partnerships between various community members seeking to foster student engagement with science, including industry, schools, universities and community organizations.

BASF Corporation is a sponsor of the national challenge and also ran the Iowa state competition. Volunteers from the BASF site in Malcom worked with the competing students to help them learn the science and chemistry concepts covered in the program.

As the worlds largest chemical company, BASF certainly understand the importance of engaging students in science education at an early age, said Greg Syslo, manager of the BASF site in Malcom. Our strength as a company lies in our ability to find innovative solutions to meet the needs of the future, and therefore, it is essential that we support and develop the best scientific and technical talents.

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Iowa chemistry wiz