Student To Represent Greater Cleveland At State Chemistry Competition

Cleveland, OH – March 4, 2017 — A seventh-grader from Cleveland has won a county-wide chemistry competition and will move on to compete at the state level. Alex Masgras from Menlo Park Academy bested a field of 28 fifth- to eighth-grade students to become the Greater Cleveland You Be The Chemist Challenge® Champion. Local students came together in Cleveland to compete for the top prize. Alex Masgras will represent the greater Cleveland area at the state-level competition.

Developed by the Chemical Educational Foundation® (CEF), the Challenge is an exciting question-and-answer competition that motivates fifth- to eighth-grade students to sharpen their knowledge of chemistry concepts and their real-world applications. Students compete for prizes at the local and state levels and the ultimate prize of a trip to Washington, D.C. to vie for college scholarships. The Challenge program relies on partnerships between community members, including industry, schools, universities and community organizations, that seek to foster student engagement with science.

The 2017 Greater Cleveland Challenge was held at the Great Lakes Science Center and was sponsored by Palmer Holland, Inc. in North Olmsted, OH for the fifth year. After correctly answering dozens of chemistry and general science questions over multiple rounds of competition, Alex Masgras was declared the Challenge Champion. He will advance to the Ohio State Challenge in Toledo on April 29, 2017. The following top-placing students have also earned a chance to compete at the state level: Thomas Banko and Galvin Morgan. Each of the top finalists was awarded gift certificates to the Great Lakes Science Center.

“Congratulations to all of the participants in the State Challenge and especially to the Champion who is advancing to the next round of the You Be The Chemist® Challenge competition!” stated Eric R. Byer, secretary and acting executive director of CEF. “The Challenge requires focused dedication studying chemistry concepts. The students’ hard work and science acumen was evident today. We are so impressed with the wealth of science knowledge participants displayed. We hope the flame of curiosity now burns bright inside each contestant to continue discovering the broad world of chemistry and science. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, chemistry touches our lives in infinite ways every day. Participation in events like CEF’s Challenge inspires future leaders to become part of the exciting, innovative science industry. I wish this year’s Champion good luck at the National Challenge in Washington, D.C. this June.”

The winner of the state competition will receive an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Challenge, held on June 19. At the national level, state winners from across the country will vie for the title of Challenge Champion and a total of $18,500 in college scholarships.

For more information about the You Be The Chemist Challenge® competition, please visit CEF’s website at www.chemed.org.

About the Chemical Educational Foundation®
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, the Chemical Educational Foundation® (CEF) works closely with industry to enhance science education opportunities for our youth. CEF founded the You Be The Chemist Challenge® in 2004.