Congratulations to Gold CRESTer Apurva Kasture, from Palmerston North Girls High School, who attended the recent 2012 NZIBO (New Zealand International Biology Olympiad) Training and Selection Camp at the University of Waikato.
Apurva was awarded her Silver CREST in March 2011. She is currently working towards a Team Gold CREST, investigating the leaching from CCA treated timber on the microbial activity and the microbial biomass of soil by increasing the number of replicates at each sampling date over an extended timeframe.
At the Training and Selection Camp, Apurva and her fellow campers gained not only substantial knowledge in biology but also enhanced skills in critical thinking and data analysis which will stand them in good stead for their future careers.
In addition, the 21 students who attend the practical training camp (held at the University of Waikato and Massey University (Albany)) honed their practical skills in lab sessions normally undertaken by first and second year university students.
2012 NZIBO Training and Selection Camp Participants at The University of Waikato
Front Row: Richard Ngo (King’s College), Rachael Wiltshire (Samuel Marsden Collegiate), Karin Ho (Diocesan School), Stephanie Chen (St Cuthbert’s College), Christina Lim (Macleans College), Evelyn Qian (Diocesan School for Girls), Michael Yuan (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), Richard Chou (Macleans College)
Middle Row: Apurva Kasture (Palmerston North Girls’ HIgh Schoo)l, Abby Nort ( St Cuthbert’s College), Jackson Dowie (ACG Senior College), SuMin Yoon (Sacred Heart Girls’ College), Tomy Jeon (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), Prasad Rav ( Westlake Boys High Schoo)l, Jefferson Ko (King’s College)
Back Row: Stuart Curran (Lindisfarne College), Bathiya Ratnayake (Auckland Grammar), Jason Yan (Hillcrest HIgh Schoo)l, Aden Holmes (Hutt International Boys’ School), Eddie McTaggart (Nelson College), Cameron Kendall (King’s College
In 2014 New Zealand will be hosting the 25th International Biology Olympiad. The world’s top biology educators and secondary school biology students will converge on the University of Waikato for a week of intense academic effort – but there’ll also be time for making new friends, sharing ideas, and experiencing some of what New Zealand has to offer.
On-line registration for the 2013 NZIBO programme is now open at www.nzibo.org. For students whose schools have never participated in NZIBO, the fee is $15 per student, while the cost for students from schools that have been involved is $30. All Year 11 and Year 12 biology students are encouraged to enrol. Registrations close on the 1st of August and the entrance exam will be held in the fourth week of Term 3 on Wednesday August 8,2012. In 2013, the International Biology Olympiad will be held in Bern, Switzerland. For further information please contact Dr H Meikle, Secretary NZIBO at: nzibo.register@gmail.com
