Wheeling H.S. students present research at regional conference

Two Wheeling High School students recently presented their original research at a regional nature conference after conducting projects in Wheeling's new nanotechnology lab.

Hiba Fakhoury and Isabel Chan, both seniors, spoke at the Wild Things Conference, a Chicago Wilderness Conference for People and Nature at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Jan. 31.

Hiba presented her findings on exposing seeds to high temperatures that simulated wildfire conditions, a natural occurrence in combustible ecosystems, and examined changes in the seed morphology and germination. Isabel presented on the structures of the seed coat that may provide hallmarks for recognition and description of plant groups for Midwest legumes.

Their work stems from authentic research conducted in their Introduction to Nanotechnology class under the mentorship of Louise Egerton-Warburton Ph.D., Soil and Microbial Ecologist at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Both students utilized the Scanning Electron Microscopes available in the Wheeling High School nanotechnology lab to perform the critical analysis needed for their research. The lab opened in late 2013 and was the first of its kind in a U.S. public high school.

At the daylong conference, which brings together the region's best experts, professionals, dedicated volunteers and all those who care about nature, the students' work caught the attention of forest preserve managers who expressed interest in applying their findings to a controlled burn.

Sue Gorr, a retired biology teacher from Wheeling, now volunteers for the Wild Things organization and suggested the students present their projects at the conference.

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