Scott Boisvert Works to Save Frogs from the Fate of the Dinosaurs
By Caitlin Jennings, Communications Coordinator, 中文无码 & the Public
鈥淎 lot of people are like 鈥榝rogs, amphibians, why does it really matter?鈥欌�� Scott Boisvert (Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2008, 2009, 2010) says. 鈥淎mphibians are widely considered as the canaries in the coal mine, you could say, of global health; so with their recent decline there could be many other problems that come in the future that they鈥檙e just predicting.鈥�
That鈥檚 why Scott has spent the last few years taking water samples and studying amphibian life in Arizona. Frogs there, like many amphibians across the globe, often suffer from聽, a disease caused by the microorganism聽.聽In fact, this disease has affected more than 30% of amphibian species and has the potential to cause the largest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Through his research, he has demonstrated a link between the disease-causing microorganism and the amphibians鈥� environment, specifically the water chemistry at each site. This link could be used to help with conservation efforts involving identifying at-risk sites.
Yet, it is possible, this discovery might not have happened had Scott not attended the Intel ISEF 2007 in eighth grade as a student observer. 鈥淧rior to that, I鈥檇 done my project through school, and I knew that there was [Intel] ISEF, but I didn鈥檛 really know what it was all about. But once I got there, it was a truly wonderful experience,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ne of the most amazing things about it is just being able to walk around and see all the projects and all the different places that the people came from鈥nd that there are many opportunities for kids to get engaged and really make a difference at a young age, and that鈥檚 really what inspired me to do my own research and go back to [Intel] ISEF [the] next year.鈥�
Scott鈥檚 hard work has paid off as he has returned to the Intel ISEF as a Finalist each year since he was inspired as a student observer, and he also recently became a Davidson Fellow. 鈥淭he programs have all been masterfully organized and have encouraged me to pursue my research year after year, fostering a true love of inquiry,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 now have my heart set on attaining an MD/PhD degree so that I can pursue both my interests in medicine and in research. Without these beneficial programs, I would be nowhere near as ready for college or entering the research community.鈥�
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