At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, being held this weekend in San Diego, scientists will hear about the latest research by presenters from Harvard, Stanford, Duke — and D.H. Conley High School.

Three students and one graduate of the Pitt County High School are among delegates representing the American Junior Academy of Science, a national honor society that recognizes high school students for their scientific research. The students, seniors Alex Haddock and Mark Poczontek, sophomore Aakash Gandhi and East Carolina University freshman Missy Buckingham will present scientific research at the event, which is America’s largest general scientific meeting.

“This is a great opportunity for our students to go to this national meeting,” said Susan Purser, who is accompanying the students along with fellow Conley science teacher Coleman Bailey. “It’s really good for building their science skills.”

The Pitt County students, along with one other North Carolina delegate, earned the right to attend the meeting based on their performance at the North Carolina Student Academy of Science competition. (Two other Conley graduates and one senior were also invited but were unable to attend.) All the students were among top finishers among 230 competitors in the state in last spring’s NCSAS competition, placing in the top three in their categories.

The NCSAS, also known as the Student Academy, has a different approach from that of a science fair or even a Science Olympiad competition. For its district and statewide competitions, NCSAS requires students to complete a research paper and to prepare an oral presentation. Following their presentations, students receive feedback from scientists in their field who may offer suggestions on how to enhance their research.

“What sets our competition apart is they actually give a PowerPoint presentation,” said Heather Vance-Chalcraft, a teaching assistant professor in ECU’s biology department and co-director for the NCSAS district competition. “That’s exactly what scientists do at professional conferences. It’s an authentic experience.”

Nancy Bray, who co-directs the NCSAS competition for 15 counties in eastern North Carolina, said the format not only gives students a chance to hone their research skills but their public speaking skills as well.

“They stand in front of judges, scientists and present their project,” she said. “They have 10 minutes to present what they’ve spent a long time on.”

Following the presentation, young scientists must respond to a series of unscripted questions posed by judges. It is a process that has been compared to defending a master’s thesis.

“It’s an amazing skill they have to develop,” Bray said. “They have to think on their feet.”

At this weekend’s meeting, students will have a chance to interact with professional scientists at events ranging from tours to meals. They also may sit in on lectures and discussions on such topics as marine sciences, stem cell research and laser technology.

Today and Saturday, local students will have a chance to share their research as part of poster and oral presentations. Poczontek will present “The Effects of a Nutritional Diet on an Athlete’s Performance,” a project he completed with student Rachel Jenkins; Haddock will present research on how gross motor skills affect fine motor skills; and Buckingham will present research she conducted on springboards used in gymnastics competitions. Gandhi, the youngest team member, will give a presentation on how playing musical instruments affects finger bones. It is a continuation of research he initiated while he was a student at Hope Middle School.

Bray said one advantage to the NCSAS competition is that it allows students to build on their research from one year to the next, expanding their understanding and contributing additional data over time, in much of the same way that professional scientists conduct research. Another similarity between this weekend’s presentations and other professional scientific conventions is that even the youngest participants are viewed as collaborators, not competitors. Unlike the Student Academy, which secured them a spot at the AAAS meeting, the meeting itself is not a contest.

“It’s very intentionally not a competition,” Purser said. “This is for these students to share their work with other top science students from around the country and professional scientists. It’s really a very supportive system.”

Contact Kim Grizzard at kgrizzard@reflector.com or (252) 329-9578.