61st Annual STS (2001–2002)
Finalists
Ashleigh Brooks Theberge

MAINE
Ashleigh Brooks Theberge, 17, of Orr's Island, studied the effects of a widely used herbicide on nitrogen-fixing bacteria for the environmental science project she entered in the Intel Science Talent Search. A plaque in Utah's Arches National Park and a passage in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring had piqued her interest in these organisms (diazotrophs), which enhance soil fertility by increasing usable nitrogen. She wondered whether herbicides could harm that process, and set up her experiments to find out. Based on a series of clover, soybean and diazotroph studies, she concluded that treatments with a popular herbicide caused a general decrease of activity in soil bacteria, indicating a possible harmful side effect that should be investigated further. Ashleigh is first in her class of 243 at Mt. Ararat School in Topsham, where she is math team captain and an officer of the civil rights team. She plays horn in the school band and participates in field hockey, lacrosse and swimming. The recipient of many honors for academic achievement and musical accomplishment, Ashleigh plans to attend Williams College in Massachusetts. She is the daughter of David and Mary Theberge.