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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2024 |
Arizona Science and Engineering Fair Winners Announced
Arizona Science Center Congratulates Four Winners and All Participants of 2024 AzSEF
PHOENIX –Arizona Science Center is delighted to recognize the 2024 winners of the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. April 4-5, AzSEF, managed by Arizona Science Center, brought together first place science fair winners from public and private schools, homeschools, district, county, and regional levels. Nearly 700 students from 140 schools competed for thousands of dollars in prizes and scholarships, while some also competed for a chance to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair May 11-17 in Los Angeles.
“This year’s competition was nothing short of exceptional,” said Guy Labine, the Hazel A. Hare president & CEO of Arizona Science Center. “Each one of these distinguished students brought a new level of expertise and innovation that we haven’t seen before. Impressed, proud and awed would be an understatement in the praise I could give to the effort put in by all participants.”
Winners from the senior division going on to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, will include:
- Baochan Fan, a senior at Hamilton High School, won First Place: Senior - Cellular & Molecular, for the novel identification of the epigenetic enzyme JMJD1a in neuroinflammation which may lead us to new treatment paths.
- Annalise Baniecki, from ASU SCENE, won First Place: Senior - Robotics & Intelligent Machines
Designing a Drone-Based Sensor Deployment for Improved Forest Monitoring. She created a lightweight, durable launcher that attaches to a drone and shoots with a sensor that attaches to trees to monitor temperature and moisture.
- Yuvan Senthil, who attends BASIS Peoria, won First Place: Senior - Engineering Technology: Statistics & Dynamics, with an Interlocking Drone Aerial Swarm. I.D.A.S connects in mid flight to improve their thrust and battery life to be used in various applications, ranging from factory logistics to rescue operations.
- Aditya Lakshminarasimhan, from BASIS Scottsdale, took First Place: Senior - Computational Biology & Bioinforatics, with a project that visualized the RSV-Human protein interaction using machine learning for better vaccine outcomes.
This year, AzSEF featured a total of 690 students, with 144 students in the elementary division, 162 students in the junior division and 383 students in the senior division. The showcase included 508 projects and 140 schools, including 58 Title I schools.
AzSEF builds upon the educational outreach of Arizona Science Center to nurture students’ interest and pursuit of STEM learning and provides opportunities to train teachers and school leaders in building cultures of research and inquiry, focusing on the science and engineering practices that are designed to get students “doing science” and found within the Next Generation Science Standards.
For more information on Arizona Science Center and AzSEF visit www.azscience.org.
For Media Inquiries:
Contact: Megan Sawyer, megan@evolveprandmarketing.com
Contact: Kristina Celik, celikk@azscience.com
About Arizona Science Center
Located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona Science Center features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium, a five-story giant-screen theater, live demonstrations, traveling exhibitions, and exciting science programs. The Center offers programs for all ages, including Science on Wheels, CAMP INNOVATION, Teen programs, Professional Development, and Adults’ Night Out: Science With A Twist. Whether onsite or at your location–get ready to embark on a hands-on STEM learning journey you’ll never forget. To learn more or to reserve tickets, visit azscience.org or call 602.716.2000.