The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts recognized the winners of the West Central Regional Science Fair during an awards ceremony held on Feb. 24 in the Creativity and Innovation Complex on campus.
Shreyam Tripathi, a senior from Conway, won first place overall for his project in the Medicine and Health Sciences category. Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway, won second place overall for her Environmental Science project while Charlotte Boehme, a senior from Little Rock, finished third overall for her Plant Science project.
The three overall winners were awarded a trip to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair to be held May 14-19 in Dallas, Texas. The event is the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition. More than 1,800 high school students from around the world are expected to compete for nearly $6 million in awards during the Regeneron ISEF.
Click here to view a photo album of all the winners.
Individual awards were also announced in each category. The top three projects in each category earned entry into the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair that will be held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway on March 31-April 1.
Individual category winners included:
Animal Science: 1. Team of Drew Johnson, a senior from Crossett, and Alyssa Thomas, a senior from El Dorado 2. Team of Canon Copeland, a senior from Bismarck, and Bobby Ray Thomas, a senior from El Dorado 3. Team of Lily Blaylock, a junior from Pottsville, and Nhi Le, a junior from Little Rock Honorable Mentions: Savanna Duey, a senior from Camden, and Melanie Holmes, a junior from Atkins
Behavioral and Social Science: 1. Alex Pearson, a junior from Lincoln
Chemistry: 1. Nasya Choy, a junior from Conway 2. Isabella McCoy, a senior from Fort Smith 3. Talana Small, a senior from White Hall Honorable Mention: Trinity Kyles, a junior from Texarkana
Computer Science: 1. Robert Boerwinkle, a senior from El Dorado 2. Vicky Zhu, a senior from El Dorado 3. Michael Gipson, a senior from Sherwood
Earth Science: 1. Marko Hales, a junior from Greenbrier
Engineering: 1. Team of Yan Ouyang, a senior from Hot Springs Village, and John Tucker, a senior from Bald Knob 2. Riya Patel, a senior from Bald Knob 3. Lucas Robb, a senior from Malvern Honorable Mention: Lydia Krebs, a senior from Maumelle
Environmental Management: 1. Michelle Lin, a junior from Little Rock 2. Team of Ella Blackstock, a senior from Dover, and Hannah Harsson, a senior from Concord 3. Abbott Kyle, a senior from Conway Honorable Mention: Jiya Patel, a senior from Osceola
Environmental Science: 1. Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway 2. Team of Samantha Pruitt, a junior from North Little Rock, and Anna Grace Wright, a junior from Pottsville 3. Joshua Johnson, a senior from Sherwood
Medicine and Health Science: 1. Shreyam Tripathi, a senior from Conway 2. Jaden Williams, a senior from Fort Smith 3. Karyce Flud, a senior from Valley Springs
Microbiology: 1. Eliana Adamos, a senior from Harrison 2. Liam McAuley, a senior from Clarksville
Physics/Astronomy: 1. Sabina Day, a senior from Monticello
Plant Science: 1. Tie between Charlotte Boehme, a senior from Little Rock, and the team of Amanda Navarro, a senior from Hot Springs, and Charis Xiong, a senior from White Hall
Several special awards and recognition were also announced during the awards ceremony. They include:
Regeneron Science Talent Search entrants: Shreyam Tripathi, a senior from Conway, Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway, and Rose Brown, a senior from Donaldson
Magic Springs Community Award for an outstanding project with an emphasis on the Hot Springs community or environment: Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway
Soybean Science Challenge award that recognizes a student for their project as well as their project adviser for an outstanding project in soybean science or agriculture: The team of Amanda Navarro, a senior from Hot Springs, and Charis Xiong, a senior from White Hall, advised by computer science instructor Nick Seward
Missouri University of Science and Technology Kummer Center for STEM Education for outstanding junior research students: Michelle Lin, a junior from Little Rock; Trinity Kyles, a junior from Texarkana; and Nasya Choy, a junior from Conway
Trinity Environmental Consultants award recognizes a project that best develops a solution for an environmental problem with preference given to an outstanding junior: 1. Jiya Patel, a senior from Osceola 2. Abigail Staples, a junior from Bigelow
Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Center Award for an outstanding project in cancer research: Winner: Shreyam Tripathi, a senior from Conway Runner-up: Abbott Kyle, a senior from Conway
Association of Women Geoscientists award for outstanding geoscience project by a female student: Charlotte Boehme, a senior from Little Rock
NASA Earth Systems Award for outstanding earth science project: Marko Hales, a junior from Greenbrier
National Geographic Society Cultivating Empathy for the Earth Award for a project focused on issues of oceans, land, wildlife, human history and cultures, and ingenuity: Team of Ella Blackstock, a senior from Dover, and Hannah Harsson, a senior from Concord
Ricoh USA, Inc. award: Team of Samantha Pruitt, a junior from North Little Rock, and Anna Grace Wright, a junior from Pottsville
U.S. Agency for International Development: Team of Ella Blackstock, a senior from Dover, and Hannah Harsson, a senior from Concord
NOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet award for outstanding project in NOAA-related science: Team of Drew Johnson, a senior from Crossett, and Alyssa Thomas, a senior from El Dorado
Office of Naval Research award for outstanding project related to the mission of the Navy and Marine Corps: Vicky Zhu, a senior from El Dorado, and Jiya Patel, a senior from Osceola
Society for In-vitro Biology award for outstanding 11th-grade life science project: Abigail Staples, a junior from Bigelow
Stockholm Junior Water Prize for the best aquatic science projects: Team of Ella Blackstock, a senior from Dover, and Hannah Harsson, a senior from Concord; team of Samantha Pruitt, a junior from North Little Rock, and Anna Grace Wright, a junior from Pottsville; and Abigail Staples, a junior from Bigelow
United States Air Force award: Vicky Zhu, a senior from El Dorado; Nasya Choy, a junior from Conway; Robert Boerwinkle, a senior from El Dorado; and Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway
Yale Science and Engineering Association award for best 11th-grade exhibit in computer science, physics, chemistry or engineering: Nasya Choy, a junior from Conway
Regeneron Biomedical Science Award for outstanding project in translational medical science, microbiology or medical science: Sydney Hammond, a senior from Conway