MCSF Fair Awards
6th Grade (combined Life & Physical Sciences)
| 1st Place | Sophia Samaan | Christ the King School | How to Maximize the Energy from Solar Panels by Tracking the Sun |
| 2nd Place | George Nassaneh | Christ the King School | Electromagnetic Extravaganza! |
| 3rd Place | Lorenzo Corleto | Christ the King School | gears vs. belts |
| 3rd Place | Krithi Karri | Leona Libby Middle School | Safe alternative for edible synthetic Red dye |
| Honorable Mention | Owen Callaghan | Christ the King School | The Science Behind Deflategate |
7th Grade Physical Sciences
| 1st Place | Samuel Wang | Enterprise Middle School | Sonic Fire Suppression: Extinguishing Flames with Sound |
| 2nd Place | Blake O’Brien | Christ the King School | Acoustic Levitation |
| 2nd Place | Sriyan Thallapally | Leona Libby Middle School | Clean The Air With A DIY Air Filter |
| Honorable Mention | Andre Chin | Leona Libby Middle School | The impact of different tail designs on a private jet |
| Honorable Mention | Zoey Jane Coleman | Christ the King School | smile brighter |
| Honorable Mention | Theodore Maier | Chief Joseph Middle School | The Best Shape for Ice Stupas |
| Honorable Mention | Clara Roy Prytherch | Christ the King School | No Energy Homes |
7th Grade Life Sciences
| 1st Place | Chloe Custodio | Leona Libby Middle School | Can Laundry Greywater be Reused for Hydroponics? |
| 2nd Place | Alexa Corleto | Christ the King School | Hidden Power of Mushroom Substrate |
| 3rd Place | Ryon Kovis | Christ the King School | Runoff Rescue |
| Honorable Mention | Margaret Carlisle | Christ the King School | Does greywater hurt or help plants? |
| Honorable Mention | Elena Licona | Harrison Middle School | Will the rise and number of cracks of the finished cheesecake change based on the baking method? |
| Honorable Mention | Tatiana Melendrez | Christ the King School | Reverse Osmosis |
| Honorable Mention | Natalie Wiedner | Christ the King School | Sea Monkey Saga |
8th Grade (combined Life & Physical Sciences)
| 1st Place | Rohan Nune | Leona Libby Middle School | Powering the Future: Iron-Based Batteries for Sustainable Energy Storage |
| 2nd Place | Royal Anda | Christ the King School School | Wonderful Wings: How profile and sealant affect lift and drag |
| 2nd Place | Audrey Hsu | Christ the King School School | Water “pH”acts |
| Honorable Mention | Raman Harilal | Leona Libby Middle School | Candle vs. Oil lamp: Illuminating the Physics and Chemistry Hiding Behind the Radiant Flames. |
| Honorable Mention | Akshath Motkuri | Leona Libby Middle School | Nail Ninja AI: Detecting Disorders Digitally |
| Honorable Mention | Aarav Shrivastava | Leona Libby Middle School | Diagnosing the impacts of wildfires on visibility and human health in the Western USA |
1st place winners in the middle school divisions also receive a scholarship to attend a residential summer science camp.
9th Grade
| 1st Place | Prayrona Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments |
| 2nd Place | Gavin Montelongo | Sunnyside High School | How does exposure to different senses affect blackworm heart rate? |
| 2nd Place | Lola Thomas | Hanford High School | Bacteriophage: Killer Virus |
| 3rd Place | Aksel Curfman | Sunnyside High School | How do different fabric types affect their fire resistance? |
| 3rd Place | Owen Rothwell | Hanford High School | Comparing Recycled Soda Bottle PET Plastic 3D Printing Filament Created With a Homemade Pultrusion Machine vs. Commercial New Material PETG Filament |
| 3rd Place | Bethany Thornton | Sunnyside High School | How does the length of time a plant is electrically stimulated affect photosynthesis? |
| Honorable Mention | Isabel Ayala | Sunnyside High School | How do different environmental conditions affect plant transpiration? |
| Honorable Mention | Angelica Barcenas | Sunnyside High School | How do coins affect Algae Growth |
| Honorable Mention | Alejandro Espinoza | Sunnyside High School | How corrosive is the sugar found in soda to our teeth? |
| Honorable Mention | Jonathan Gibbons | Sunnyside High School | Will using the MMF method with Electromagnetic trains own weight improve how ergonomic the electromagnetic trains are |
| Honorable Mention | Anne Kannely | Sunnyside High School | What type of flour will cause the sourdough starter to grow in volume the fastest? |
| Honorable Mention | Grayce Morris | Sunnyside High School | How do different types of natural fertilizers produced by animals affect the growth of plants? |
| Honorable Mention | Kennedy Wise | Sunnyside High School | How do different speeds of music/notes being played affect the growth of radish seeds? |
Senior Division (Grades 10 – 12)
| Grand | Advaitha Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection |
| Grand | Isabella Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle |
| Grand | Matthew Yao | Walla Walla High School | Tactron: A Low-Cost Refreshable Tactile Graphics Display |
| 1st Place | Nicole Samaan | Hanford High School | Microgrid Optimization: The Future of Efficient, Reliable, and Autonomous Renewable Energy |
| 2nd Place | Navaj Nune | Hanford High School | A Comprehensive Evaluation of AI Frameworks for Accurate Object Detection and Enumeration of Visual Data for Environmental Remediation |
| 3rd Place | Srithan Thallapally | Richland High School | Rethinking Waste! Bioplastics from Banana Peels! |
| Honorable Mention | Aashrita Bhamidimarri | Hanford High School | ‘Root’ for Success: Controlling Agricultural Pollution |
| Honorable Mention | Kalie Ceja-Flores | Sunnyside High School | Are microplastics found in the gills of a 3d printed simulated fish? |
| Honorable Mention | Mia Dang | Sunnyside High School | Testing for antibiotic properties in secondary metabolites of onion, cilantro, and ginger to combat Escherichia coli? |
| Honorable Mention | Kaiden Frank | Sunnyside High School | What is the best way to remove rust? |
| Honorable Mention | Emily Gallardo | Sunnyside High School | How do different antioxidants affect catalase activity? |
| Honorable Mention | Martha Garibay | Sunnyside High School | How do different cooking methods affect the activity of catalase in potatoes and how does this impact its nutritional content? |
| Honorable Mention | Jacob Gray | Southridge High School | Brain Waves during learning |
| Honorable Mention | Brisa Longoria-Sosa | Sunnyside High School | What are the ramifications of oil spills on terrestrial and aquatic organisms? |
| Honorable Mention | Elias Mejia | Sunnyside High School | Do different locations and conditions affect bacterial growth on toothbrushes? |
| Honorable Mention | MaleahAnn Mendoza | Sunnyside High School | Can the composition of martian soil support plant life |
| Honorable Mention | Jimena Mondragon | Sunnyside High School | How does the process of osmosis differ between sugar and non-sugar liquids? |
| Honorable Mention | Lila Rice | Sunnyside High School | What are the effects of wildfire air pollution on marine and freshwater ecosystems? |
| Honorable Mention | Ally Rohdenburg | Hanford High School | What and When do Juvenile Western Screech Owls Eat |
| Honorable Mention | Claire Sheehan | Sunnyside High School | Which form of biodegradable hydrogels will help conserve irrigation water in the farming industry? |
| Honorable Mention | Aylin Sosa | Sunnyside High School | How do additives affect a non-newtonian fluid? |
| Honorable Mention | Jane Weaver | Sunnyside High School | What is the percentage of fat in different snack foods? |
| Honorable Mention | Marisabel Zarazua Gomez | Sunnyside High School | How do different vibration frequencies affect Nematode and Annelida behavior? |
| Honorable Mention | Erik Zuroff | Southridge High School | How does the year, make, and model of a car affect the amount of CO2 produced? |
Grand Prize winners receive an expenses-paid trip to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which will be in Los Angeles, California from May 11-17, 2024. The 9th grade 1st place winner receives a trip to attend ISEF as an Observer.
Special Awards
Award of Distinction in CLARITY OF PRESENTATION
Once a project is chosen, the experimentation is done and the data is collected, the final step is often one of the most difficult. You have to organize all your information to make it easy for others to understand. Presenting your procedure, experimental analysis and results in an attractive, concise and appealing way enhances our understanding of even complex topics. The following students are being recognized for their achievement in Clarity of Presentation:
Sergio Acevedo, Margaret Carlisle, Serenity Carrasco, Andre Chin, Brianna Collyer, Chloe Custodio, Jacob Gray, Rene Ibanez, Brisa Longoria-Sosa, Tatiana Melendrez, Akshath Motkuri, Daniel Phelan, Lynnet Ramos-Alcala, Luca Rapoza, Ally Rohdenburg, Joel Roman, Tova Slostad, Sriyan Thallapally, Julian Villanueva, Samuel Wang, Hana Werntz, Marisabel Zarazua Gomez
Rosalind Franklin Award
This award is given in honor of Rosalind Franklin, the scientist whose work was crucial in solving the structure of DNA but did not receive the Nobel Prize. The Rosalind Franklin Award is sponsored by Dr. Rama Devagupta. As a sponsor of the Rosalind Franklin Award, Rama seeks to promote budding young scientists who perform research without access to traditional lab equipment or facilities. This year’s winners are:
| Elsa | Hernandez | Sunnyside High School | Does the surface affect the visibility of a fingerprint? |
| Lila | Rice | Sunnyside High School | What are the effects of wildfire air pollution on marine and freshwater ecosystems? |
| Joslin | Zurita | Sunnyside High School | How does ultraviolet radiation affect the amount of bacteria on synthetic skin substitutes? |
The Links and WOW Try-Cities Awards
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.
Women Of Wisdom Tri-Cities (also known as WOW Tri-Cities) is a non -profit 501(c)3 charity human services organization in Eastern Washington. WOW provides a way for women to work together for the common good, transforming shared beliefs and hopes into action. Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities serves African American, Black, Indigenous and People of color in our community. Their mission is EQUITY. Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities facilitates programs and outreach that bridge the gap of access to nutrition and mental wellness, health and wealth disparities, provide access to technology and human services for women and their children developing the WHOLE family. These two organizations have gotten together to honor African American participants in the Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This year’s winner is:
| Marissa | Isaacson | Eisenhower High School | For Scientific excellence and ingenuity in the 2024 Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair | How does water types impact wheat grass production? |
American Chemical Society
Founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress, the American Chemical Society is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations with more than 155,000 members in 150 countries. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The ACS vision is to improve people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry. This year’s winners are:
| Audrey | Hsu | Christ the King School | Water “pH”acts | Karen Grant Memorial Excellence in Chemistry Award |
| Srithan | Thallapally | Richland High School | Rethinking Waste! Bioplastics from Banana Peels! | Karen Grant Memorial Excellence in Chemistry Award |
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Columbia River Professional Chapter (CRPC)
Founded in 1977, the AISES is a non-profit organization who’s goal is to substantially increase the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in science, technology, engineering, math and other related disciplines. The CRPC, founded in 1991, supports these national goals, while working at the local and regional level. Winners of the AISES-CRPC award receive a cash award, certificate, and an annual AISES membership which includes the AISES quarterly magazine, “Winds of Change”. This year’s winners are:
| Margaret | Carlisle | Christ the King School | Does greywater hurt or help plants? | Very Good |
| John Philip | Custodio | Hanford High School | Engineering an Elderly-Friendly App for Medication Management Post-Discharge | Very Good |
| Ali | Evans | Enterprise Middle School | A Better Way to Sanitize the Dirtiest Spot on Your Body | Very Good |
| Celeste | Garcia | Sunnyside High School | How do different desiccants affect the skin of the fruit. | Very Good |
| Yadira | Garibay-Castaneda | Sunnyside High School | Can certain natural substances be used as an effective alternative to chemical pesticides? | Very Good |
| Elena | Rivera | Eisenhower High School | How does soil salinity impact germination of Raphanus sativus? | Very Good |
| Berenice | Vazquez | Sunnyside High School | How do different light and angles affect the efficiency of a solar panel? | Very Good |
| Isadora | Vintin | Liberty Bell Jr-Sr High School | The effect of how much time you spend working out how sore you are | Very Good |
| Shaun | Wise | Sunnyside High School | How does green algae effect radish growth? | Very Good |
| Emily | Gallardo | Sunnyside High School | How do different antioxidants affect catalase activity? | Outstanding |
| Zagidh | Ruelas | Sunnyside High School | How do fertilizers impact soil microorganisms growth, plant height, chlorophyll content. | Outstanding |
Award of Distinction in CREATIVITY
Creativity is something that is required for all forms of science. An original idea which brings together elements of science done in the past, coupled with the student’s unique idea, often brings new understanding and rewards of its own. This unique and original application of scientific ideas is alive and well and was demonstrated by many students in this fair. For their creative spark, the following students are being recognized for CREATIVITY:
Luis Alvarez, Royal Anda, Yasmin Ceja Fajardo, Zoey Jane Coleman, Noah Collyer, Aria Covell, Briza Diaz
Yadira Garibay-Castaneda Samantha Gonzalez Brittany Gonzalez-Mojarro Elsa Hernandez, Marissa Isaacson, Madeline Kannely, Elena Licona, Jimena Mondragon, Georgia Morton, Blake O’Brien, Diego Perez, Nathan Saunders, Aarav Shrivastava, Ileene Solorzano – Lopez, Avery Vracin, Grace Wang, Gracelyn Wilde, Kennedy Wise, Shaun Wise
STEM Enthusiast Award
The STEM Enthusiast Awards recognize middle school projects that best demonstrate students’ creativity and innovation in exploring the world around them. Students will be receiving a certificate and gift card. This year’s winners are:
| Leonardo | Campos | Harrison Middle School | Anti-Tipper |
| James | McMillan | Liberty Bell Jr-Sr High School | The Effect of Force on a Sports Ball |
| Georgia | Morton | Christ the King School | Slimeology |
| Natalie | Weidner | Christ the King School | Sea Monkey Saga |
Creativity Award
The Creativity Award goes to middle school projects that have a unique or creative idea. This year’s winners are:
| Alysianna | Aguirre | Harrison Middle School | Does the type of cover used on a container affect the moisture retained in cheese? |
| Christopher | Aguirre | Harrison Middle School | Fractal Revolution |
| Aria | Covell | Liberty Bell Jr-Sr High School | Attitude and Test Scores |
| Lucia | Troyer | Liberty Bell Jr-Sr High School | Volcanology and Plate Tectonics |
Inspiring Excellence, Inc
Inspiring Excellence, Inc. supports science fair students with awards for demonstrating excellence. Excellence is displayed by the following traits: interest, desire, enthusiasm, perseverance, diligence, scholarship, and a positive attitude. The following students are recognized for excellence in their chosen project:
| Owen | Callaghan | Christ the King School | The Science Behind Deflategate |
| Margaret | Carlisle | Christ the King School | Does greywater hurt or help plants? |
| Zoey Jane | Coleman | Christ the King School | smile brighter |
| Jonathan | Gibbons | Sunnyside High School | Will using the MMF method with Electromagnetic trains own weight improve how ergonomic the electromagnetic trains are |
| Claire | Sheehan | Sunnyside High School | Which form of biodegradable hydrogels will help conserve irrigation water in the farming industry? |
| Aarav | Shrivastava | Leona Libby Middle School | Diagnosing the impacts of wildfires on visibility and human health in the Western USA |
Inspiring Excellence, Inc., also recognizes a teacher who inspires their students to reach excellence. This year’s winner is:
Theresa Alvarez-Ziegler, Sunnyside High School
Award of Distinction in DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Data is the foundation of all science. The collection, control and interpretation of large amounts of information are very important and time-consuming tasks. Once this mountain of information is finally put into place, the essence of “What does it all mean?” is determined through successful use of graphs, charts, pictures, tables, and the like. The following students are being recognized for their successful acquisition and compilation of data:
Alysianna Aguirre, Angelica Barcenas, Leonardo Campos, Mya Chacon, Prayrona Choudhury, Aksel Curfman, Ricardo Fuentes Rios, Ryon Kovis, Elias Mejia, Evelyn Rodriguez Hernandez, Aylin Sosa, Srithan Thallapally, Lola Thomas
Sigma Xi, Tri-Cities Chapter
Sigma Xi, Tri-Cities Chapter, provides awards for the projects that demonstrate the best use of the Scientific Method. This year’s winners are:
| Ricardo | Fuentas Rios | Sunnyside High School | How many bacteria colonies are in school water fountains? |
| Elsa | Hernandez | Sunnyside High School | Does the surface affect the visibility of a fingerprint? |
U.S. Metric Association
The U.S. Metric Association provides one award for the Best use of SI, the International System of Units, in a science fair project. This year’s winner is:
| Vivian | Navarro | Sunnyside High School | How do different seed size affect seed dispersal? |
Computer Science Award
In presenting this award, our judges hope to encourage increased participation in computer science, one of today’s fastest growing fields, and an important source of innovation for the 21st century. The winners of the Computer Science Award will receive an Award certificate and a monetary award. This year’s winners are:
| Christopher | Aguirre | Harrison Middle School | Fractal Revolution | Computer Science Award 2nd place |
| Advaitha | Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection | Computer Science Award 1st place |
NASA Earth System Science Award
Earth system science is the study of the complex system and the interconnections that occur on Earth. The Earth’s spheres interact in complex ways. The different spheres that make up our Earth system are the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere (snow and ice), and biosphere. Changes in one sphere affect other spheres because they are all interconnected. NASA is developing a scientific understanding of how Earth’s system responds to changes that are occurring as a result of natural and man-made causes. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth System Science Project Award goes to the student whose project best demonstrates Insight into Earth’s Interconnected Systems. This year’s winner is:
| MaleahAnn | Mendoza | Sunnyside High School | Can the composition of martian soil support plant life |
Ricoh Corporation
Ricoh Corporation presents the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award, which is presented to the student whose research has demonstrated the Principles and Technical Innovations that offer the greatest potential for Sustainable Development. This year’s winner is:
| Nicole | Samaan | Hanford High School | Microgrid Optimization: The Future of Efficient, Reliable, and Autonomous Renewable Energy | Ricoh Sustainable Development Award |
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID):
The United States Agency for International Development provides the Science Champion Award for scientific excellence and using science innovatively to create a potential solution to international development challenges. This year’s winner is:
| Aashrita | Bhamidimarri | Hanford High School | ‘Root’ for Success: Controlling Agricultural Pollution | Science Champion Award |
Award of Distinction in ENGINEERING
Engineers bring together the elements of research, experimentation and data collection and translate them into hardware or processes. The design, production and operation of a project can be a true example of scientific engineering, not only in the physical sense but also organizationally. We recognize the following students for their achievement in engineering:
Lorenzo Corleto, John Phillip Custodio, Jonathan Gibbons, George Nassaneh, Isabella Pinto, Owen Rothwell, Nicole Samaan, Sophia Samaan, Matthew Yao
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
The Society of Women Engineers takes a very active role in encouraging young women to investigate technical career paths. This year’s Best Female Science Project winners are:
| Krithi | Karri | Leona Libby Middle School | Safe alternative for edible synthetic Red dye | 6th Grade Honorable Mention |
| Margaret | Carlisle | Christ the King School | Does greywater hurt or help plants? | 7th Grade Honorable Mention |
| Alexa | Corleto | Christ the King School | Hidden Power of Mushroom Substrate | 7th Grade Winner |
| Elena | Licona | Harrison Middle School | Will the rise and number of cracks of the finished cheesecake change based on the baking method? | 7th Grade Winner |
| Audrey | Hsu | Christ the King School | Water “pH”acts | 8th Grade Honorable Mention |
| Ali | Evans | Enterprise Middle School | A Better Way to Sanitize the Dirtiest Spot on Your Body | 8th Grade Winner |
| Paige | Phillips | Leona Libby Middle School | Does sagebrush have a different cellular makeup from sagebrush in other geographical areas? | 8th Grade Winner |
| Berenice | Vazquez | Sunnyside High School | How do different light and angles affect the efficiency of a solar panel? | 9th -10th Grade Honorable Mention |
| Prayrona | Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments | 9th -10th Grade Winner |
| Advaitha | Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection | 11th – 12th Honorable Mention |
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle | 11th – 12th Winner |
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a not-for-profit membership organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, career enrichment, and skills development across all engineering disciplines. Founded in 1889 by a small group of leading industries, ASME has grown through the decades to include more than 120,000 members in over 140 countries around the globe. This year’s winners of the ASME awards are:
| Aksel | Curfman | Sunnyside High School | How do different fabric types affect their fire resistance? |
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle |
| Samuel | Wang | Enterprise Middle School | Sonic Fire Suppression: Extinguishing Flames with Sound |
| Matthew | Yao | Walla Walla High School | Tactron: A Low-Cost Refreshable Tactile Graphics Display |
YALE Science and Engineering Association, Inc.
Yale Science and Engineering Association, Inc. provides an award for Most Outstanding Exhibit in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The award is intended for 11th grade projects. This year’s winner is:
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle |
Award of Distinction in EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Having a unique and original scientific idea is only half the battle. Trying to design experiments that will give meaningful results and that will further the understanding of a topic can take most of the time spent on a project. The concept of “test, test, and re-test” often becomes paramount in ensuring that an experiment will produce a valid examination of a hypothesis. The following students are recognized for their excellence in experimental design:
Lilly Antonissen, Isabel Ayala, Aashrita Bhamidimarri, Owen Callaghan, Mia Dang, Alejandro Espinoza, Ali Evans, Leonardo Hernandez, Dante Manglona, Ricardo Mondragon, Navaj Nune, Brianna Rios, Elena Rivera, Bethany Thornton, Rishi Vijay, Natalie Wiedner, Joslin Zurita
Special Awards: U.S. Military
We thank those serving in our United States military. This year, we have awards provided by the United States Air Force.
US Air Force Award
The US Air Force award included an over the shoulder sling pack, Power Bank charger, dog tag USB Flash Memory Drive, a duel USB Car Charger, and official Air Force Certificate. The winners of the US Air Force Award are:
| Advaitha | Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection | United States Air Force Certificate of Achievement |
| Navaj | Nune | Hanford High School | A Comprehensive Evaluation of AI Frameworks for Accurate Object Detection and Enumeration of Visual Data for Environmental Remediation | United States Air Force Certificate of Achievement |
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle | United States Air Force Certificate of Achievement |
| Matthew | Yao | Walla Walla High School | Tactron: A Low-Cost Refreshable Tactile Graphics Display | United States Air Force Certificate of Achievement |
ANS, Eastern Washington Section
ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society. This year’s winners of a scholarship from the Eastern Washington Section of the American Nuclear Society are:
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle | Scholarship |
| Nicole | Samaan | Hanford High School | Microgrid Optimization: The Future of Efficient, Reliable, and Autonomous Renewable Energy | Scholarship |
Columbia Chapter Health Physics Society
The Columbia Chapter of the Health Physics Society is a professional organization whose members are specialists in radiation safety. These Health Physicists are dedicated to maximizing the beneficial use of radiation while minimizing the risk to people and the environment. This year’s winners are:
| Blake | O’Brien | Christ the King School | Acoustic Levitation | First Place Middle School |
| Joslin | Zurita | Sunnyside High School | How does ultraviolet radiation affect the amount of bacteria on synthetic skin substitutes? | First Place High School |
INMM Awards
We are the Institute of Nuclear Material Management, Pacific Northwest Chapter. Our official slogan states, “We are dedicated to the safe, secure and effective stewardship of nuclear materials and related technologies through the advancement of scientific knowledge, technical skills, policy dialogue, professional capabilities, and best practices.” But put more simply, we exist because the power of the atom demands that we exist. How does Spiderman state it? “…with great power comes great responsibility…” Well that’s what we’re all about. The power of the atom is the most abundant energy source known to humankind – it powers the sun! But that kind of power creates problems – safety, security, and environmental waste. We have to do it right, and the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management is all about doing nuclear the right way. With that in mind, we want to award a project that not only does great science, but ensures it’s done the right way – with safety, security, and environmental stewardship in mind from start to finish. This year’s winners are:
| Navaj | Nune | Hanford High School | A Comprehensive Evaluation of AI Frameworks for Accurate Object Detection and Enumeration of Visual Data for Environmental Remediation | INMM-PNW Honorable Mention |
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle | INMM-PNW Honorable Mention |
| Prayrona | Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments | INMM-PNW award |
Award of Distinction in HONESTY
In any scientific experiment there can be unexpected results. However, even in the light of undesired results, a new inspiration may be found. Others may be able to build on the results, and we may gain a better understanding of the topic. We may even find a new avenue to explore. Looking at all data as important, and presenting the findings regardless of anticipated results, is a very important aspect of scientific work. The following students are being recognized for their honesty in presentation:
Daniah Aguilar, Raul Fuentes Rios, Iker Gutierrez, Ethan Lopez, Carlos Molina, Armaan Nijjar, Zoe Plemel, Clara Roy Prytherch, Erika Sanchez, Marlene Torres-Macias, Emily Trevino-Medina, Berenice Vazquez, Isadora Vintin
MCBONES
The Mid-Columbia Basin Old Natural Education Sciences (MCBONES) Research Center Foundation provides local K-12 teachers and their students an opportunity to actively participate in laboratory and field-based research in paleontology, geology, paleoecology, and other natural sciences within the Kennewick Washington area.
The MCBONES award is for spending a six-hour day at the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Dig. The award winner will shadow a crew of paleontologists, rotating from one task to another during the day. They will participate in, or shadow, including dig support, dig management, recordkeeping, sediment washing, possibly assembling bones, and micro-photography. There will also be an opportunity to do a project of their choice at the site. This year’s MCBONES winner is:
| Navaj | Nune | Hanford High School | A Comprehensive Evaluation of AI Frameworks for Accurate Object Detection and Enumeration of Visual Data for Environmental Remediation |
Association for Women Geoscientists Award:
The Association for Women Geoscientists award is presented to the female student whose project exemplifies high standards of innovativeness and scientific excellence in the geosciences. This year’s winner is:
| Alexa | Corleto | Christ the King School | Hidden Power of Mushroom Substrate | Outstanding Project |
Wenas Mammoth Camp Scholarships
Youth will be learning the methods of Paleontology, Archaeology, and Geology in a real hand-on learning environment. The Wenas Mammoth Foundation offers Paleontology, Archaeology, and Geology camp for 3rd grade through 12 grade students. The first-year students learn the methods of paleontology, archaeology, and geology which includes learning about the history and geology of the Wenas Creek Mammoth Dig Site, STEM earth science careers, maintaining field records, laying out a dig-site unit, excavation processes, and identification of findings. Returning students will be given the opportunity to take the skills they obtained in the first year, and utilize those skills in the field, and learn more about the geology of the area.
The Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair will award two summer Wenas Mammoth Camp Scholarships. One for grades 6-8th grade, and Senior Division. It is a day camp that lasts for three days June 25, 26. 27, 2024, (9 AM – 3 PM) in Selah , Washington.
This year’s winners are:
| Aarav | Shrivastava | Leona Libby Middle School | Diagnosing the impacts of wildfires on visibility and human health in the Western USA | 6th – 8th grade |
| Brisa | Longoria-Sosa | Sunnyside High School | What are the ramifications of oil spills on terrestrial and aquatic organisms? | Senior Division |
NOAA Pulse of the Planet Award
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided NOAA’s 2024 “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” award. This award is presented to the student whose research has demonstrated the principles and technical innovations that offer the greatest potential for an improved understanding of the Earth’s dynamic processes. This year’s winner is:
| Prayrona | Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments |
Award of Distinction in NOVELTY
It is sometimes surprising how the things we take for granted are often taken out of context and applied in new and unique ways. Using old ideas with a twist to create new thoughts is very important in science. Scientists who challenge “the system” by introducing an innovative approach are often labeled as rebels – and where would we be without them! For their innovative and unique interpretation of scientific knowledge, the following students are recognized:
Kalie Ceja-Flores, Emily Gallardo, Celeste Garcia, Yahaira Gomez-Rivera, Raman Harilal, Paige Phillips, Lila Rice, Yasmin Roque, Claire Sheehan
Agriculture Awards
Agriculture is an important industry in the mid-Columbia. The following projects involving plant science are this year’s award winners:
| Ileene | Solorzano-Lopez | Sunnyside High School | How do different types of plastic affect a plant’s growth ? | Distinguished Project |
| Bethany | Thorton | Sunnyside High School | How does the length of time a plant is electrically stimulated affect photosynthesis? | Distinguished Project |
Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB)
The Society for In Vitro Biology provides an award for the most outstanding 11th grade project exhibiting in the areas of plant or animal in vitro biology or tissue culture. This year’s winner is:
| Lila | Rice | Sunnyside High School | What are the effects of wildfire air pollution on marine and freshwater ecosystems? |
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association has provided an award for outstanding research in psychological science under the category of behavioral and social sciences or any category related to psychology. The award includes the APA certificate with a complementary one-year student affiliate membership in APA. This year’s winner is:
| Jacob | Gray | Southridge High School | Brain Waves during learning | Achievement in Research in Psychological Science |
Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
Regeneron Biomedical Science Award is presented to an exceptional student scientist who not only demonstrates an impressive command of biomedical science and research but also embodies Regeneron’s core values, known The Regeneron Way. These include Lead with Science, Take on Big Ideas, Make it Happen, Be Great Together, and Do What’s Right. The award includes a certificate and a $375.00 prize. This year’s winner is:
| Advaitha | Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection | Regeneron Biomedical Science Award |
Renewable Power Award
The Renewable Power award goes to the best project on renewable power. The award includes a certificate and a cash prize. This year’s winner is:
| Nicole | Samaan | Hanford High School | Microgrid Optimization: The Future of Efficient, Reliable, and Autonomous Renewable Energy | First Place |
Award of Distinction in PERSERVERANCE
For most of us, life’s little setbacks are mostly an annoyance. But for our young scientists, when the plants die or the crickets ran away, or the home-built super-collider doesn’t… months of hard work can disappear. In the face of these obstacles, many of our students just looked adversity in the face, laughed, and continued despite the setbacks. The judges would like to recognize the following students for their superior perseverance:
Alexandra Contreras, Zeph Grubb, Keyser Hodge
Using STEM to Make the World a Better Place
This year’s winners are:
| Rishi | Vijay | Enterprise Middle School | Pressure Transducer: Press To Start | 4th Place Junior Division |
| Clara Roy | Prytherch | Christ the King School | No Energy Homes | 3rd Place Junior Division |
| Ali | Evans | Enterprise Middle School | A Better Way to Sanitize the Dirtiest Spot on Your Body | 2nd Place Junior Division |
| Aarav | Shrivastava | Leona Libby Middle School | Diagnosing the impacts of wildfires on visibility and human health in the Western USA | 1st Place Junior Division |
| Yadira | Garbay-Castaneda | Sunnyside High School | Can certain natural substances be used as an effective alternative to chemical pesticides? | 4th Place Senior Division |
| Isabel | Ayala | Sunnyside High School | How do different environmental conditions affect plant transpiration? | 3rd Place Senior Division |
| Srithan | Thallapally | Richland High School | Rethinking Waste! Bioplastics from Banana Peels! | 2nd Place Senior Division |
| Claire | Sheehan | Sunnyside High School | Which form of biodegradable hydrogels will help conserve irrigation water in the farming industry? | 1st Place Senior Division |
The Lemelson Early Inventor Prize
For the development of an outstanding invention exhibited at a Society for Science-Affiliated Science and Engineering Fair. The prize includes a $100 award for a 6th – 8th grade inventor. This year’s winner is:
| Sriyan | Thallapally | Leona Libby Middle School | Clean The Air With A DIY Air Filter | outstanding invention |
Award of Distinction in SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT
In the pursuit of science, there are certain paths or methods that are taken to ensure proper scientific investigation. This includes rules for concept formation, conduct of observations, experimentation and validation of hypotheses. Gathering all aspects of a project, understanding the scope and being able to relate the concepts to the casual observer is quite a challenge. The following students have taken the scientific method and applied it to all aspects of their project, and are recognized for excellence in scientific thought:
Dayanara Bracamontes, Alexa Corleto, Kaiden Frank, Aidan Hudgens, Anne Kannely, Krithi Karri, Cristina Leyva, Theodore Maier, James McMillan, Cade Mears, MaleahAnn Mendoza, Esmeralda Millan, Grayce Morris, Advaitha Motkuri, Vivian Navarro, Rohan Nune, Uriel Olmedo, Nevaeh Ontiveros, Mia Ruiz-Lara, Ricky Sandoval, Christina Senior, Andrew Sheehan, Jane Weaver, Joseph White
Water Environment Federation (WEF) and Xylem, Inc.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional Award of Excellence for a water related science research project goes to winning projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life through improvement of water quality, water resource management, or water and wastewater treatment. All high school students in 9th-12th grades, at least 15 years old by August 1st, 2024, who have conducted water related science projects have the opportunity to enter their State Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition. Students must enter the 2024 Stockholm Junior Water Prize State Competition on-line by April 15, 2024. This year’s MCSF nominees to enter the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition are:
| Aashrita | Bhamidimarri | Hanford High School | ‘Root’ for Success: Controlling Agricultural Pollution |
| Brisa | Longoria-Sosa | Sunnyside High School | What are the ramifications of oil spills on terrestrial and aquatic organisms? |
| Claire | Sheehan | Sunnyside High School | Which form of biodegradable hydrogels will help conserve irrigation water in the farming industry? |
GENIUS Olympiad
The Rochester Institute of Technology and Terra Science and Education sponsor the Global Environmental Issues (GENIUS) Olympiad to honor projects that display excellent work about the environment. The Exceptional Genius Olympiad Award grants the student participation in the GENIUS Olympiad to be held on the RIT campus in Rochester NY June 10-14, 2024. Winning students must submit their application by April 18. The Dr. Richard S. Stark Memorial Scholarship ($500 for each of the winners) will pay for the student’s application ($50) and participation fee ($425). Participation fee must be paid by May 1. Airfare and the chaperone participation fee is not covered. The director will have to register the student in the Genius Olympiad website.
If the winner(s) cannot go, they need to let the director know ASAP so the alternate winner can be contacted.
This year’s winners of the Exceptional Genius Award are:
| Prayrona | Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments | Exceptional Genius Award |
| Claire | Sheehan | Sunnyside High School | Which form of biodegradable hydrogels will help conserve irrigation water in the farming industry? | Exceptional Genius Award |
| Srithan | Thallapally | Richland High School | Rethinking Waste! Bioplastics from Banana Peels! | Exceptional Genius Award (Alternate) |
Washington State Science and Engineering Fair
The Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) provides one award for Outstanding Research Based Project Achievement. The award recipient receives a complimentary registration fee and T-shirt. This year’s winner is:
| Prayrona | Choudhury | Hanford High School | AquaScope: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimodal AI in Diagnosing Water Quality Based on Environmental Context, Sensor Data and Visual Assessments |
Award of Distinction in THOROUGHNESS
Most ideas can be applied, presented and interpreted in a thousand different ways. A scientist often has to examine a particular idea from many sides to gain a full understanding of it. A thorough investigation of how different variables come together and interact is sometimes one of the great educators about a particular scientific idea. For exhaustively applying their knowledge of interactions and ideas, the following students are recognized for excellence in Thoroughness:
Christopher Aguirre, Martha Garibay, Audrey Hsu, Gavin Montelongo, Gabriel Ramirez, Vibhav Repalle, Zagidh Ruelas, Lucia Troyer, Ruth Wise Maldonado, Erik Zuroff
Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) Nominees
Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) is the nation’s premier STEM research competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.
The top 10% of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students competing here today have the honor of continuing their science fair journey by applying to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC (formerly known as the Broadcom MASTERS).
Each nominee will receive a certificate of recognition and a digital packet inviting them to complete the online application for the 2024 Thermo Fisher JIC national competition. The online entry must be received by the June 12, 2024 deadline to enter the next phase of the competition. All Thermo Fisher JIC nominees that successfully complete the 2024 online application will receive a t-shirt and other prizes.
From among the entrants, the Top 300 Junior Innovators will be selected and will receive $125 and a special prize package. Thirty of the Top 300 will be named finalists and win $500 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC in October to participate in Finals Week of the Thermo Fisher JIC. The top winner will receive a $25,000 award. Additionally, in recognition of the importance of the contributions of schools and teachers, each of the 30 finalists’ teachers will receive special prizes and each of the finalists’ schools will receive $1,000.
This year’s MCSF Thermo-Fisher JIC nominees are:
| Chloe | Custodio | Leona Libby Middle School | Can Laundry Greywater be Reused for Hydroponics? |
| George | Nassaneh | Christ the King School | Electromagnetic Extravaganza! |
| Rohan | Nune | Leona Libby Middle School | Powering the Future: Iron-Based Batteries for Sustainable Energy Storage |
| Sophia | Samaan | Christ the King School | How to Maximize the Energy from Solar Panels by Tracking the Sun |
| Samuel | Wang | Leona Libby Middle School | Sonic Fire Suppression: Extinguishing Flames with Sound |
Sivaraman Award
The Sivaraman Award is to recognize creativity, hard work, perseverance, and the ability to take risks – attributes needed to solve the most pressing problems in the world. This year’s winners are:
| Advaitha | Motkuri | Richland High School | A Eye Intelligence: The Future of Eye Disease Detection |
| Isabella | Pinto | Hanford High School | How Magnetically Suspended Tires Utilizing High-Temperature Superconductivity and Electromagnetism Creates the Most Eco-Friendly Vehicle |
| Matthew | Yao | Walla Walla High School | Tactron: A Low-Cost Refreshable Tactile Graphics Display |