Athens, Ga. – More than 700 students from across the state recently competed for more than $25,000 in prizes and awards during the 66th Annual Georgia Science and Engineering Fair, administered and hosted by the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education, a UGA public service and outreach unit.
Students are invited to compete at GSEF after winning top awards at one of the 20 regional fairs throughout the state.
Roswell High School student Anand Srinivasan received the top award, the Kroger Pinnacle Award. Twelve students received the Grand Award, and five of these students were selected to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles May 11-16. These five winners will join the 23 other students who were selected from regional fairs throughout the state to represent Georgia in competition at international science and engineering fair. Also selected to attend the international fair is the recipient of the Merial Biological ISEF Trip Observer Award, which honors a ninth or tenth grade student who shows the “desire, academic potential, and personality to attend ISEF as a participant in following years.” Award winners were announced at the GSEF Awards Ceremony on March 29.
“The Georgia Science and Engineering Fair is always a truly gratifying experience,” said science fair director Nancy Thompson. “Meeting these young scientists, observing their infectious enthusiasm, and seeing the quality of their research gives us confidence for a bright future.”
The Georgia Science and Engineering Fair is dedicated to encouraging all Georgia teachers and school districts to incorporate active science and engineering research into their classrooms in order to help students develop a love for science; learn to isolate important problems and address them within the framework of organized, logical thought, careful research and a detailed analysis of facts; and showcase and celebrate their achievements.
This year’s top GSEF award winners are listed below by city and school and project title:
The Pinnacle Award – sponsored by the Kroger Co., Atlanta Division
• Anand Srinivasan, Roswell High School
“Eukaryotic Gene Finding Via Hybrid Recurrent Neural Networks”
Georgia Science and Engineering Fair Isef Trip
• Mitesh Bhalani, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
“Synthesizing Py Nanotubes: Toward A Phospholipid Bilayer Model”
• William Jin, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
“Developing Novel Protein Targets For Pertussis Antibiotics Part 2”
• Chuanbo Pan, North Oconee High School
“Myeyeassistant: Computer Vision Based Camera Navigation System”
• Aksal Vashi and Fernando Cruz, Collins Hill High School
“Fruit Waste Based Ammonia-Biosorptive Permeable Barriers”
Merial Biological Isef Trip Observer Award
• Simran Modi, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
“An Assessment of Cardiac Troponin T in Post-Myocardial Infarction”
Georgia Science and Engineering Fair Grand Award Top Ten State Recognition:
• Zac Adams, Peachtree Ridge High School
• Amadou Bah, B.E.S.T. Academy
• Mitesh Bhalani, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
• Jovanay Carter, Coretta Scott King Women’s Academy
• Fernando Cruz , Collins Hill High School
• Hope Louise Didier, McIntosh High School
• William Jin, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
• Chuanbo Pan, North Oconee High School
• Angelin Ponraj, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
• Anand Srinivasan, Roswell High School
• Aksal Vashi, Collins Hill High School
• Jason Wu, Peachtree Ridge High School
About the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair
The Georgia Science and Engineering Fair is supported by the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Kroger Atlanta Division, Merial and other businesses, academic departments and associations. For more information on the competition, see www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth/academic-special-programs/georgia-science-and-engineering-fair.
About the UGA Office of Academic Special Programs
The UGA Office of Academic Special Programs equips Georgia’s pre-college students to succeed and to flourish in an increasingly complex and highly technical world by becoming problem solvers, critical thinkers, inquirers, reflective learners and more productive and influential members of their communities. For more information call 706-542-6473 or see www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth/pre-collegiate-competitions.
