16 Indian American middle schoolers in STEM challenge finals

A total of 16 Indian American youngsters are among 30 finalists in the inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition.

The 30 finalists were selected by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators from a pool of top 300 Junior Innovators announced earlier this month, Society for Science announced Sep 20.

The finalists will attend the Thermo Fisher JIC Finals Week in Washington, DC next month, where they will compete for more than $100,000 in awards, including the top $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award.

READ: Neel Moudgal wins $250,000 top Science Talent Search award (March 15, 2023)

A panel of judges will evaluate their scientific research and their communication, creativity and collaboration skills during team challenges.

“I applaud the top 30 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge finalists! I look forward to meeting them in Washington, DC,” said Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science and Executive Publisher of Science News.

“These young people are truly inspiring, with many of them seeking to solve problems within their own communities. They give me hope for the future.”

READ: Five Indian Americans in Regeneron Science Talent Search finals (January 25, 2023)

The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of the Society for Science, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the grand challenges of the future.

A full list of the finalists can be viewed here: https://www.societyforscience.org/jic/2023-finalists/.

Indian American finalists and their projects:

Inika Adapala, 7th Grade, Stratford Middle School, San Jose, California; Communication App for Patients With Locked-in Syndrome.

Advait Badrish, 7th Grade, Redmond Middle School, Washington; HeartNN: A High-Accuracy Neural Network for Cardiac Auscultation.

Krishna Bhatt, 8th Grade, BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, San Jose, California; A Novel Wearable for Active Prevention of Falls Through GRU-Based Gyroscopic Inference and Center of Mass Manipulation.

Adyant Bhavsar, 7th Grade, Challenger School – Strawberry Park, San Jose, California; From Waste to Wattage: Converting Wasted Mechanical Energy Into Electricity Through Triboelectrification and Electrostatic Induction.

READ: Three Indian Americans among top ten in Regeneron Science Talent Search (March 24, 2022)

Pranavi Chatrathi, 7th Grade, Pioneer Heritage Middle School, Frisco, Texas; Side Impact Car Crash: An External Airbag To Reduce Injury Severity Through Reduction in B. Pillar Intrusion.

Sharanya Munjal Chudgar, 8th Grade, Challenger School – Shawnee, San Jose, California; Solar-Tracking Litterminator.

Maya Gandhi, 8th Grade, Fairmont Private School – Anaheim Hills Campus, Anaheim, California; Optimizing Plant Microbial Fuel Cell Energy Output: The Effect of Anodic Substance and Configuration.

Shanya Gill, 6th Grade, Stratford School – Sunnyvale Raynor Middle School, San Jose, California; Prevention of Casualties and Property Damage Using Thermal Imaging and Software-Based Occupancy Detection.

Akshadha Mehta, 7th Grade, Dodgen Middle School Marietta, Georgia; FAP-BRIX: A Practical Solution To Lessen Plastic Pollution.

Kinnoree Rabeya Pasha, 8th Grade, Granite Ridge Intermediate School, Fresno, California; Analyze the Effects of Soil Management Practice on Water Holding Capacity of Soil To Reduce Water Application and Increase Crop Yield Using Precision Agriculture Technology.

Maan Mamta-Sanjay Patel, 7th Grade, McCullough Junior High School, The Woodlands, Texas; Nature’s Super Shapes: How Voronoi Tessellations Affect Structural Strength.

Nikita Prabhakar, 7th Grade, Discovery Middle School, Madison, Alabama; A Non-Invasive Integrated Sensor for Monitoring Menorrhagia.

Amritha Praveen, 8th Grade, Aptakisic Junior High School, Buffalo Grove, Illinois; Improving Mental Health Using Artificial Intelligence-Powered Music Therapy.

Aswath Rajesh, 8th Grade, DeLaura Middle School Satellite Beach, Florida; Ecofriendly Polymeric Material: Paving the Way for Circular Bio-Economy.

Keshvee Sekhda, 8th Grade, North Gwinnett Middle School, Sugar Hill, Georgia; IdentiCan: The App That Detects Breast, Lung and Skin Cancer.

Rayyan Yaqoob, 7th Grade, Good Tree Academy, Plano, Texas; The Effect of Targeting Multiple Neural Pathways Using Nutraceuticals on the Cognition of Drosophila: A Novel Multi-Target Approach Using Curcumin, Magnesium, and Coenzyme Q10.