RSD Students Sweep Awards at Mid-Columbia Science Fair

The eating habits of screech owls, machine learning, robotics and using artificial intelligence to diagnose pneumonia were just a few of RSD student research projects to take home awards at this year’s Mid-Columbia Regional Science Fair.

18 students and one teacher from six schools were honored during the fair’s virtual awards ceremony. Two Hanford High students, senior Emmaline McKinnon and junior Ourania Gezakou-Elbert, were named Grand Prize winners, earning them a ticket to compete in the International Science & Engineering Fair later this year in Atlanta. Leona Libby Middle School teacher Debbie Ellefson received a Teacher Inspiring Excellence special award.

Students in grades 6-12 may compete in the fair by creating and carrying out a research project on a topic of their choosing. Students were evaluated on their research project abstract, display slides, a scientific journal and overview video. Senior division students were also judged on an interview over Zoom with the scientific review committee.

Students also have the option to submit their projects to the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held virtually on March 26.

2022 Mid-Columbia Science Fair RSD award winners:

 

Hanford High School:

Ourania Glezakou-Elbert, Grade 11

• Fair Award: Grand Prize winner
• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Special Awards: Health Physical Society Award, Tri-City Astronomy Club Award, YALE Science & Engineering Association (Most Outstanding Eleventh Grade Exhibit in STEM); Sivaraman Award recipient

Emmaline McKinnon, Grade 12

• Fair Award: Grand Prize winner
• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Special Awards: American Psychological Association (Achievement in Research in Psychological Science); Sivaraman Award recipient

John Phillip Custodio, Grade 9

• Fair Award: second place in 9^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Engineering
• Special Awards: America Society of Mechanical Engineers (Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Award), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (9^th grade robots); American Nuclear Society $1,000 scholarship winner; Office of Naval Research senior award

Navaj Nune, Grade 9

• Fair Awards: second place in 9^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Engineering
• Special Awards: U.S. Agency for International Development (Science Champion Award); Regeneron Biomedical Science Award

 

Richland High School:

Anika Halappanavar, Grade 11

• Fair Award: first place (senior division)
• Award of Distinction: Thoroughness
• Special Awards: Mu Alpha Theta Award (most challenging, original, thorough, and creative investigation of a problem-solving mathematics assessable to a high school student); Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (Senior Division); Computer Science Award Winner

Advaitha Motkuri, Grade 9

• Fair Awards: 3^rd place in 9^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Engineering
• Special Awards: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Award (9^th Grade Software Engineering); Society of Women Engineer (9-10^th grade winner)

 

Chief Joseph Middle School:

Lily Deng, Grade 8

• Fair Award: second place in 8^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Engineering
• Special Awards: America Society of Mechanical Engineers (Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Award), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (8^th grade); Society of Women Engineer (8^th grade winner)

Sanah Khan, Grade 8

• Fair Award: first place in 8^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Experimental Design
• Special Awards: America Society of Mechanical Engineers (Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Award); Association of Women Geoscientists Award for outstanding project; Society of Women Engineer (8^th grade honorable mention); Broadcom MASTERS nominee

Keshav Karkamkar, Grade 8

• Award of Distinction: Perseverance
• Special Award: Rosalind Franklin Award

 

Enterprise Middle School:

Aashrita Bhamidimarri, Grade 8

• Award of Distinction: Data Collection & Analysis
• Special Award: U.S. Metric Association (best use of the International System of Units, in a Science Fair Project)
• Fair Award: honorable mention (8^th grade)

Ria Mascal, Grade 7

• Award of Distinction: Experimental Design
• Special Award: Society of Women Engineer (7^th grade honorable mention)

 

Leona Libby Middle School: 

Raman Harilal, Grade 6

• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Special Awards:  STEM Enthusiast, Inspiring Excellence, Inc. Award
• Fair Award: 6^th grade honorable mention

Prayrona Choudhury, Grade 7

• Fair Award: first place in 7^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Engineering
• Special Awards: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (7^th grade); National Ocean & Atmospheric Administration (Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award); Society of Women Engineer (7^th grade winner); The Lemelson Early Innovator Prize (Outstanding Innovation); Broadcom MASTERS nominee; Office of Naval Research Junior Award

Owen Rothwell, Grade 7

• Fair Award: second place in 7^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Special Award: ASM Materials Education Foundation Award (Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science)

Akshath Motkuri, Grade 6

• Fair Award: first place in 6^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Creativity
• Special Award: Broadcom MASTERS nominee

Rohan Nune, Grade 6

• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Fair Award: 6^th grade honorable mention

Otto Kovarik, Grade 6

• Fair Award: third place in 6^th grade division
• Award of Distinction: Scientific Thought
• Special Award: Office of Naval Research Junior Award

Debbie Ellefson (Teacher)

• Special Award: Teacher Inspiring Excellence

 

Three Rivers Homelink:

Elias Larson, Grade 8

• Award of Distinction: Novelty
• Special Award: STEM Enthusiast

 

Learn more about the Mid-Columbia Science Fair and view students projects at https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org.