2022 National JSHS Winners
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – April 25, 2022 – The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), the premier showcase for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) research by high school students, is pleased to announce the 2022 winners of the 60th National JSHS competition.
The Tri-Service – the Departments of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force – sponsored event took place last week and was hosted by the Kirtland Air Force Base and administered by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). The first in-person national event since 2019 brought together 224 high school students and approximately 130 teachers, mentors, university faculty, military personnel, and more to compete and celebrate student achievement in the sciences.
“Returning to an in-person event for the first time since 2019 was rewarding for not only our national finalists, but all of the mentors, teachers, military personnel, and staff in attendance,” says Andrea Malenya, project manager, JSHS. “We were blown away by the insightful, innovative projects conducted by these students. Their professionalism and maturity in contributing to the greater body of scientific knowledge was a privilege to behold.”
48 national winners—announced at the awards ceremony on April 23—first presented their original scientific research at one of 49 regional competitions hosted by universities and colleges in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Department of Defense (DoD) Schools of Europe and Pacific. The top five students from each region were invited to compete at the National JSHS event as national finalists. The top two finalists in each region competed in oral presentations for the chance to win scholarships ranging from $4,000-$12,000. The remaining three finalists from each region competed in the poster competition for a chance to win cash awards. In addition to presenting their original research, students participated in lab tours, social events, and a career and reverse science fair.
“It’s exciting to see these high school students working at such a sophisticated level, connecting what they learned in their STEM classes to uncover new discoveries,” said Erika Shugart, Ph.D., executive director, NSTA. “We congratulate the national finalists and winners on their impressive achievement, and applaud the teachers and mentors that supported them along the way.”
1st Place Oral Presentations: earning $12,000 scholarships
Environmental Science
Olivia Pollock, New York – Upstate, Pelham Memorial High School
Developing and Assessing Fucose-Based Water-Soluble Bioplastics
Biomedical Sciences
Okezue Bell, Philadelphia, Moravian Academy
A Novel Anthropomorphic Myoprosthesis for Transradial Amputees
Life Sciences
Rohak Jain, Washington, Interlake High School
Elucidating the Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Hearing Loss: Characterization of Interferon Gamma Signaling as a Novel Regulator of Inflammation and Hair Cell Regeneration in Zebrafish
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Rishab Jain, Oregon, Westview High School
SarcoSeg: A Convolutional Neural Network-based Sarcopenia Analysis System via Automatic Segmentation of Skeletal Muscle and Adipose Tissue in Cervical Computed Tomography Towards Precision Medicine Applications
Engineering & Technology
Nidhi Mathihalli, California Northern & Western Nevada, Saratoga High School
A Physical Device to Help the Visually Impaired Read Money Using AI / Machine Learning in Third World Countries
Mathematics & Computer Science
Ryan Park, Jersey Shore, Millburn High School
ARIEL: Adversarial Neural Evolution for Unified Variant Forecasting and Proactive Therapeutic Design
Physical Sciences
Ashini Modi, Louisiana, Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Modeling the Atmospheric Evolution of Exoplanets in the Habitable Zone of M-Dwarfs
Chemistry
Marianne Liu, Intermountain, West High School
A Novel Experimental-Computational Approach for Advanced Solid Polymer Electrolyte Design
2nd Place Oral Presentations: earning $8,000 scholarships
Environmental Science
Mithra Karamchedu, Oregon, Jesuit High School
Boundary Detection of Debris-Covered Glaciers Using Fractal Analysis and Normalized Differencing of Thermal and Infrared Bands in Remote-Sensed Landsat Datasets
Biomedical Sciences
Vishruth Hanumaihgari, Pennsylvania, Parkland High School
The Effects of a Novel CRISPR-Cas9 System in Human Cancer Cells
Life Sciences
Amara Orth, Iowa, Lewis Central High
Secret Sounds of Bees: Analysis of Honey Bee Vibroacoustics Using Hidden Markov Models
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Alexandra Heironimus, Kentucky, duPont Manual High School
COPD Detection Algorithm for Use with Stethoscopes
Engineering & Technology
Michelle Wang, Illinois, Carbondale Community High School
An Autonomous Drone with Object Detection and Tracking Capabilities
Mathematics & Computer Science
Michelle Hua, Michigan Southeastern, Cranbrook Schools
Geometric Consistency-Based Self-Supervised Neural Network: A Novel Deep Learning Framework for 3D Human Shape and Motion Reconstruction
Physical Sciences
Mihai Crisan, Ohio, Upper Arlington High School
Development of a Generic Nanophotonic Processor using Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits (PPICs)
Chemistry
Sohi Patel, Texas, Academy of Science and Technology
Scalable and Sustainable Synthesis of a Novel, Bio-Based Polyurethane Foam System Incorporating Industrial Byproducts and Waste
3rd Place Oral Presentations: earning $4,000 scholarships
Environmental Science
Samantha Chavira-Prieto, Kansas-Nebraska-Oklahoma, Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Surface Biofilm and Spectral Analyses of Eight Common Plastic Materials Exposed to Different Environmental Conditions Using Basic Spectrophotometry and Advanced Microscopy
Biomedical Sciences
Christopher Luisi, New York – Long Island, John F. Kennedy High School
How Dietary Restriction Affects the Athleticism, Metabolic Rate, and Lifespan of Drosophilia melanogaster
Life Sciences
Liualevaiosina Le’iato, Hawaii, Tafuna High School
Glue vs. Regular: Determining Which Cement Mix is Most Effective for Coral Restoration
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Eileen Chen, South Carolina, Spring Valley High School
Discovery of Potential SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitory Compounds from Medicinal Plants
Engineering & Technology
Kevin Taylor, New York – Long Island, Region, Paul D. Schreiber High School
Creating a “Third Eye” for the Visually Impaired with Object Classification
Mathematics & Computer Science
Shobhit Agarwal, Texas, Reedy High School
OmniDoc: A Multimodal Quantum Machine Learning Approach to Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment Prediction for Neurodegenerative and Cancerous Diseases
Physical Sciences
Sebastian Mengwall, Connecticut, Darien High School
Cloud Identification in Mars Daily Global Maps with Deep Learning
Chemistry
Yumi Mizobuchi, Hawaii, ‘Iolani School
A Sustainable Alternative to Textile Dyes: Synthesizing and Applying PMMA Nanoparticles to Create Structural Coloration
1st Place Poster Presentations
Environmental Science
Aryan Jain, Virtual, Amador Valley High School
Biomedical Sciences
George Cheng, North Carolina, Green Level High School
Life Sciences
Darsh Mandera, Oregon, Jesuit High School
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Sidhya Peddinti, Texas, Plano East Senior High School
Engineering & Technology
Prisha Shroff, Arizona, Hamilton High School
Mathematics & Computer Science
Srilekha Mamidala, Philadelphia, Garnet Valley High School
Physical Sciences
Christine Ye, Washington, Eastlake High School
Chemistry
Cathy Tang, South Carolina, Spring Valley High School
2nd Place Poster Presentations
Environmental Science
Talia Smith, New England Southern, Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Biomedical Sciences
Cameron Sharma, Virginia, Mills E. Godwin High School
Life Sciences
Carlos Ochoa-Marquez, Southwest, Monte Vista High School
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Maya Chiravuri, Connecticut, Choate Rosemary Hall
Engineering & Technology
Efe Eroz, Maryland, Montgomery Blair High School
Mathematics & Computer Science
Keira Talty, New York – Long Island, Mineola High School
Physical Sciences
Meenakshi Nair, California Northern & Western Nevada, Mission San Jose High School
Chemistry
Isabell Owens, Missouri, Camdenton High School
3rd Place Poster Presentations
Environmental Science
Sriya Teerdhala, Texas, Plano East Senior High School
Biomedical Sciences
Jasmyn Hoeger, Iowa, Beckman Catholic High School
Life Sciences
Kaitlyn Culbert, New Jersey – Rutgers, Toms River High School North
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Alan Ma, Oregon, Jesuit High School
Engineering & Technology
Charlotte Michaluk, New Jersey – Rutgers, Hopewell Valley Central High School
Mathematics & Computer Science
Amy Dong, Illinois, Hinsdale Central High School
Physical Sciences
Rafe Abdulali, New York – Metro, The Packer Collegiate Institute
Chemistry
Roxsonna Janiszewski, Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg High School
Honorable Mention, Poster Presentations:
Environmental Science
Lauren Ejiaga, Louisiana, Benjamin Franklin High School
Biomedical Sciences
Jack Mongan, New York – Upstate, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Senior High School
Life Sciences
Thomas Commander, Florida, The Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Medicine & Health / Behavioral Sciences
Ayush Raj, California Northern & Western Nevada, Saint Francis High School
Engineering & Technology
Jonathan Gutknecht, Georgia, The Gwinett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Mathematics & Computer Science
Laasya Acharya, Ohio, William Mason High School
Physical Sciences
Ourania-Maria Glezakou-Elbert, Washington, Hanford High School
Chemistry
Shealy Callahan, Illinois – Chicago, Oak Park and River Forest High School
About JSHS: The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) Program is a Tri-Service – the Departments of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force – sponsored STEM competition which promotes original research and experimentation in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the high school level and publicly recognizes students for outstanding achievement. By connecting talented students, their teachers, and research professionals at affiliated symposia and by rewarding research excellence, JSHS aims to widen the pool of trained talent prepared to conduct research and development vital to our nation. JSHS regional and national symposia are held during the academic year and reach more than 8,000 high school students and teachers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Defense Schools of Europe and the Pacific. Students must first participate in their regional symposium where they compete for selection to present at the national symposium each year. For more information, please visit www.jshs.org.
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Andrea Malenya
(703)312-9246