Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students made history at the 75th Annual 2023 Georgia Science & Engineering Fair. Seventy-three GCPS middle and high school students, representing 48 science research, technology, engineering, and mathematics-based projects, earned the most honors in GCPS history. Included among those honors, the Junior Fair Pinnacle Award and Senior Fair Pinnacle Award, given to the top overall project in the middle and high school divisions, respectively. The students secured a spot at the state fair after earning a 1st place honor at the Gwinnett Regional Science, Engineering + Innovation Fair held in February.
Jessica Holden, GCPS Director of Middle and High School Science, is proud of the students and their teachers. “We’ve never had so many students from so many different schools earn top honors at the state level,” Holden shares. “Success like this speaks to the level of talent and innovation of our students, the passion and skill of our teachers, and GCPS’ commitment to providing college and career readiness opportunities for students.”
GCPS’ Portrait of a Graduate core competencies were on display at the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair. It is the premier forum for students from around the state to showcase their original research, compete for awards, and interact with top-level professional scientists. GCPS students used exceptional critical thinking, collaborative leadership, resourcefulness, and empathy to design their projects, which they effectively communicated to more than 200 leading STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professional judges during the rigorous interview process. “The projects this year show that our students are enthusiastic about both problem solving and empathy — making the world a better place for others,” Holden shares. “Students are researching and developing solutions for everyday needs and larger problems alike. From designing a way to measure blood glucose without a finger stick to developing a no-cost water filter made from natural resources, students are passionate about making the future better for others in so many ways.”
Projects earning top honors at the 75th Annual Georgia Science & Engineering Fair are as follows:
Junior Division Best in Category Awards
- Rishabh Kumar (North Gwinnett MS) – Biomedical Engineering
- Layla Chniouer, Reem Ismael & Raffaella Meza (Twin Rivers) – Embedded Systems
- Nyambura Sallinen & Keshvee Sekhda (Lanier MS & North Gwinnett MS) – Translational Medicine
Senior Division Best in Category Awards
- Mia Asadi (Paul Duke STEM HS) - Behavioral Science
- Sohum Trivedi (GSMST) – Biomedical Engineering
- Peyton Harvey (Paul Duke STEM HS) - Energy: Sustainable Materials & Design
- Violet Brockmann & Makenna Reilly (Lanier HS) – Engineering Mechanics
- Utkarsh Borikar, Terukimi Hayashi & John Prewitt (GSMST) – Mathematics
- Paula Gonzalez (GSMST) – Plant Sciences
- Krish Saxena (Collins Hill HS) – Robotics & Intelligent Machines
Special Awards
Agricultural Research Service Award for Excellence in Ag Research
Natalia Kurz (GSMST)
Augusta University Award
Yash Ghanate (Paul Duke STEM HS)
Georgia Aquarium Conservation Award
Atharv Kasliwal & Mohan Kummaraguntla (North Gwinnett MS)
Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance Young Inventor’s Award
Luc Nguyen (GSMST)
Inspiring Excellence Award
Jia Suthar (Hull MS)
Lemelson Early Inventor Prize
Rishabh Kumar (North Gwinnett MS)
Naval Science Awards
Robert Hall (Osborne MS)
Rishabh Kumar (North Gwinnett MS)
Peyton Harvey (Paul Duke STEM HS)
Allison Wong (GSMST)
Psi Alpha National High School Honor Society in Psychology Award
Mia Asadi (Paul Duke STEM HS)
Sigma Xi, CDC Public Health Science Award – Junior Division
Nyambura Sallinen & Keshvee Sekhda (Lanier MS & North Gwinnett MS)
UGA Microbiology Department Award
Shivali Singh (GSMST)
U.S. Metric Association Award
Aayan Mukul & Jayson Ndungu (GSMST)
Wesleyan College Math & Science Award
Shriya Tailor (Peachtree Ridge HS)
Georgia Science & Engineering Fair top 8th Grade Project Award
Rishabh Kumar (North Gwinnett MS)
Mind Controlled Prosthetic with the Sense of Touch
Georgia Science & Engineering Fair Top 10 Grand Awards – Senior Division
Violet Brockmann & Makenna Reilly (Lanier HS)
Underwater Robotics: Manipulation and Photogrammetry
Peyton Harvey (Paul Duke STEM HS)
Electromagnetically Harnessing the Lateral Energy of Footsteps
Krish Saxena (Collins Hill HS)
CogVR: A Novel AI Therapeutic System for MS Patients
Sohum Trivedi (GSMST)
Measuring Blood Glucose Without Finger Stick: NIR Spectroscopy
Georgia Science & Engineering Fair Pinnacle Award – Senior Division
Sohum Trivedi (GSMST)
Measuring Blood Glucose Without Finger Stick: NIR Spectroscopy
Georgia Science & Engineering Fair Pinnacle Award – Junior Division
Rishabh Kumar (North Gwinnett MS)
Mind Controlled Prosthetic with the Sense of Touch
This year, a record number of student projects have also earned the prestigious opportunity of advancing to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in Dallas, Texas on May 8-14. At ISEF, the following GCPS students will compete against the top STEM students from more than 80 countries and engage and collaborate with the world’s premier scientists and engineers.
Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair Advancement Awards
Violet Brockmann & Makenna Reilly (Lanier HS)
Underwater Robotics: Manipulation and Photogrammetry
Krish Saxena (Collins Hill HS)
CogVR: A Novel AI Therapeutic System for MS Patients
Sohum Trivedi (GSMST)
Measuring Blood Glucose Without Finger Stick: NIR Spectroscopy
Aayan Mukul & Jayson Ndungu (GSMST)
Evaluating the Antimicrobial Properties of Materials in Kenya
Afreen Ali (Peachtree Ridge HS)
Bacteriophage Cream as a Deterrent for Microbial Growth
Paula Gonzalez (GSMST)
Effect of Exogenous L-Glutamine on Soybeans
Rohan Kumar (Paul Duke STEM)
Organic Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
Peyton Harvey (Paul Duke STEM HS) – Alternate
Electromagnetically Harnessing the Lateral Energy of Footsteps
For a full list of awards and results from the 2023 Georgia Science & Engineering Fair, please visit https://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth/academic-special-programs/georgia-science-and-engineering-fair
For more information about the Gwinnett Regional Science Fair or science education in Gwinnett County Public Schools, visit www.gwinnettsciencefair.com or contact Jessica Holden, GCPS Director of Science, at 678-301-7036.