The 2025 Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair took place on Saturday, March 1. View the complete list of winners below.
Jump to: Junior Category Awards | Senior Category Awards | Special Awards | School Awards | Best of Fair
Junior Category Awards
Cash Awards were given to students in 1st through 3rd place at the Awards Ceremony. 4th place received a Certificate and Ribbon only. Please cash all checks by June 30, 2025.
Animal Sciences
4th Place
Ashton Blount – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ANIM-001-MS – Exploring the Home Range of Urban Turkeys
3rd Place
Kennedy Clark – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ANIM-002-MS – Exploring Browse Preference in Captive Beavers
2nd Place
Davis Sprague – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ANIM-004-MS – EXPLORING PHEROMONE COMMUNICATION IN CRICKETS
1st Place
Carole Erwin – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ANIM-003-MS – Cross Species Olfactory Communication – Human to Horse
Behavioral and Social Sciences
4th Place
Katniss Vogel – J Graham Brown Middle School – Middle School
BEHA-020-MS – Attitudes Towards Halloween Candy
3rd Place
Joshua Sagum – Montessori School of Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-018-MS – AI or Authentic: Can Kids Tell the Difference?
2nd Place
Kate Beaton – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-006-MS – The Impact of Gambling Ads on Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior
1st Place
Navey Roth – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-017-MS – Exploring the Perceptions of Justice Seeking in Children
Biochemistry
4th Place
Risha Moorthy – Highlands Latin School – Middle School
BCHM-003-MS – The Science behind Lip Balms
3rd Place
Riley Bartlett – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-001-MS – Corylus Avellana: A Possible New Cancer Treatment
2nd Place
Ian Rasnake – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-005-MS – Kentucky Native Plants: Possible Anticoagulants
1st Place
Tony Church – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-002-MS – Exploring the Impact of Air Fresheners on Enzyme Activity
Biomedical Engineering
4th Place
Eva Nall – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENBM-003-MS – Creating a Blood Clot Catheter with Ultrasound Transmitter
3rd Place
Chase Gratz – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENBM-002-MS – Creating a Rotating Portable Object Detection Device
2nd Place
Gabe Galla – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENBM-001-MS – VISTA: Visual Inspection for Sleep Threat Analysis AI
1st Place
Miles Williams – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENBM-004-MS – Exploring the Effect of Blue Light on Stem Cell Activity
Biomedical and Health Sciences
4th Place
Jeshua Elizalde Fisher – J Graham Brown Middle School – Middle School
BMED-006-MS – Sip, Spike, Repeat?
3rd Place
Hollis Kidwell – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BMED-009-MS – White Noise, How it Effects Sleep Quality
2nd Place
Sophia Figaniak – Saint Mary Academy – Middle School
BMED-007-MS – The Kastle-Meyer Test For Blood
1st Place
Noa Jeffreys – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BMED-008-MS – Edible Candy Dye Affects Stem Cell Function
Cellular and Molecular Biology
4th Place
Penelope Chitwood – Sacred Heart Model School – Middle School
CELL-001-MS – How Bromothymol Blue Permates Across Cell Membranes of Pig and Cow Intestines
3rd Place
Amelia Turner – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-004-MS – Exploring EMG Signals in a Planaria Model of Neurons
2nd Place
Maura Keeley-Fine – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-003-MS – Exploring Regeneration through Kangaroo Care and Co-bedding
1st Place
Harper Joaquin – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-002-MS – Exploring the Possible Impacts of Aspartame on Learning
Chemistry
4th Place
Owen Lloyd – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-004-MS – Exploring Chloramine Pool Chemistry
3rd Place
Bilal Bouriche – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-001-MS – The Effect Of Different Types Of Salts On Ice Melting
2nd Place
Henry Burket – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-010-MS – DSSCs: Improving Efficiency with Metals
1st Place
Rimane Elhayani – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-003-MS – Electrolyte Challenge: Orange Juice Vs. Sports Drink
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
2nd Place
Tyler Head – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CBIO-001-MS – The Impact of Nylon Exposure on Gene Expression in Flock Workers
1st Place
Vivaan Tippana – South Oldham Middle School – Middle School
CBIO-002-MS – Analyzing EEG recording datasets from Alzheimer’s and Frontotemporal Dementia patients using Python
and training LLM model for early detection
Earth and Environmental Science
4th Place
Mia Briley – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-001-MS – When To Swim: Exploring Downstream CSO Quality
3rd Place
John Kipp – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-003-MS – Do Microfibers Affect Glaical Optical Properties
2nd Place
Jack Cornett – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-002-MS – Sediment Pollution: A Study on Microplastics
1st Place
Jake Koerber – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-004-MS – Could The Triboelectric Effect be an Early Predictor of Earthquakes?
Embedded Systems
2nd Place
Lawson May – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EBED-001-MS – TempTrack: Real Time Monitoring for Life Saving Medicine
1st Place
Olivia Naidu – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EBED-002-MS – FLARE: A Mesh-Network for Wildfire Detection and Bird Conservation
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
4th Place
Ashrita Snigdha Vaddicharla – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
EGSD-007-MS – Homemade or Store Bought: Which motor is better?
3rd Place
Isaiah Bertram – Home School – Middle School
EGSD-001-MS – Investigating Efficiency of a Maglev Propulsion System Prototype
2nd Place
Omri Doiron – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EGSD-004-MS – Exploring Gravity Battery Energy Production
1st Place
Evelyn McCauley – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EGSD-005-MS – Creating an Efficient Vortex Generator
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
4th Place
Thomas Messier – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-008-MS – Exploring Hydrodynamic Submarine Hulls
3rd Place
Akanksha Sriramoju – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
ETSD-011-MS – Measuring the Strength of an Electromagnet
2nd Place
Jessica Le – St. Pius X – Middle School
ETSD-007-MS – Strongest Bridge Building Technique
1st Place
Ben Given – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-005-MS – Creating an Electromagnetic Braking System
Environmental Engineering
4th Place
James Sexton – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-007-MS – Milkweed Floss Remidiates F.O.G Pollution
3rd Place
Nour Albarqawi – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-001-MS – The Effect of Salvinia Leaf and Plastic Adsorbent on Oil Absorption
2nd Place
Lucy Miller – St. Pius X – Middle School
ENEV-006-MS – Biodegradable Hydrogels
1st Place
Lauren Duncan – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-003-MS – Cattail Fluff:A New Natural Dye Adsorbent
Materials Science
4th Place
Lucas Engels – St. Pius X – Middle School
MATS-001-MS – Spider Man’s Webs vs. Real Life Threads: Testing Strength
3rd Place
Jude Oetken – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MATS-006-MS – Conductive Casein Plastic
2nd Place
Andrew Mayer – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MATS-003-MS – Creating Electrically Conductive Algae Fabric
1st Place
Katie Mulvihill – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MATS-005-MS – Milk Spoilage Detecting Bioplastic
Mathematics
1st Place
Rama Mohammad – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
MATH-001-MS – The Effect of the Number of Lines on Different Types of Fractals
Microbiology
4th Place
Morgan Barrett – St. Pius X – Middle School
MCRO-001-MS – Dirtiest Surface in the Kitchen
3rd Place
Elizabeth Graeser – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MCRO-005-MS – Molasses and Sorghum; Exploring Appalachian Folk Cure Antimicrobials
2nd Place
Bennett Garvin – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MCRO-004-MS – Shoe Materials Affect Bacterial Survivability
1st Place
Lucy Pulliam – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MCRO-007-MS – Macroplastics: Possible Vehicles for Transmitting Human Disease
Physics and Astronomy
4th Place
Wyatt Kidwell – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-008-MS – Felt Wear and Tennis Ball Performance
3rd Place
Gabe Farro – St. Pius X – Middle School
PHYS-007-MS – High, Low, or In Between: Angles
2nd Place
Aaradhya Nerella – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
PHYS-009-MS – Can you communicate with the ISS with the usage of common tools?
1st Place
Owen Park – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-011-MS – A Breakthrough In Low-Voltage Regolith Mitigation
Plant Sciences
4th Place
Hadley Knarr – St. Pius X – Middle School
PLNT-005-MS – Does Water Temperature Matter When Growing Plants?
3rd Place
Samuel Hawley – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PLNT-004-MS – Exploring Anthropogenic Noises and Plants
2nd Place
Roger Quarles – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PLNT-008-MS – Exploring Rye Allelopathy
1st Place
Paddy Weyland – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PLNT-001-MS – Exploring Injury Communication in Plants
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
4th Place
Felipe Moreno, Annabelle Treese – Sacred Heart Model School – Middle School
ROBO-004-MS-T – Restoration Coral Reef
3rd Place
Vera Naidu – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ROBO-005-MS – SARA: Detecting UXOs using AI object identification
2nd Place
Faiz Mohammad – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ROBO-003-MS – THE EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON A DRONE’S LIFT CAPACITY
1st Place
Sarah Jacob – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ROBO-002-MS – Social Skills Buddy: A New GPT Program to Assist Autistic Children
Systems Software
3rd Place
Nathaniel Crosby, Brandon Toliver – Christian County Middle School – Middle School
SOFT-001-MS-T – Maze Man: Navigating the Entertainment Industry for the Visually Impaired
2nd Place
Eric Gregory – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
SOFT-003-MS – Lights Out for Wings (LOW): An App to Help Minimize Light Pollution
1st Place
Max Dunn – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
SOFT-002-MS – Edelgard Pixel System for Identifying Art To Prevent Theft
Technology Enhances the Arts
1st Place
Henry Buchenberger – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TECA-001-MS – Color Vibes: a Device for Creating Art Experiences for the Blind
Translational Medical Science
3rd Place
Caroline Keeney – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-002-MS – Planaria: A New Model for Biochemical Pain Studies
2nd Place
Catherine Burket – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-001-MS – Exploring the Impact of Air Fresheners on Stem Cell Activity
1st Place
Karl Manke – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-003-MS – Rose, a Potential Photosensitizing / Anticancer Agent
Senior Category Awards
Cash Awards were given to students in 1st through 3rd place at the Awards Ceremony. 4th place received a Certificate and Ribbon only. Please cash all checks by June 30, 2025.
Animal Sciences
4th Place
Miya Davis – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ANIM-002-HS – The Effect of Alcohol on Zebra Fish Embryo Development as a Model for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
3rd Place
Dahlia Zhao – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ANIM-009-HS – The Effect of Playtime on Domestic Cat Activity
2nd Place
Michelle Ross – Notre Dame Academy – High School
ANIM-006-HS – The Effect of Social Grouping on Problem Solving Ability in Carpenter Ants
1st Place
Abby Ladwig – Owensboro High School – High School
ANIM-005-HS – The Factors that Influence the Coloration of the Vitellus Produced by the Gallus gallus domesticus Within a Backyard Flock; Quality of Pigment and Breed Variation
Behavioral and Social Sciences
4th Place
Lily Westerfield – Christian County High School – High School
BEHA-023-HS – Missing the Real Information: A Study in Generational Susceptibility to Fake News and Misinformation
3rd Place
Breonna Green – Central HS – High School
BEHA-004-HS – Social media vs Human mentality
2nd Place
Sophia Langford – J Graham Brown High School – High School
BEHA-020-HS – Drawing The Line: Comparing The Impacts of Drawing and Singing On The Mental Health of Mothers With Young Children
1st Place
Sana Turkmani – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
BEHA-022-HS – Do Distractions and Stress go hand in hand?
Biochemistry
2nd Place
Deekshitha Dheeravath – Eastern High School – High School
BCHM-003-HS – Is Plant-Based Milk as Protein-Packed as Dairy Milk?
1st Place
Grace Myers, Emaline Myers – North Oldham High School – High School
BCHM-004-HS-T – Impact of Cooking Method on Nutrient Retention
Biomedical Engineering
2nd Place
Jonas Miles – Saint Xavier High School, Louisville – High School
ENBM-001-HS – Analyzing Deep Sleep from Smart Watch Driven Data
1st Place
Gopalaniket Tadinada – North Oldham High School – High School
ENBM-002-HS – RecuNet: A Novel, Low-
Cost, & Automated Pipeline for the Spatiotemporal Prediction of Brain Tumor Recurrence
Biomedical and Health Sciences
4th Place
Sally Escobar Perez – Central HS – High School
BMED-002-HS – The Effects of Dietary Choices on Glycemic Control
3rd Place
Wyatt Wheelock – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
BMED-009-HS – Audiological detriment of wearing headphones
2nd Place
Perla Rosas Torres – Central HS – High School
BMED-008-HS – Teas
1st Place
Elizabeth Yadon – Mercy Academy High School – High School
BMED-010-HS – A Model of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Chicken Eggs and Ethanolq
Cellular and Molecular Biology
2nd Place
Samira Duncan, Anthony Pirtle, Marlissa Sylvain – Valley High School – High School
CELL-002-HS-T – How are humans and other animals molecularity similar? A study in cell structure
1st Place
Mokshagna Chunduri – Eastern High School – High School
CELL-001-HS – What is the effect of environmental stressors on the expression of heat shock proteins in E. coli?
Chemistry
4th Place
Charlie Franco – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
CHEM-002-HS – The Effect Baking Soda has on the Height of Baked Cupcakes
3rd Place
Owen Davis – North Oldham High School – High School
CHEM-001-HS – How does the legume source of aquafaba change its effectiveness at being an egg substitute in baking?
2nd Place
Mihira Sumanasekera, Easha Heellage – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
CHEM-005-HS-T – Designing a Catalyst Based on Different Phases of Nickel Phosphide in Producing Hydrogen via Electrolysis
1st Place
Varshith Kotagiri – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
CHEM-004-HS – Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
4th Place
Omar Prudencio – Central HS – High School
CBIO-001-HS – The Affects of Heart Health on Sleep
3rd Place
Mariam Dini – Central HS – High School
CBIO-003-HS – how does a population decrease in war
2nd Place
Amelia Hassett – J Graham Brown High School – High School
CBIO-004-HS – Machine Learning to Diagnosis Malignant or Benign Breast Cancer
1st Place
Trisha Chhabra – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
CBIO-002-HS – Structure and Analysis of the Bacteriophage MooMoo’s Tail
Earth and Environmental Science
4th Place
Noah Lopez – Central HS – High School
EAEV-005-HS – How does Soil composition affect wildfires?
3rd Place
Alyssa Jones – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-007-HS – Geo-Environmental Analysis: Comprehensive Assessment of Household Chemical Effects on Aquatic pH Dynamics and Environmental Health
2nd Place
Nitika Popuri – Eastern High School – High School
EAEV-008-HS – Effect of Ocean Acidification on Shell Strength
1st Place
Anna Shumway – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-009-HS – A Comparison of CO, CO2, AQI, TVOCs, PM2.5, PM10, and Particle Num/L in the Ballard High School Bus Circle, Car Rider Line, and a Nearby Neighborhood
Embedded Systems
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
2nd Place
Anna Blair – Notre Dame Academy – High School
EGSD-002-HS – The Recycled Construction and Sustainability Implications of a Van De Graaff Generator
1st Place
Asa Ashley – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
EGSD-001-HS – Derived Magnetite Nanosheets on Nickel Foam as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics
3rd Place
Prashant Rai – Central HS – High School
ETSD-003-HS – Paper Airplanes Size Configuration
2nd Place
Alexander Osman, Taruna Petluri – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ETSD-002-HS-T – The Effect of Weight on the Performance of a Rocket
1st Place
Todd Niemann – Saint Xavier High School, Louisville – High School
ETSD-001-HS – Minimizing Weight in Ionic Thrusters
Environmental Engineering
4th Place
Varnika Vegesna – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-004-HS – Biodegradable Pen
3rd Place
Miller McArthur – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-003-HS – Sea-wall drainage system; preventing costal erosion
2nd Place
Harini Chivukula – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-001-HS – Can nanotechnology clean up oil spills?
1st Place
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-HS – The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Materials Science
1st Place
Michael Brown – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
MATS-001-HS – Shining a Light on Running
Mathematics
3rd Place
Jameson Mattingly, Brecken Free – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
MATH-003-HS-T – The Effect of The Halftime Score in a Soccer game on the Final Outcome of the game
2nd Place
Lilly Muschinski, Caroleen Zhao – North Oldham High School – High School
MATH-001-HS-T – Impact of Golfball Wear and Tear on Performance
1st Place
Kathleen Zhao – North Oldham High School – High School
MATH-002-HS – Sound Production of Music
Microbiology
2nd Place
Adithya Gandhapudi, Arya Gandhapudi – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
MCRO-001-HS-T – Bacterial Growth on Different Surfaces
1st Place
Anya Sheth, Nate Dunlap – North Oldham High School – High School
MCRO-002-HS-T – Effects of Floral and Fungal Agents On E. Coli
Physics and Astronomy
4th Place
Ruweydo Hassan – Central HS – High School
PHYS-010-HS – Black Holes
3rd Place
Vihaan Dakshini – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
PHYS-009-HS – Science Behind Boxing Punch Force
2nd Place
Rocco Lucas – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
PHYS-012-HS – The Effect of the Number of Panels on a Soccer Ball
1st Place
Rihaan Kapoor – Trinity High School, Louisville – High School
PHYS-011-HS – Axion Detection via CNNs: A Computational Approach to Unveiling Dark Matter
Plant Sciences
4th Place
Katie Shugars – J Graham Brown High School – High School
PLNT-008-HS – Plants and Air Quality
3rd Place
Johari Riziki – Central HS – High School
PLNT-007-HS – What solution is most effective in inhibiting enzymatic browning in apples?
2nd Place
Venkata Pragnya Hansa Kriti Kalluri – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
PLNT-005-HS – Reviving The Depleted Soil For Optimal Plant Growth
1st Place
Veeksha Katta – North Oldham High School – High School
PLNT-006-HS – The Efficiency of Ayurvedic Remedies in Modulating Immune Response and Mitigating Rhinitis
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
4th Place
Angel Rai – Central HS – High School
ROBO-001-HS – What is the Role of AI in Detecting Abnormalities in Medical Imaging?
3rd Place
Shankar Devarakonda, Anushree Vispute – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ROBO-002-HS-T – The effect of weight on a drone
2nd Place
Reyansh Tandon – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ROBO-005-HS – The FireBudy
1st Place
Arnav Philips, Shreethan Palla – North Oldham High School – High School
ROBO-003-HS-T – Using Arduino and Steppers to solve a Rubik’s Cube
Systems Software
4th Place
Jayadithya Seereddy – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
SOFT-005-HS – Are online calculators more efficient than offline calculators
3rd Place
Ansh Gadhiya – Eastern High School – High School
SOFT-003-HS – Stride Guide
2nd Place
DaYou Choi – Eminence High School – High School
SOFT-001-HS – Hybrid quantum-classical approach for molecular energy calculations
1st Place
Aditi Raje – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
SOFT-004-HS – How Can Generative AI Help Automate the Healthcare Industry?
Technology Enhances the Arts
2nd Place
Daksh Patel, Dev Patel – North Oldham High School – High School
TECA-002-HS-T – ChromaSonic: An AI-Driven Accessible Platform for Transforming Visual Art into Rhythmic Auditory Experiences for the Visually Impaired
1st Place
Annika Bell, Leysha Gudibanda – North Oldham High School – High School
TECA-001-HS-T – The activity of sound
Translational Medical Science
4th Place
Asmita Shanmuganathan – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
TMED-004-HS – A Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Painkillers
3rd Place
Matthew Reeves – Christian County High School – High School
TMED-003-HS – Disease Prevention: Sports Induced Arthritis
2nd Place
Hosamulhaq Brula – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
TMED-001-HS – Novel Diagnostic Application of CRISPR-
dCas9 and Graphene Oxide for Sensitive Detection of Antibiotic Resistance and Genetic Disorders
1st Place
Abby Turnpaugh – Notre Dame Academy – High School
TMED-005-HS – The Effect of Weight Loss Supplements on Daphnia Melanogaster Heart Rate and Structure
Special Awards
Please note, LRSEF will mail Special Awards checks to winners by March 31, 2025, to the
address listed in your LRSEF STEM Wizard account. All LRSEF checks must be cashed by
June 30, 2025. Several awards are exceptions, when students must attend receptions or upload an application for their award checks, these are noted, below. Not all awards receive cash prizes. To check on an award, visit STEM Wizard.
American Chemical Society-American Chemical Society Awards
Invitation to the ACS section Awards Reception will be forthcoming.
All prizes awarded at the reception must be present to win the awards. Open to Louisville Metro
ACS region only.
Henry Burket – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-010-MS – DSSCs: Improving Efficiency with Metals
Tony Church – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School BCHM-002-
MS – Exploring the Impact of Air Fresheners on Enzyme Activity
Deekshitha Dheeravath – Eastern High School – High School
BCHM-003-HS Is Plant-Based Milk as Protein-Packed as Dairy Milk?
Rimane Elhayani – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-003-MS – Electrolyte Challenge: Orange Juice Vs. Sports Drink
Varshith Kotagiri – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School CHEM-004-HS
Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium
Grace Myers, Emaline Myers – North Oldham High School – High School
BCHM-004-HS-T – Impact of Cooking Method on Nutrient Retention
Ian Rasnake – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-005-MS – Kentucky Native Plants: Possible Anticoagulants
Easha Heellage, Mihira Sumanasekera – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair –
High School
CHEM-005-HS-T – Designing a Catalyst Based on Different Phases of Nickel Phosphide in Producing Hydrogen via Electrolysis
American Psychological Association-American Psychological Association Award
Kate Beaton – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School BEHA-006-
MS – The Impact of Gambling Ads on Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior
Lily Westerfield – Christian County High School – High School
BEHA-023-HS – Missing the Real Information: A Study in Generational Susceptibility to Fake News and Misinformation
American Society of Civil Engineers- Kentucky Section-Civil Engineering Award
Quinn Fitzpatrick – St. Pius X – Middle School
ENEV-004-MS Natural Water Filtration. Which System filters best?
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-H The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Association for Women Geoscientists-Award for Women Geoscientists
Lauren Duncan – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-003-MS – Cattail Fluff:A New Natural Dye Adsorbent
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-HS The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Bakelite Synthetics-Community Impact Award
Rimane Elhayani – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
CHEM-003-MS – Electrolyte Challenge: Orange Juice Vs. Sports Drink
Easha Heellage, Mihira Sumanasekera – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
CHEM-005-HS-T – Designing a Catalyst Based on Different Phases of Nickel Phosphide in Producing Hydrogen via Electrolysis
Bakelite Synthetics-Creative Project Award
Diya Solanki – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
CHEM-008-MS Can you make popping boba at home?
Easha Heellage, Mihira Sumanasekera – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
CHEM-005-HS-T – Designing a Catalyst Based on Different Phases of Nickel Phosphide in Producing Hydrogen via Electrolysis
Bluegrass Institute of Food Technologists Food and Beverage Science and Technology Award
Owen Davis – North Oldham High School – High School
CHEM-001-HS – How does the legume source of aquafaba change its effectiveness at being an egg substitute in baking?
Charlie Franco – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
CHEM-002-HS – The Effect Baking Soda has on the Height of Baked Cupcakes
Department of Defense-Department of Defense STEM Leadership Prize
Student must apply for award with ISEF.
Owen Park – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-011-MS A Breakthrough In Low-Voltage Regolith Mitigation
Engineering Division U. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Excellence in Civil Engineering
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-HS The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Brinkley Karem, Emory Tinsley – Sacred Heart Model School – Middle School
ENEV-009-MS-T Oil Spill Cleanup
FirstBuild (see firstbuild.com) – FirstBuild Scholarship Award
Anna Blair – Notre Dame Academy – High School
EGSD-002-HS – The Recycled Construction and Sustainability Implications of a Van De Graaff Generator
Daksh Patel, Dev Patel – North Oldham High School – High School
TECA-002-HS-T – ChromaSonic: An AI-Driven Accessible Platform for Transforming Visual Art into Rhythmic Auditory Experiences for the Visually Impaired
GE Appliances, Asia IMPACT-Clear Thinker Award
Max Dunn – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
SOFT-002-MS Edelgard Pixel System for Identifying Art to Prevent Theft
Aditi Raje – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
SOFT-004-HS – How Can Generative AI Help Automate the Healthcare Industry?
Gibson Family Special Awards-Excellence in Animal Investigations
Miya Davis – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ANIM-002-HS – The Effect of Alcohol on Zebra Fish Embryo Development as a Model for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Ian Rasnake – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-005-MS – Kentucky Native Plants: Possible Anticoagulants
Gibson Family Special Awards-Excelling in Math and or Statistics Award
Rihaan Kapoor – Trinity High School, Louisville – High School
PHYS-011-HS – Axion Detection via CNNs: A Computational Approach to Unveiling Dark Matter
Thomas Messier – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-008-MS – Exploring Hydrodynamic Submarine Hulls
Gibson Family Special Awards-Shining Star Award
Veeksha Katta – North Oldham High School – High School
PLNT-006-HS – The Efficiency of Ayurvedic Remedies in Modulating Immune Response and Mitigating Rhinitis
Roger Quarles – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PLNT-008-MS – Exploring Rye Allelopathy
Gibson Family Special Awards-STEM Achievement Award
Aaron Barmore – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-001-MS – Aerodynamic Engineering for Roller Coaster Optimization
Jonas Miles – Saint Xavier High School, Louisville – High School
ENBM-001-HS – Analyzing Deep Sleep from Smart Watch Driven Data
Gibson Family Special Awards-Global Environmental Impact Award
Nour Albarqawi – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-001-MS – The Effect of Salvinia Leaf and Plastic Adsorbent on Oil Absorption
Alyssa Jones – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-007-HS – Geo-Environmental Analysis: Comprehensive Assessment of Household Chemical Effects on Aquatic pH Dynamics and Environmental Health
Jefferson County Conservation District-Conservation Awards
Varsha Adelli – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
PLNT-002-MS – Biodegradable Hydrogels in Agriculture
Jack Cornett – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-002-MS – Sediment Pollution: A Study on Microplastics
James Sexton – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-007-MS – Milkweed Floss Remediates F.O.G Pollution
Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair with support of Amazon Corporation Amazon Innovation Award – Junior
Alim Aliyev – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-003-MS – Homemade RC Car
Innasent Walker – Hopkinsville Middle School – Middle School
PHYS-012-MS Cell Phones: Doing More Harm Than Good?
Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair with support of Amazon Corporation Amazon Innovation Award – Senior
Sally Escobar Perez – Central HS – High School
BMED-002-HS – The Effects of Dietary Choices on Glycemic Control
Ashley Guadalupe – Central HS – High School
BEHA-005-HS – The power of music
Kentucky Society of Professional Engineering Award
Ansh Gadhiya – Eastern High School – High School
SOFT-003-HS – Stride Guide
KPFF-Engineering Achievement Award
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-HS The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Jessica Le – St. Pius X – Middle School
ETSD-007-MS – Strongest Bridge Building Technique
KY Chapter of Air and Waste Management Association (KY-AWMA) Conservation and Waste Management Award
Harini Chivukula – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-001-HS – Can nanotechnology clean up oil spills?
KY Chapter of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers KCHMM Environmental Science Award
Prize given at the KCHMM special reception.
Anna Shumway – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-009-HS – A Comparison of CO, CO2, AQI, TVOCs, PM2.5, PM10, and Particle Num/L in the Ballard High School Bus Circle, Car Rider Line, and Nearby Neighborhood
Louisville Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience-Neuroscience Award
Hailey Sutton – Christian County High School – High School
ANIM-007-HS – The Mice and the Music: Music’s Impact on Critical Thinking of Mice
Louisville Water Company-Water Award
Nour Albarqawi – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-001-MS – The Effect of Salvinia Leaf and Plastic Adsorbent on Oil Absorption
Mia Briley – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
EAEV-001-MS When to Swim: Exploring Downstream CSO Quality
Varshith Kotagiri – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
CHEM-004-HS Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium
Maryam’s Charity Inc.- Community Service and Social Benefit Award
Max Dunn – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
SOFT-002-MS Edelgard Pixel System for Identifying Art to Prevent Theft
Ben Given – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-005-MS – Creating an Electromagnetic Braking System
Bailey Kaiser – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-002-HS – The Effect of Recycled Rock on the Structural Integrity of a Building
Maryam’s Charity, Inc.- Green or Environmentally Friendly Award
Nour Albarqawi – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-001-MS – The Effect of Salvinia Leaf and Plastic Adsorbent on Oil Absorption
Asa Ashley – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
EGSD-001-HS – Derived Magnetite Nanosheets on Nickel Foam as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution
Brinkley Karem, Emory Tinsley – Sacred Heart Model School – Middle School
ENEV-009-MS-T Oil Spill Cleanup
NASA Earth Systems Science – NASA Earth Systems Science Award
Owen Park – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-011-MS A Breakthrough In Low-Voltage Regolith Mitigation
Ben Yeager – St. Pius X – Middle School
EAEV-007-MS – Battle of the Waters: Comparing the quality of bottled water versus
tap water from different states
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Assoc. (NOAA) – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Award
Miller McArthur – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-003- HS – Sea-wall drainage system; preventing costal erosion
Thomas Messier – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-008-MS – Exploring Hydrodynamic Submarine Hulls
Norton Children Research Institute Affiliated with University of Louisville School of Medicine-Child Health and Well-being Award
Maura Keeley-Fine – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-003-MS – Exploring Regeneration through Kangaroo Care and Co-bedding
Anna Shumway – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-009-HS – A Comparison of CO, CO2, AQI, TVOCs, PM2.5, PM10, and Particle Num/L in the Ballard High SchoolvBus Circle, Car Rider Line, and Nearby Neighborhood
Office of Naval Research-Naval Research Award
Anna Blair – Notre Dame Academy – High School
EGSD-002-HS – The Recycled Construction and Sustainability Implications of a Van De Graaff Generator
Catherine Burket – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-001-MS – Exploring the Impact of Air Fresheners on Stem Cell Activity
Trisha Chhabra – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
CBIO-002-HS – Structure and Analysis of the Bacteriophage MooMoo’s Tail
DaYou Choi – Eminence High School – High School
SOFT-001-HS – Hybrid quantum-classical approach for molecular energy calculations
Cate Cowley – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-007-MS A Novel Study About ASMR and Short-Term Memory
Amelia Turner – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-004-MS Exploring EMG Signals in a Planaria Model of Neurons
Rimane Elhayani – Nur Islamic School of Louisville Middle School CHEM –
003 Electrolyte Challenge: Orange Juice Vs. Sports Drink
Regeneron-Biomedical Science Award
Student must apply for award with ISEF.
Gopalaniket Tadinada – North Oldham High School – High School
ENBM-002-HS – RecuNet: A Novel, Low-Cost, & Automated Pipeline for the
Spatiotemporal Prediction of Brain Tumor Recurrence
Ricoh USA, Inc.-Sustainable Development Award
Asa Ashley – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
EGSD-001-HS – Derived Magnetite Nanosheets on Nickel Foam as a Highly Active
Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution
Anna Blair – Notre Dame Academy – High School
EGSD-002-HS – The Recycled Construction and Sustainability Implications of a Van De Graaff Generator
Society for In Vitro Biology-Achievement In Vitro Biology
Hosamulhaq Brula – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
TMED-001-HS – Novel Diagnostic Application of CRISPR-dCas9 and Graphene Oxide for
Sensitive Detection of Antibiotic Resistance and Genetic Disorders
Abby Ladwig – Owensboro High School – High School
ANIM-005-HS – The Factors that Influence the Coloration of the Vitellus Produced by the Gallus gallus domesticus Within a Backyard Flock, Quality of Pigment and Breed Variation
Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) – Water Prize and nomination for the Kentucky SJWP Competition
Alyssa Jones – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
EAEV-007-HS – Geo-Environmental Analysis: Comprehensive Assessment of Household Chemical Effects on Aquatic pH Dynamics and Environmental Health
Lisa-Sophia Kachalova, Alexandra Kachalova, Allison Karagianis – North Oldham High
School – High School
ANIM-004-HS-T – The Effects of Noise Pollution on Fish
Varshith Kotagiri – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School CHEM-004-HS
Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium
Miller McArthur – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
ENEV-003-HS – Sea-wall drainage system; preventing costal erosion
Nitika Popuri – Eastern High School – High School
EAEV-008-HS Effect of Ocean Acidification on Shell Strength
The Lemelson Foundation-Lemelson Early Inventor Prize
Student must apply for award from ISEF.
Karl Manke – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-003-MS – Rose, a Potential Photosensitizing / Anticancer Agent
Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) – Junior Innovators Challenge
Applications and certificates will be sent to each student.
Kate Beaton – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-006-MS – The Impact of Gambling Ads on Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior
Tony Church – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BCHM-002-MS – Exploring the Impact of Air Fresheners on Enzyme Activity
Lauren Duncan – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-003-MS – Cattail Fluff: A New Natural Dye Adsorbent
Carole Erwin – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ANIM-003-MS – Cross Species Olfactory Communication – Human to Horse
Ben Given – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ETSD-005-MS – Creating an Electromagnetic Braking System
Noa Jeffreys – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BMED-008-MS – Edible Candy Dye Affects Stem Cell Function
Harper Joaquin – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-002-MS – Exploring the Possible Impacts of Aspartame on Learning
Maura Keeley-Fine – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
CELL-003-MS – Exploring Regeneration through Kangaroo Care and Co-bedding
Karl Manke – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-003-MS – Rose, a Potential Photosensitizing / Anticancer Agent
Katie Mulvihill – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
MATS-005-MS – Milk Spoilage Detecting Bioplastic
Aaradhya Nerella – Echo Trail Middle School – Middle School
PHYS-009-MS -Can you communicate with the ISS with the usage of common tools?
Owen Park – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-011-MS A Breakthrough In Low-Voltage Regolith Mitigation
Navey Roth – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BEHA-017-MS – Exploring the Perceptions of Justice Seeking in Children
Vivaan Tippana – South Oldham Middle School – Middle School
CBIO-002- MS – Analyzing EEG recording datasets from Alzheimer’s and Frontotemporal
Dementia patients using Python and training LLM model for early detection
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-Science Champion Award
Mason Detenber – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
BMED-005-MS – Exploring Probiotics on Diabetes
Ashley Guadalupe – Central HS – High School
BEHA-005-HS – The power of music
U.S. Air Force-U.S. Air Force Certificate of Achievement
Michael Brown – Ballard High School Science & Engineering Fair – High School
MATS-001-HS – Shining a Light on Running
Shreethan Palla, Arnav Philips – North Oldham High School – High School
ROBO-003-HS-T – Using Arduino and Steppers to solve a Rubik’s Cube
U.S. Metric Association-Metrics Award
William Cooper – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-005-MS – Comparing Tornadoes and Water Vortices
Malak Dridi – Nur Islamic School of Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-006-MS The Effect of The Lunar Cycle on Taste Sensitivity
Yale Science and Engineering Association-Yale Science and Engineering Award
Shreethan Palla, Arnav Philips – North Oldham High School – High School
ROBO-003-HS-T – Using Arduino and Steppers to solve a Rubik’s Cube
School Awards
Certificates, Trophies made by GE Appliances Asia Impact
Cash Awards for School STEM programs — $400 for 1st, $250 for 2nd $175 for 3rd
Middle School – Junior
1st Place – St. Francis of Assisi, Louisville
2nd place – James Graham Brown School, Louisville
3rd Place – Nur Islamic School, Louisville
High School – Senior
1st Place – Ballard High School, Louisville
2nd Place – Central High School, Louisville
3rd Place – North Oldham High School, Goshen
Best of Fair Awards
sponsored by GE Appliances, a Haier Company
Middle School – Junior Best of Fair
Certificate, Trophy made by GE Appliances Asia Impact and $240 for each project
Lauren Duncan – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
ENEV-003-MS – Cattail Fluff:A New Natural Dye Adsorbent
Karl Manke – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
TMED-003-MS – Rose, a Potential Photosensitizing / Anticancer Agent
Owen Park – Saint Francis of Assisi, Louisville – Middle School
PHYS-011-MS – A Breakthrough In Low-Voltage Regolith Mitigation
High School – Senior Best of Fair
Certificate, Trophy made by GE Appliances Asia Impact and $420 for each project. Travel grant to attend Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair in Columbus, OH May 10-16, 2025, with “TEAM Kentucky.”
Asa Ashley – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
EGSD-001-HS – Derived Magnetite Nanosheets on Nickel Foam as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution
Rihaan Kapoor – Trinity High School, Louisville – High School
PHYS-011-HS – Axion Detection via CNNs: A Computational Approach to Unveiling Dark Matter
Veeksha Katta – North Oldham High School – High School
PLNT-006-HS – The Efficiency of Ayurvedic Remedies in Modulating Immune Response and Mitigating Rhinitis
Varshith Kotagiri – Gatton Academy of Science & Mathematics – High School
CHEM-004-HS – Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium
Gopalaniket Tadinada – North Oldham High School – High School
ENBM-002-HS – RecuNet: A Novel, Low-Cost, & Automated Pipeline for the Spatiotemporal Prediction of Brain Tumor Recurrence