Category: Awards

Posted on

GORGAS SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION WINNERS 2025!

A Program of the Alabama Academy of Science
February 28, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today the Gorgas Scholarship Committee announced the rankings of the finalists of the 2025 Alabama Science Scholar Search. The final competition was held during the 102nd Annual Meeting of the Alabama Academy of Science at Troy University Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama, held on February 27th and 28th 2025.
The winner of the first-place tuition grant of $4000 was:
Bao, Will, Auburn High School, Teacher-Sponsor: Jacque Middleton
First alternate and winner of a tuition grant of $3000 was:
Sagi, Srihansi, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Teacher-Sponsor: Hungsin Chin
Second alternate and winner of a tuition grant of $2000 was:
Anand, Ashu, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Teacher-Sponsor: Hungsin Chin
Third alternate and winner of a tuition grant of $1500 was:
Behara, Aanchal, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Teacher-Sponsor: Hungsin Chin
Fourth alternate and winner of a tuition grant of $1000 was:
Belew, John, Wetumpka Highschool, Teacher-Sponsor: Virginia Vilardi

Unranked Finalists:
The rankings were established by a panel of judges consisting of department heads, deans and professors from many of the leading universities and industries in Alabama. Winners and finalists in the Gorgas Contest receive offers of tuition scholarships to colleges and universities in Alabama for the study of science. The Gorgas Scholarship Program is named for General William Crawford Gorgas, the Alabama physician who conquered yellow fever in the Panama Canal Zone and later became the Surgeon General of the United States Army. The purposes of the Gorgas competition are to promote interest in science and to aid in the education of promising students.
Information on the annual competition and awards may be found on the website at www.GorgasScholar.org. For further information, contact: Ellen Buckner, PhD, RN, CNE, Chairman, Gorgas Scholarship Competition, ellen.buckner@samford.edu OR ebbuckner@gmail.com , or by phone (205) 910-9877.
Abrams, James, Wetumpka High School, Teacher-Sponsor: Virginia Vilardi
Arya, Rhea, Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School, Teacher-Sponsor: David Boone
French, Jessica, Murphy High School, Teacher-Sponsor: Julie Prerost
Patel, Esha, Alabama School of Math and Science, Teacher-Sponsor: Natalie Ortell
Saha, Sahishnu, James Clemens High School, Teacher-Sponsor: Kathryn Weir
Sharma, Prisha, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Teacher-Sponsor: Dreama White
Vilardi, Lillian, Wetumpka High School, Teacher-Sponsor: Virginia Vilardi
Wu, Edwin, Montgomery Academy, Teacher-Sponsor: Jay Rye

2025-Gorgas-Powerpoint-1Download
Posted on

2025 Gorgas Scholarship Competition for Alabama High School Seniors (public, private or homeschool). 

The Gorgas Scholarship Program is a program of the Alabama Academy of Science. The purposes of the Gorgas competition are to promote interest in science and to aid in the education of promising students.

Information on the annual competition and awards may be found on the website at https://alabamajunioracademyofscience.org/home/gorgas-scholarship-competition. For further information, contact Ellen Buckner, PhD, RN, CNE, AE-C, FNAP, Chair, Gorgas Scholarship Competition, ebbuckner@gmail.com , (205) 910-9877.

Applications for the 2025 competition may be submitted directly to the Chair, Dr. Ellen Buckner. Deadline for receipt of electronic scientific paper is December 31st, 2024.  Send to ebbuckner@gmail.com and gorgasscholarshipcompetition@gmail.com and include Gorgas in Subject line.  Receipt will be acknowledged. Finalists will present their scientific research at Troy University, Montgomery Campus on February 28th, 2025.

Posted on

Team Alabama Press Release – Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Seventeen students from across Alabama attended the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held May 12-18 in Los Angeles, California. More than 1,500 students from 64 countries, regions or territories competed for prizes in the event.

Fifteen of the students from Alabama had earned the right to compete at this prestigious event by winning a top prize at their regional or at the state science fair. The other student attended as student observer.

Students attending were: Kevin Yan, Annie Bao, John Parsons, Yunseo Ha, Madeline Borchert, Gabriel Gordon, Connie Guo, Sahishnu Saha, Abhai Anand, Leonardo Hernandez, Ashu Anand, Greeshma Vinoy, Will Bao, Rhyana Mahatsente, Max Lizee, Julia Gordon, Joseph LeFevre and Lily Vilardi.

Team Alabama 2024

Awards won by the students included two Special Awards and one Grand Category Award– this was a good year but a rebuilding year with all but one as a brand-new competitor!

Special Awards:

Ashu Anand

Air Force Research Laboratory on behalf of the United States Air Force

First Award of $750 in each Regeneron ISEF Category,

The Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Planaria Tissue Regeneration

Ashu Anand, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States of America

 John Parsons

Soumyanath Memorial Award

This award is presented by the family of Krishnamurthy Soumyanath (1957 – 2010), for the best project in Computer Engineering. Dr Soumyanath was an Intel Fellow. The prize honors the memory of an energetic and adventurous individual who inspired and mentored many young people to excel in all aspects of life.

First Award of $3,000

Detecting Forest Fires and Park Visitors in Distress Using Radio Systems

John Willis Parsons, Auburn High School, Auburn, AL, United States of America

$1,000 will be awarded to the winner’s school.

Grand Category Third Award of $1,000

MATS050 — Machine-Learning-Driven Discovery of Novel Acoustic Metamaterials for Broadband Noise Mitigation

Will Bao, Auburn High School, AL, United States of America

2024 Alabama ISEF Winners

Ashu Anand

John Parsons

Will Bao

Posted on

AJAS Winners Announced!

From Mark Jones, Ph.D. Director, Alabama Junior Academy of Science

Finalists by ranking

  • 1  Ashu Anand (life)
  • 2 Yiwen Wang (Phys Sci)
  • 3 Aanchal Behara (Med)
  • 4 Bellamy Williams (Env)
  • 5 Edwin Wu (Eng)

Stem mentor (StemM) officers (see attached photo): Abby Gobbels, Lilly Vilardi, John Belew, Will Bao and Ashu Anand

  • Science alternates per category: 
  • Lilly Vilardi (Env)
  • Noah Lowry (Eng)
  • Annie Bao (Life)
  • Rishi Yellamraju (Med)
  • Varsha Vinoy (Phys Sci)
Proudly powered by WordPress