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Six Plano ISD Students Make 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Top 300

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Six Plano ISD middle school students have been named as Top 300 competitors in the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge® (previously Broadcom MASTERS) — the nation’s premier STEM competition for middle school students by Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Society for Science & the Public. The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the challenges of the 21st Century.

plano isd and thermo fisher scientific junior innovators challenge logos with six plano isd student names

Middle school students across the nation were invited to apply for the Thermo Fisher JIC by placing among the top 10% of participants at Society-affiliated science fairs. The 2023 Top 300 MASTERS were selected from 1,828 applicants hailing from 35 states, plus Puerto Rico. 

Congratulations to these Plano students who have been named in the Top 300 and will receive a $125 award from the Department of Defense STEM Education Consortium:

In alphabetical order by last name:

  • Beckett Mattern, seventh grade, Haggard Middle School, project title: The Best Shot in Tennis
  • Shruti Paul, seventh grade, Schimelpfenig Middle School, project title: Flow ‘n Grow: A Novel Automated Plant Watering System
  • Hiruni Wansapura, seventh grade, Robinson Middle School, Project Title: Bio Breeze: Using Snake Plant Fibers as a Biodegradable Air Filtration Material
  • Aika Saadiq, eighth grade, Wilson Middle School, project title: I Can’t Hear: Soundwave Cancellation by Soundproofing Materials in Rooms
  • Ana Spiride, eighth grade, Rice Middle School, project title: Palm Reading: A Novel Computer Vision Approach to Translating Sign Language
  • Jessica Zhang, eighth grade, Rice Middle School, Project Title: Analyzing Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP)-to-Soil-Mass Ratios on Plant Properties To Increase Sorghum Yields

On September 20, 2023, 30 of the Top 300 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators will be selected as finalists by a nationally ranked panel of scientists, engineers and educators. The top 30 winners will travel to Washington, D.C. to present their research projects and compete as teams in STEM challenges to demonstrate their 21st Century skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. Top awards include a grand prize of $25,000, stipends for STEM summer camps and more.