By Srishti Sawant

IA students delivered yet another impressive performance at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) this past Saturday, earning major awards and setting a new record for IA participation at the fair. With more than 246 projects in the senior division, the competition brought together top student researchers from across the entire state. IA students showcased a wide range of impactful research, from artificial intelligence systems for cancer detection to novel model molecules designed to capture nanoplastics and plant-based alternatives to spandex (Image 1).

The IA student projects earned several prestigious recognitions:

• Srishti Agrawal [12] and Akshaj Dewan [12] received the NASA Earth Science Award
• Srishti Sawant [11] earned a position as 1st Alternate to the National Youth Science Camp
• Rebanto Nath [11] received the Office of Naval Research Science Award

IA also placed two projects in the Top 10 overall! Uddip Kashyap [10] earned Best in Category for Translational Medicine, and Srishti Agrawal [12] and Akshaj Dewan [12] earned Best in Category for Earth and Environmental Science.

However, GSEF was not only competition where awards were won, but also an incredibly rewarding experience for the student researchers. Freshman Samhita Narayan [9] reflected on the experience, saying,

“GSEF was a valuable opportunity to present and share our research and cause to not only professionals, but also the general public. It was an eye opening experience to witness other groundbreaking innovations and ideas.” – Samhita Narayan [9]

IA’s strong showing reflects not just the quality of the projects, but the experience behind them. Students stepped into a space filled with curiosity, competition, and collaboration, and walked away with a deeper sense of purpose in their work. For many, GSEF marked an exciting step forward in their journey as researchers, one that will continue to shape the impact they hope to make in the near future. All in all, congratulations to all IA students who made it to GSEF!

GSEF Participants from IA

Viraat Chauhan [11], Arnav Bijlani [11], Uddip Kashyap [10], Shaun Iyer [11], Rebanto Nath [11], Akshaj Dewan [12], Srishti Agrawal [12], Adithi Challa [11], Aarushi Dhawan [11], Anoushka Shinde [9], Samhita Narayanan [9], Srishti Sawant [11], and Suryansh Sahitya [11] (not pictured in feature).