2024 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Results

Published on by Britt Knight PhD, Director
The top four oral competitors (left to right, not in finishing order): Antonia Kolb, Ashley Malkin, Snigtha Mohanraj, and Harshil Yerrabelli, and the top poster competitor, Cole Galla (not pictured), have been selected to represent Connecticut at the May 2024 National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albuquerque, NM. Dina Watson (far right), fifth place oral competitor, will serve as an alternate in case one of the others can’t attend Nationals.

Oral Competitors

1st Place: Antonia Kolb, senior, King School

DETICKT IT: A Machine‐Learning–Based Application for Real‐Time Tick Identification and Spatiotemporal Disease Risk Assessment

2nd Place: Snigtha Mohanraj, junior, Engineering and Science University Magnet School

Synthesis of Porous Polymer Sponge Matrix Using Modified Sodium Alginate Clay Compound for Adsorptive Removal of Microplastics and Oil from Contaminated Water

3rd Place: Harshil Yerrabelli, junior, Conard High School

Quantum Computing in Medical Diagnostics: A QSVM Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease Classification

4th Place: Ashley Malkin, junior, Greenwich High School

Development and In Vitro Verification of a Polymersome for Blood‐Brain Barrier Transport through a Novel Machine Learning Model

5th Place: Dina Watson, senior, Manchester High School

Determining the Predictiveness of Beech Leaf Disease Symptom Severity Following Spring Leaf out Based on Overwintering Nematode Abundance in Fagus Grandifolia Buds

Special Merit:

Chloe Atkins, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center; Zara Haque, Greenwich High School; Sophie Shen, Ridgefield High School; Nivrith Ananth Iyer, Engineering and Science University Magnet School; Zoe Monschein, Greens Farms Academy

Poster Competitors

1st Place: Cole Galla, senior, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center

Synthesis of Conductive Optical Lenses for the Observation of Variable Refractive Indices

2nd Place: Ana‐Lois Davis, senior, Academy of Aerospace and Engineering

Therapeutic Potential of Specialized Antibody Drug Conjugates to Target the Expression of Cell Surface Glycoprotein Trophoblast Antigen 2 (TROP‐2) Biomarker on High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

3rd Place: Keller Hall, senior, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center

Ferric Modified Bamboo Biochar as a Passive Lead (Pb) Remediation Tool in Contaminated Coastal Wetland Sediment

UConn Academic Excellence Award

Snigtha Mohanraj, junior, Engineering and Science University Magnet School

Synthesis of Porous Polymer Sponge Matrix Using Modified Sodium Alginate Clay Compound for Adsorptive Removal of Microplastics and Oil from Contaminated Water

Backyard Scientist Award

Dina Watson, senior, Manchester High School

Determining the Predictiveness of Beech Leaf Disease Symptom Severity Following Spring Leaf out Based on Overwintering Nematode Abundance in Fagus Grandifolia Buds

People’s Choice Award (STEM Poster Exhibition)

Justin Bernstein, junior, Greenwich High School

Genetic Engineering of Cryobacterium to Increase Silica Content and Enhance the Glacial Albedo of Black Arctic Oceans

Anagha Bhumireddy, senior, Avon High School

Comparing Extensive, Organic, Intensive, and Vertical Farming Strategies to Study Soil Health, Growth Rate, and Nutrient Density

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