Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Congratulations to Amrit Yadav of in on his incredible success at ISEF 2026! 🎉🌟

Amrit earned 4th Place in Translational Medical Science for his groundbreaking research focused on personalized medical implant technology. Competing against some of the world’s top young scientists and engineers, his achievement reflects an extraordinary level of innovation, dedication, and scientific excellence.

His project showcased how advanced computational modeling and biomedical engineering can help create more precise and personalized healthcare solutions for the future. Through his hard work and creativity, Amrit represented his school, community, and Texas with distinction on the international stage.

We are incredibly proud of Amrit and excited to see the impact his research and future contributions will have on science, medicine, and technology! 🚀🔬

✨ Last but certainly not least, we are proud to spotlight the final two members of our incredible group of 9 GARSEF students advancing to the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2026! 🌎🔬

👏 David Pan (BCHM005)
Project: Decoding Plastic Waste: AI-Guided Engineering of PETase Mutants for Enhanced PET Plastic Bioremediation

👏 Sahana Pandey (BCHM037)
Project: Targeting Pathological Neurotransmission Dynamics through De Novo Regulatory Modulation to Suppress Glioma Progression

The Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the world’s largest international STEM research competition for high school students, bringing together the brightest young scientists, engineers, and innovators from across the globe. Earning a place at ISEF is an extraordinary accomplishment and reflects months — and often years — of dedication, curiosity, and groundbreaking research.

David and Sahana have demonstrated exceptional talent, innovation, and commitment to scientific discovery, and we are thrilled to see them represent our region on the international stage.

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding students!🌟

We are excited to introduce 3 more exceptional student innovators representing Texas at Regeneron ISEF 2026! 🌟

From breakthroughs in biomedical engineering to technology designed to improve accessibility and communication, these students are using creativity, research, and innovation to tackle meaningful real-world challenges. Their projects showcase the incredible talent and dedication of the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Please join us in celebrating Uma Sthanu, Aiden Singh, and Arnav Malhotra as they represent their schools, communities, and Texas on the international stage at the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition! 🚀🔬

✨ Uma Sthanu of Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD is competing in Biomedical Engineering with BMED015 —Biomedical and Health Sciences
Glia-Neuron GPCR Signaling as a Therapeutic Route to Axon Regeneration: cAMP-PKA Activation Elevates Excitability and Regrowth in Neurons

✨ Aiden Singh and Arnav Malhotra, two talented student innovators representing Texas at Regeneron ISEF 2026 with their Embedded Systems project, EGSD007T — Sustainable Materials and Design
Carnot-Guided Warm-Optimization of Dilution Refrigerators: A Reduction in the Electrical and Material Cost Drivers in Quantum Computing

🔬✨ Science fair is more than just experiments and presentations—it’s where students build skills that last a lifetime. Through the process, they develop confidence in public speaking, resilience through trial and error, critical thinking, time management, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. It’s a hands-on journey that challenges students to think independently, solve real problems, and grow as leaders.

But did you know? 👇
💰 Many GARSEF awards include cash prizes + recognition
🌍 The biggest long-term value comes from ISEF qualification and high-prestige honors
🚀 While direct internships are rare at this level, these achievements open doors to future opportunities, research, and careers in STEM

And this year, our GARSEF students proved exactly what’s possible…

🌟 GARSEF STUDENTS SHINE AT TXSEF 2026! 🌟

Our GARSEF students delivered an extraordinary performance at the Texas Science & Engineering Fair (TXSEF) at Texas A&M University in College Station—earning top honors across nearly every category and division.

🏆 STATE CHAMPION & ISEF FINALIST
Sahana Pandey (Vandegrift HS) earned 1st Place in Biochemistry and advances to the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)!

🥇 SENIOR DIVISION – 1ST PLACE WINNERS
Sahana Pandey, Uma Sthanu, Adheesh Chincholi, Krishiv Potluri, Abhay Tippimath, and Jack Mueller

🥈 SENIOR DIVISION – 2ND PLACE HONOREES
Aariz Karim-Ali, Pratyush Senthil, Ishaan Kumar, and Isaac Lin

🥉 SENIOR DIVISION – 3RD PLACE HONOREES
David Pan, Amrit Yadav, Diya Venkataragavan, and Shruti Sivaraman

🚀 SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS (SENIOR DIVISION)
Ashley Kim, Sara Rajpathak, Nainika Mundluru, Ridouane Akrab, and Ayman Lough

🔬 JUNIOR DIVISION – 1ST PLACE WINNERS
Ishaan Raj, Abdullah Zakaria, Aarav Singh, Taheem Mustaneer, Anahita Patra, Arya Hirsave, and Srivibhav Amirisetty

🌟 SPECIAL RECOGNITION
👏 Arya Hirsave – Best of State Honorable Mention (Life Sciences)

🥈 JUNIOR DIVISION – 2ND PLACE HONOREES
Jaxon Baharudin, Amogh Bharadwaj, Govind Iyer, and Sudarshan Rangarajan

🥉 JUNIOR DIVISION – 3RD PLACE HONOREES
A***n Patel, Aditya Ariq, Rayaan Waheed, and Saathvik Sowmyanarayanan

🎉 ADDITIONAL SPECIAL AWARD WINNER (JUNIOR DIVISION)
Arham Khan

👏 We are incredibly proud of every GARSEF student who represented our region with innovation, dedication, and excellence. The future of STEM is bright—and it starts right here.

Secondary Awards The home site of the Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Science Fair and Austin Science Foundation

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