May 25, 2021
(From top left to right: Patt Phurtivilai, Krit Kasikpan, Korrawee Leelaadisorn, Lauren Zuravel, Kaitlyn Zuravel, Nanami Arimura, Riko Nakajima, Ann Itakura, Connor Mitchell, Prabuddha Ghosh Dastidar)
Each year, more than 1,500 ninth through twelfth graders worldwide are selected to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) by winning a top prize at a local, regional, state, or national science fair affiliated with Society for Science. Sigma Xi continued its support for these students as a Special Awards Organization during the 2021 event.
A group of Sigma Xi volunteers judged 267 team projects in life sciences and physical sciences. The judges evaluated projects to award the best demonstrations of team science and to reflect Sigma Xi's culture of bringing researchers from different disciplines together. Congratulations to the following 2021 award winners:
Life Science
First Place ($2,000 Award)
BMED072T Rapid Osteoporosis Risk Assessment: Non-invasive Detection Kit of Calcium, Phosphate and pH in Human Sweat
Krit Kasikpan, Korrawee Leelaadisorn, and Patt Phurtivilai
Mahidol Wittayanusorn School
Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Second Place ($1,000 Award)
ANIM021T Where Are They from? The Origin of Alien Cicada (Graptopsaltria bimaculata) in Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan
Nanami Arimura, Riko Nakajima, and Ann Itakura
Kagoshima Prefectural Kokubu High School
Kagoshima, Japan
Honorable Mention (One year digital subscription to American Scientist)
CELL002T Extrathymic T-Cell Development in the Mesenteric Lymph Nodes of Mice
Sandhya Kumar and Surabhi Kumar
Lawton Chiles High School
Tallahassee, Florida
Physical Science
First Place ($2,000 Award)
ENEV052T Designing a Bioplastic Material to Replace Polystyrene and Polypropylene in Single-Use Hard Plastics that Rapidly Degrades in Landfill, Freshwater, and Saltwater Environments
Kaitlyn Zuravel and Lauren Zuravel
Terry Sanford High School
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Second Place ($1,000 Award)
ENBM001T ARTHETA-0: An Innovative, Affordable Approach to the Onsite, Rapid 3D Printing of Artery Stents, Parameterized to Fit Individual Patients' Needs
Connor Mitchell and Prabuddha Ghosh Dastidar
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Durham, North Carolina
Honorable Mention (One year digital subscription to American Scientist)
CHEM021T CASH-LOCK: A Way to Find Out What You Are Wearing
Elisa Destro, Bibiana Dellavalle, and Alberto Racerro
Istituto Superiore Ascanio Sobrero
Casale Monferrato, Italy
Judges
Alfred Cocanower, retired air traffic consultant
Eman Ghanem, Sigma Xi
Vishal Shal, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Roy Strachan, United Airlines; U.S. Navy (retired)
Rahul Tikekar, Internal Revenue Service
Stephanie Tristram-Nagle, Carnegie Mellon University
Malgosia Wilk-Blaszcza, University of Texas at Arlington