Top Presenters Awarded at IFoRE Student Summit

November 10, 2022

Student award winners are inducted into the Society after winning Top Presenter awards at the 2022 IFoRE Student Summit.

Sigma Xi inducted 46 students as new members of the Society during a banquet ceremony on Saturday, November 5, 2022. The students were award recipients for oral and poster presentations at the 2022 IFoRE Student Summit in Alexandria, Virginia. Cash prizes were given along with commemorative medals and membership to the Society, including one year of paid dues.

Over 250 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students attended the inaugural conference and research was presented in oral and poster format, both in-person and virtually. A judging committee of Sigma Xi members evaluated the in-person presenters on their scientific thought, methods, and communication skills. In addition to the judges' awards, the DC chapter of Sigma Xi sponsored two Student Choice Awards, carrying additional monetary prizes and voted on by fellow participants.

2022 Student Summit award winners:

Top High School Poster Presenters

• Hadley Edwards

  • Pine Crest School

  • Microbiology & Molecular Biology

• Valerie Fan

  • Aragon High School

  • Environmental Sciences

• Zachary Harpaz

  • Pine Crest School

  • Cell Biology & Biochemistry

• Sydney Krusch

  • Pine Crest School

  • Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

• Deeksha Kumaresh

  • American Heritage School—Palm Beach Campus

  • Engineering

• Joshua Martoma

  • Pine Crest School

  • Human Behavioral & Social Sciences

• Karina Miranda

  • CROEM High School

  • Math & Computer Science

• Aayushi Ranjan

  • American Heritage School-Palm Beach Campus

  • Physiology & Immunology

• Nolan Wen

  • American Heritage School— Palm Beach Campus

  • Chemistry

• Jonathan Yang

  • Carmel High School

  • Physics & Astronomy

Top Oral Presentations

• High School

  • Likhitha Selvan

  • American Heritage School–Plantation

• Undergraduate

  • Gabriel Ohmes and Nathan Couch

  • Fayetteville State University

• Graduate

  • Cody Howe

  • Oakland University

Top Undergraduate Poster Presenters

• Sara Aly and Michael Rosario

  • The College of New Jersey

  • Math & Computer Science

• Amerti Guta

  • DePauw University and UConn Health

  • Physiology & Immunology

• Alexia Johnson

  • Howard University

  • Human Behavioral & Social Sciences

• Jasmine Johnson

  • University of Connecticut

  • Engineering

• Madeleine Sorbonne

  • Weber State University

  • Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

• Angela Youn

  • University of Pennsylvania

  • Cell Biology & Biochemistry

Top Graduate Poster Presenters

• Julia Brandenstein

  • Stony Brook University

  • Human Behavioral & Social Sciences

• Siobhan Branfield

  • Oakland University

  • Physiology & Immunology

• Barbara Flasz

  • University of Silesia in Katowice

  • Environmental Sciences

• Morgan Markel

  • Oakland University

  • Microbiology & Molecular Biology

• Elissa Moller

  • University of Maryland

  • Physics & Astronomy

• Mafia Mahabub Rumpa

  • Texas Woman's University

  • Cell Biology & Biochemistry

• Hala Samara

  • Texas Woman's University

  • Agriculture, Soil, & Natural Resources

• Jack Sytsma

  • Kansas State University

  • Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

• Michael Trapani and Danielle Werts

  • East Carolina University

  • Engineering

Student Choice Awards

• First Place:

• Zechang Yang and Tyler Kim

  • Bullis School

  • Math & Computer Science

• Second Place (Tie):

• Javier Menendez

  • Oakland University

  • Cell Biology & Biochemistry

• Deneen Royal and Khali Crawford

  • Fayetteville State University

  • Math & Computer Science

Interdisciplinary Research Category Winners (oral presentations)

• Yasmeen Hassan

  • Oakland University

  • Biology and Biotechnology

• Calvin Mathew

  • American Heritage School–Plantation

  • Design, Construction, and Manufacturing

• Priyanka Supraja Balaji

  • Lynbrook High School

  • Engineering

• Gabriel Ohmes and Nathan Couch

  • Fayetteville State University

  • Advances in Computation

• Likhitha Selvan

  • American Heritage School–Plantation

  • Human Health

• Rebecca Adler

  • Pine Crest School

  • Environmental Challenges

Interdisciplinary Research Category Winners (poster presentations)

• Aaron George

  • St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School

  • Human Health

• Daniel Wilentz

  • Pine Crest School

  • Human Health

• Sasha Masson

  • The Harker School

  • Engineering

• Shria Halkoda

  • Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

  • Tools for Science, Education, and Personalized Learning

• Uma Nath

  • Bergen County Academies

  • Advances in Computation

• Hala Samara

  • Texas Woman’s University

  • Environmental Challenges

• Mafia Mahabub Rumpa

  • Texas Woman’s University

  • Biology and Biotechnology

• Michael Trapani and Danielle Werts

  • East Carolina University

  • Environmental Challenges

• Julia Brandenstein

  • Stony Brook University

  • Human Sciences and Policy

• Deneen Royal and Khali Crawford

  • Fayetteville State University

  • Design, Construction, and Manufacturing

• Sreya Sandal

  • New Jersey Institute of Technology

  • Biology and Biotechnology

• Javier Menendez

  • Oakland University

  • Biology and Biotechnology