Educators do far more than deliver lessons. They notice the quiet student with a big question, bring to their attention opportunities students didnā€™t know existed, and stay late to help an experiment finally work.

At Ą¦°óĒæ¼é, educators are at the heart of so much of what we do. Behind nearly every young researcher who steps up to a science fair board, enters a competition or presents their findings to a judge, there is a teacher or mentor who encouraged them. Anna Pawlow, the Societyā€™s Director of Ą¦°óĒæ¼é Education Outreach says, ā€œOur Ą¦°óĒæ¼é Outreach programs recognize that teachers are the experts in effective Ą¦°óĒæ¼é education and student research. That is why the peer-to-peer learning model is at the core of our teacher professional development programming. We celebrate educatorsā€™ immeasurable impact by creating meaningful opportunities for them to learn from one another, build community and inspire new possibilities for their students.ā€

This World Teachersā€™ Day, we asked three educators who work closely with Ą¦°óĒæ¼é to share their thoughts on Ą¦°óĒæ¼é education.

Allyson McFalls
ELA & Science Teacher, Blowing Rock School
Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Allyson has participated in the Societyā€™s Advocate Program as an Advocate and a Lead Advocate. She is also a former Western North Carolina Ą¦°óĒæ¼é Research Ambassador, leading the Societyā€™s NC Ą¦°óĒæ¼é Research Fellow Program. Allyson participates in the Science News Learning program and has mentored students who competed in science fairs affiliated with Regeneron ISEF.

Why do independent research experiences matter for kids right now?

For many students, especially adolescents, time in the classroom can feel like an obligation, not a joy. My goal with implementing independent research experiences is to provide students the opportunity to explore in depth a subject that matters deeply to them, and in the process discover that there is joy in deep learning. Helping students discover the project that fits them is key to helping them engage with the rest of our science content and helps them see that I care about them as more than a data pointā€”as an individual with unique interests and passions.

Can you tell us about a time when a studentā€™s confidence or trajectory changed because of a research experience?

Iā€™ve had the joy of teaching students in both 6th and 8th grade in a small rural school. There are a few girls who entered 6th grade very hesitant about their science skills and aptitude, worried about whether they could ā€œdo itā€ when it came to science fair projects. Watching them discover their passion through science fair has been incredible, and now, as 8th-grade students, they are not only confident in their own research, but are actively seeking out opportunities and connections to build their science education. I canā€™t wait to see how their lives unfold!

Milene de Farias
Teacher, Southcrest Christian School
Lubbock, Texas

Milene has participated in the Societyā€™s Research Teachers Conference, served as an Invention Fellow and participates in the Science News Learning program. She has also mentored students who competed in science fairs affiliated with Regeneron ISEF, as well as in Thermo Fisher JIC, Regeneron ISEF and Regeneron STS.

What drew you to teaching, and specifically to teaching a Ą¦°óĒæ¼é subject? Was there a teacher or mentor in your own life who shaped how you teach today?

In 6th grade, I moved to a traditional public school, where my science teacher introduced me to a real lab for the first time and I took part in a science fair. I was shy, but when it came to my projects, I could talk with anybody who asked about them, and I couldnā€™t wait to start researching for my 7th-grade project.

The science fair changed my plans of becoming a model, a surfer or a crime novel writer, and I chose to attend a technical Ą¦°óĒæ¼é high school. There, my math teacher, Armando, made a lasting impact on how I teach. He taught with empathy and always used projects. I still remember learning trigonometry by going outside to measure the height of our four-story school building, which is why I love hands-on activities today.

Why do independent research experiences matter for kids right now?

Information is everywhere today, and students can find an answer in seconds, but personal experiences are what truly shape them. When students choose a problem they care about and work to solve it, they build critical thinking, curiosity and grit, because real research does not always go as planned. They learn to ask better questions and keep going when the results surprise them. Independent research also connects students to the needs of their community, which teaches them to think beyond themselves and see that science can make a difference.

Oktay Ince
Director of Teaching and Learning, Concept Schools
Columbus, Ohio

Oktay has participated in the Societyā€™s Advocate Program as an Advocate and a Lead Advocate. He has also attended the Research Teachers Conference as an attendee and a Captain, participated in the Science News Learning program and mentored students who competed in science fairs affiliated with Regeneron ISEF.

What drew you to teaching, and specifically to teaching a Ą¦°óĒæ¼é subject? Was there a teacher or mentor in your own life who shaped how you teach today?

I believe teaching is rewarding both personally and professionally. I think it is especially rewarding when you are teaching in a Ą¦°óĒæ¼é field. You know that you are making a difference in the lives of studentsā€”their life trajectories, their families and the communities around them.

Witnessing this makes my heart full of joy. It makes me think that I am leaving a legacy in this world, even after I am gone. That is what makes teaching so meaningful to me. This servant mindset was instilled in me by my parents, teachers and coaches. They taught me that our purpose is not only to be successful ourselves, but also to help others become successful. That is the mindset I try to bring to my students every day.

Why do independent research experiences matter for kids right now?

I believe acquiring skills through the experience of conducting independent research is one of the highest forms of education we can give to students.

Students do not have to choose a career in Ą¦°óĒæ¼é, but the skills they develop through the research process can set them up for success in almost anything they choose to do. They learn how to ask questions, solve problems, think critically, communicate, persevere when things do not work and defend their ideas.

Independent research experiences are both transformative and transferable.

If we want our students to be prepared for a constantly changing world and to be competitive in that world, I believe students from all backgrounds need opportunities to experience independent research. We are not just preparing them for a science fair or a Ą¦°óĒæ¼é career. We are preparing them to become thinkers, problem-solvers, and people who believe they can make a difference.

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Here is what they wanted the next generation of scientists to know.

When a student from Bradenton, Florida, asked which single breakthrough would most benefit humanity, Panchanathan said no urgent global challenge can be solved by one discipline alone. ā€œWithout interdisciplinary approaches, we will not solve the most pressing global grand challenges,ā€ he said. ā€œThere is no solution to climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate change without engineers, scientists, social scientists, behavioral scientists, policymakers or economists. There is no limit to the disciplines that have to contribute here.ā€

Panchanathanā€™s message to students was clear: the future belongs to those who develop the right mindset, not just the right skills. ā€œMindsets are even more important than skill sets as you walk the journey into the future,ā€ he said. ā€œThe mindset of team spirit. The mindset of welcoming interdisciplinary inspirations. That is how you find real solutions to global grand challenges.ā€

The panel repeatedly returned to AI, exploring how it is changing science, where it falls short and what risks it presents. Moerner praised AIā€™s ability to quickly surface past research but also raised concerns: ā€œI’m worried that many people, including me perhaps, will not be thinking as much about what’s going on. You have to test it. You have to make sure it’s correct. There are many things stated in these systems that we know are already incorrect.ā€

Stewart, who has watched AI tools evolve throughout her research career, expressed both enthusiasm and caution. ā€œAI can be helpful as an assist,ā€ she said. ā€œThe negative is when you wander into its use without testing it, and without knowing what specific outcome you want. It is not a general purpose solve-everything.ā€

Stewart also considered the deeper questions AI is raising for researchers: ā€œWe’re having an identity crisis in science because we were the scientists, and now if AI can do science, who is the scientist?ā€

Her answer was grounding. “You have to remember why you wanted to do science in the first place. If you don’t think it’s the most fun daily activity, then why are you here? In which case, you’re going to keep doing it even if AI is also doing it.”

Panchanathan drew on his experience developing AI tools for people with disabilities to argue that the technology can help and expand human potential. “AI and machine learning can be a huge asset ā€” an empowerment, an enrichment, an enablement and an unleashing of unbelievable ideas and talent.” But he urged the audience to remember three A’s when navigating AI’s risks: “Acknowledge the negative effects. Address the negative effects in partnership with people you need to work with. Then advance. Oftentimes, what we do is we advance and hope things will get addressed ā€” even without acknowledging the problem.”

A student from Anchorage, Alaska, said his community is already experiencing the effects of climate change. He asked how scientists can reach people who believe misinformation. “Information is the only way you combat disinformation,” Panchanathan said. “But more importantly, itā€™s important to contextualize the information for the individual consuming it.ā€ Moerner suggested getting personal: ā€œConnect with the person who’s got the misinformation. Try to learn something about their life. If you connect with facts that relate to their issue ā€” and your personal connection ā€” maybe we’ll have some progress on this horrible problem.ā€

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Stefan did not set out to write a memoir. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, he welcomed his second child and, just days later, lost his mother. Unable to travel and forced to say goodbye over FaceTime, he began writing as a way to preserve his memories. Those pages werenā€™t structured or polished, Stefan explained. They were fragments of recollection. But when he later shaped them into chapters, something shifted. Reading his own story from a distance allowed him to feel compassion for his younger self. For the first time, he found himself rooting for that isolated child on the page.

That realization gave him a purpose: to give that child the voice and witness he never had. Stefan described being homeschooled for four and a half years in near-total isolation with a mother who used her silence as a punishment and had extremely nontraditional teaching methods.

Yet amid that isolation, science became an unexpected path to connection. One of the brightest spots in the memoir came during Stefanā€™s high school years when he participated in science competitions, including ISEF. He shared, ā€œIt seemed like such a fluke that as a freshman I won the regional science fair and was given a gift of time away from a high school experience that had been a catastrophic year.ā€ For the first time, Stefan had found ā€œhis peopleā€: curious, driven students who shared his passions.

During his conversation with Science News Publisher Michael Voss, Stefan acknowledged that his nuanced portrayal of his mother was central to his memoir. Rather than casting her as a villain, he chose to present her with full emotional complexityā€”both loving and harmful, protective and imprisoning. Stefan shared that heā€™s heard back from readers who expressed a great deal of anger on his behalf, but that was never his intention. ā€œI think at the heart of this book is a profound ambivalence. And it felt good to me to arrive, almost healing, to make peace with that ambivalence,ā€ he said.

Sharing the manuscript with his family was the most frightening step. For years, his family had unspoken rules about not discussing his mother critically. But when his father finally read the book, his response was unexpectedly tender. Instead of anger, he offered understanding, and it opened the door to deeper conversations and a closer relationship.

Returning to school as a teenager was initially very difficult for Stefan. He was academically behind and socially disconnected. Teachers who believed in him and led him to science fair helped him regain confidence and opened doors to opportunity. He now sees them as pivotal figures; people who quietly pulled him into a larger world when he needed it most.

His ISEF and STS experiences planted the seeds for both his scientific and creative pursuits. Even though Stefan ultimately chose writing over lab research, he credits science with shaping his mindset. The patience, rigor and tolerance for failure required in research, he said, are identical to what it takes to write a novel. ā€œWriting a book is like running an experiment,ā€ he explained. ā€œYou test a hypothesis. Sometimes you spend years discovering you were wrong. Then you start again.ā€

Stefanā€™s path has been anything but linear. After working in research labs at institutions like Yale University, he gradually realized he was sneaking off to write fiction instead of preparing for graduate school applications. Eventually, he committed fully to writing and sold his first novel in his early twenties. Today, in addition to publishing books, he co-owns a community roller skating rink in upstate New York, a joyful, social space that feels like a small corrective to the isolation of his childhood.

When asked what advice heā€™d give students navigating uncertain or nonlinear paths, Stefan didnā€™t hesitate: persistence. Both science and writing demand faith through failure. ā€œRelentless persistence is everything.ā€

The post Finding voice, truth and belonging: A conversation with Stefan Merrill Block appeared first on Ą¦°óĒæ¼é.

Growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, Thorp attended what he described as one of the worst high schools in the Los Angeles school system, a place where shop classes outnumbered academic ones. He taught himself science through library books, funded experiments by delivering newspapers at two in the morning and received a subscription toĀ Science NewsletterĀ (nowĀ Science News) from a retired engineer neighbor.

It was in Science Newsletter that Thorp discovered the Science Talent Search. “Nobody in my high school goes to college, but maybe I can,” he recalled thinking.

Thorp submitted an essay titledĀ Some Original CalculationsĢż¾±²Ō his Science Talent Search application and promptly forgot about it until he found a telegram on his doorstep. “It couldn’t be for me. I’d never seen a telegram,” he said. That telegram sent him to Washington, D.C., where he met President Harry Truman, heard from Nobel Prize-winning physicist I.I. Rabi, toured a 60-inch cyclotron and won $100.

Thorp went on to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics from UCLA, teach at MIT and UC Irvine, and authored six books, including Beat the Dealer, the first scientific system ever devised for a major casino gambling game, which transformed how the world plays blackjack.

Thorp explained that his blackjack story began almost by accident. Just before Thorp and his wife headed to Las Vegas, a colleague mentioned a strategy for the game. Intrigued, Thorp dug up a research paper showing that optimal play could reduce the house edge from 2% to about two-tenths of a percent. Armed with just $10 and a small reference card outlining the strategy, he sat down at a blackjack table. The other players laughed at him, convinced he was a fool. Then, he drew a seven-card 21, a rare and highly favorable hand.

That moment sent Thorp back to the academic literature with fresh eyes. “I knew how to beat this game,” he said, describing the mathematical insight that struck him almost immediately upon re-reading the original paper. The key was understanding what happens to the odds as cards are removed from the deck, which is something no one had systematically studied.

Thorp was teaching at MIT at the time. He spent his days teaching and his nights running calculations on a Monroe electric calculator, only to estimate it would take him 10,000 years to finish by hand.

Thorp then taught himself Fortran, a programming language for the IBM 704, and after about six months of trial and error began getting results. The system worked.

One of the unexpected benefits of cracking the problem, Thorp noted, was that he had never taken a course in probability before tackling it. He wasn’t burdened by the widespread belief that casino games simply couldn’t be beaten. “One of the benefits of being ignorant,” he said.

Later, when he first began investing in the stock market Thorp knew nothing about it. ā€œI made terrible investment mistakes,ā€ he said. ā€œAfter I made many mistakes, I sat down and read book after book after book.ā€ Thorp then received a financial newsletter in the mail called the RHM Warrant Survey. Warrants are the forerunner of what we call options today, and Thorp realized he could ā€œmathematicizeā€ warrants. This discovery led to Thorpā€™s follow-up book, Beat the Market, which, in turn, led him to establish the first market-neutral hedge fund in 1969.

Inspired by Thorpā€™s story of curiosity, persistence and mathematical thinking? The Regeneron Science Talent Search 2027 application is now open and will be accepted through 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Students with original research projects are encouraged to apply and take the next step in their own scientific journey.

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In a recent survey of more than 1,000 educators who use journalism articles and lesson plans from Science News Learning, 99% reported that the program is useful for supporting studentsā€™ Ą¦°óĒæ¼é learning, and 100% said they would recommend it to a colleague. That kind of peer-to-peer recommendation speaks volumes. As Megan Larocque, a teacher in Marie, Mich. put it, ā€œI wish every student in grades 1ā€“12 in America would use this daily!ā€ When educators share a resource with one another, it signals not only satisfaction but confidence that it will work.

This year, virtually all surveyed educators (96%) reported using Science News Learning at least once a month, a 10% increase from 2024. Many noted that it supports cross-curricular connections and helps students understand how science intersects with their daily lives. Katrice Antoine, an educator from Baton Rouge, La said, ā€œScience News provides articles on a variety of topics that are relevant to the community and the world we live in today. This information highlights the connection between science and the real world, as well as other subject areas.ā€

New program features have also been popular. The recently introduced ā€œGraph of the Weekā€ lesson plans have already proven useful to 70% of educators. An additional 95% said they either use or plan to use the programā€™s standards-aligned lesson plans paired to articles. Data analysis-focused lessons are especially popular, with 79% of educators reporting they found them valuable.

ā€œEach year the articles are more compelling and more relative to students,ā€ said Nancy Broyles, an educator in Kentucky. ā€œThe lesson plans have evolved along with best practices. As standards became more phenomenon-based, so did the lessons. This has allowed teachers to quickly find and adapt excellent resources for their own classrooms.ā€

Teachers have also consistently shared that Science News Learning helps students recognize science in the world around them. Rayemona Boyd of Houma, La. said that students now regularly stop by during the school day to share something interesting they encountered in the news.

Vale Black of Springdale, Arkansas appreciates that the built-in comprehension questions ā€œtake some preparation off my plateā€ while still offering a wide variety of topics to engage student interest.

Eighty-five percent of educators said Science News Learning helps them highlight real-world applications of Ą¦°óĒæ¼é, 78% said it supports the integration of new scientific discoveries into lessons and 70% said it strengthens studentsā€™ literacy skills.

In short, teachers recommend Science News Learning because it works, not only for their lesson planning, but also for fostering their studentsā€™ curiosity, engagement and understanding of science.

Sign up your school to receive the Science News Learning program by filling out this form.

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ā€œWe first introduced ourselves at the Pin Exchange,ā€ Emily shares. Their story started, however, when they first noticed each other in the airport in Minneapolis en route to ISEF 2012. ā€œWe were both waiting for our connecting flights, and coincidentally, we both took the same flight to Pittsburgh. We then even rode the same ISEF bus to our hotels.ā€

Their first impressions? Pure infatuation. ā€œWe were both excited to find out the other was from a rural farming community,ā€ Emily recalls. ā€œWe had so many similar interests.ā€

The couple shared their first kiss outside of Heinz Field and Carnegie Science Center at the end of one ISEFā€™s evening activities. They spent every activity together and found their competitive sides coming out when they raced each other on the Olympic Sprint challenge track at Carnegie Science Center. (Scott won.)

Emily and Scott dated for three years after first meeting at ISEF, from 2013 to 2015, before life took them in different directions. They found their way back to each other in 2019 and welcomed their son, Griff, in 2022. Emily and Scott got engaged in 2023, were married in 2024 and are now expecting their second baby in February 2026.

ā€œI think we both felt something very special in the other from the moment we met, and that feeling continued for us both throughout the years, whether we were together or apart,ā€ Emily says. ā€œNever in a million years did I think I would meet my future husband when attending ISEF as a junior in high school, but because of ISEF, we have a beautiful son and another baby on the way. The ISEF community is wonderful, but most of all it brought me the greatest blessings in life.ā€

Today, Scott and Emily live on a farm and ranch near Kevin, Mont., raising crops and cattle. Scott farms approximately 9,000 acres each year with his uncle. His crops mainly include wheat, green peas and chickpeas. He has farmed barley, oats, canola and mustard throughout the years as well. He runs approximately 150ā€“200 heads of cattle that calve in the spring. Scott also coaches the high school football team at North Toole County High School in Sunburst, Mont., where he went to school.

ā€œI love listening to Scotty talk about the science that goes into the everyday operations of the farm through agronomy and soil science.ā€

In her job, Emily also uses science every day to treat patients. Sheā€™s spent seven years working as a nurse in hospital settings on medical floors and critical access hospital emergency rooms. In March 2025, she switched careers, becoming a school nurse so that she could spend more time with her family. There, she loves learning about and building relationships with the students. Emily still works in the ER sporadically, when sheā€™s needed.

ā€œStarting science fair young and being highly involved with as many science classes as I could gave me a great love for science,ā€ Emily says. ā€œIt guided me and helped me understand that I wanted to find a profession that was immersed in science. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, and nursing felt like what I was led to do.ā€

Emily and Scottā€™s 2024 wedding became something of an ISEF reunion, with alumni from Sunburst and Avon, S.D. in attendance, including Paul Ehlers (ISEF 2016), Rachel Ehlers (DCYSC 2007, MSP 2008 and ISEF 2013), Alex (Watterud) Aschim (ISEF 2012), Claire Bucklin (ISEF 2021-22), Andy Ryan (ISEF 2014-15), Amanda (Reiff) Beeson (ISEF 2014) and Alyson (Roth) Powers (ISEF 2012). Scottā€™s science teacher, Amanda Nix, also attended the wedding.

ā€œIt was so much fun to see all of our friends who got to experience ISEF with us,ā€ Emily adds. ā€œWe all shared one common thing, and it was that we each had a great science teacher who encouraged each of us to work hard and helped us earn amazing experiences and trips through science fair.ā€

Emilyā€™s advice for future ISEF finalists? ā€œPick a project that you love and pour your passion and knowledge into it. Enjoy every aspect of science fair, including the science, the methodology, the social aspect, and the competition. It is truly a community of amazing students and will create memories that will last a lifetime.ā€

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For most of us, a big rainstorm means grabbing an umbrella or staying inside, but for Luca Durham, a 6^th grader from Miami, Florida, a major downpour sparked an idea for a science project. After watching his neighbor’s driveway flood and spill water onto the street, making it difficult to drive, Ā Luca began to question whether there was a better way to manage rainwater.

ā€œMaybe there was a way to make concrete that could soak up water instead of flooding the street,ā€ he wondered.

Luca dove into research on a material called porous concrete, designed to allow water to pass through it. However, he quickly discovered the concreteā€™s flaws; existing versions often aren’t strong enough for real-world use and can get clogged with dirt. He wanted to find a stronger and more reliable alternative.

ā€œOne day, after taking a shower, I stepped on my stone bathmat and noticed how fast it absorbed the water from my feet,ā€ Luca shares. ā€œIt was kind of like a sponge, and I wanted to know what it was made from. I found out it was made from diatomaceous earth, which comes from tiny, fossilized algae.ā€

This discovery led to a new question: could Luca add diatomaceous earth to concrete to create a stronger, more absorbent material?

ā€œI wanted to find additives that could help concrete drain water but still be strong. I also looked for materials that were sustainable or things people usually throw away, because I wanted my project to help both people and the environment,ā€ he says.

First, Luca chose crushed oyster shells and seashells, which are typically discarded as waste. Their curved shapes create tiny gaps in the concrete, helping water flow through. Next, he added charcoal, a porous material that can be made from waste wood and is known for its filtering properties. He also included gravel, because itā€™s already known to make porous concrete stronger and give water clear paths to drain. Lastly, he added diatomaceous earth, the material used in his bathmat, which he hoped would increase the concrete’s ability to absorb water.

Luca tested them for drainage, absorption and strength. His hypothesis was that a mix of 30% diatomaceous earth and 70% cement with shells would work best because the shells could create spaces for water to flow and the diatomaceous earth could soak up extra water. Ā In the end, Luca found that the best mix was 30% diatomaceous earth and 70% cement with gravel. ā€œThis project shows that using sustainable materials in concrete can help reduce flooding, improve water drainage and create a more environmentally friendly infrastructure,ā€ Luca explains.

The tests didnā€™t always go smoothly, Luca shared. At first, he used the wrong ratio of cement to additives, and it was difficult to get all of his seashells and charcoal pieces to be the same size. While he acknowledged that he got frustrated at times, Luca said the experience taught him not to give up.

ā€œI loved seeing the science in action and figuring out which materials made the biggest difference,ā€ Luca says. ā€œBut the best part was realizing that I might have created something no one has ever tried before. It felt amazing to see my idea actually work and to think I might have invented a new kind of concrete that could help people.ā€

Luca entered his project in the South Florida Science and Engineering Fair, where he won the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize, a win that Luca says, ā€œinspires me to keep thinking of new ideas and ways to solve problems.ā€ Next, he plans to strengthen his concrete by adding carbon fiber strips so that it can hold more weight. ā€œMy dream is to create a sidewalk material that is strong, eco-friendly, and helps keep streets from flooding.ā€

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Ahmad Perez
(STS 2019)

What are you up to right now?

Iā€™m currently focused on leading , a grassroots organization I founded to connect, inform and empower communities across Long Island. Weā€™ve built digital tools and storytelling platforms that have reached hundreds of thousands of residents ā€” helping people stay informed, get involved and see themselves as part of the solution. Whether itā€™s through town halls, local campaigns or community mapping tools, our goal is to make civic engagement more accessible and meaningful for everyday people. Iā€™m also continuing to work in environmental justice, supporting projects that are driven by and for frontline communities.

You were recently part of the Biden Administration. What was your role there?

I served as a Special Advisor for Implementation and Climate Justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the time of my appointment, I was just 21 years old, making me one of the youngest White House appointees in the EPA’s history. My role focused on helping implement key elements of the Inflation Reduction Act and ensuring that the benefits of federal climate investments reached the communities that needed them most. It was an incredible experience to bring a youth and community-grounded perspective into high-level policymaking.

Has your experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

Yes, absolutely. Being LGBTQ+ has taught me to approach systems with a critical lens and a deep sense of empathy. Itā€™s made me more aware of who is includedā€”and who is often left outā€”when science is applied in the real world. That perspective has pushed me to ask harder questions and to always consider the human impact behind the data. Itā€™s also made me more committed to ensuring that solutions are shaped by the people most affected, not just those with the most credentials.

What kinds of support (whether from peers, mentors or teachers) have made a difference for you in school and in your career?

Mentorship and community didnā€™t just guide my pathā€”they saved it. In high school, I was a kid from Brentwood, New York, who often felt like I didnā€™t belong in the rooms where big decisions were made, but I had teachers who looked past my self-doubt and told me I was capable of more. They pushed me to take risksā€”like applying to national science competitions like the Science Talent Searchā€”even when I didnā€™t see myself as someone who could win.

Later, I found mentors who didnā€™t just teach me, they opened doors and walked beside me through them. And just as powerfully, I had friends and peers who reminded me that staying rooted in where I came from wasnā€™t a limitationā€”it was my superpower.
Every step Iā€™ve taken was possible because someone believed in me before I believed in myself. That kind of support is everything.

What would you say to a LGBTQ+ student who is interested in Ą¦°óĒæ¼é but unsure if they belong?

You belongā€”and not just as an observer, but as a leader and innovator. Your perspective is valuable precisely because itā€™s different. STEM is about solving complex problems, and that takes people who can think outside the box, challenge assumptions and bring empathy into the process. If youā€™re questioning whether thereā€™s space for you in this field, let me say clearly: there is. And if you canā€™t find that space, donā€™t be afraid to build it.

Eleanor Sigrest
(BCM 2016,ISEF 2020, STS 2021)

You just graduated from Stanford. Whatā€™s next for you?

While I technically walked at my graduation ceremony, I still have one more quarter left to finish both my bachelorā€™s and masterā€™s degrees. When I started at Stanford, I set a goal to complete the coterminal program and graduate in about four years so I could be on track for the astronaut application cycle, which requires a minimum of a masterā€™s and four years of experience. By the time the next round opens in 2028, Iā€™ll be qualified and ready to go!

What research are you working on now?

Iā€™m continuing my research on microgravity slosh mitigation. After flying an initial experiment for my STS research project, I launched two follow-up experiments with the Blue Origin, an American space technology company. One flight was NS-23, which enabled me to see how well my payload survived under anomalous conditions. The second flight made it to suborbital altitude, and I was able to collect about three minutes of pure microgravity data. Analyzing that data raised some new questions about the material properties of the tank coatings I used, so Iā€™ve been diving deeper into that side of the problem.

Has your experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

Definitely. Being queer taught me early on how to navigate spaces where I didnā€™t feel seen, and thatā€™s surprisingly similar to how Iā€™ve felt in many research spaces. Iā€™m constantly carving out my own path, questioning the status quo and learning how to advocate for ideas that arenā€™t always expected.

What kinds of support (whether from peers, mentors or teachers) have made a difference for you in school and in your career?

The most meaningful support I found didnā€™t come from official meetings or programs, but from small, everyday interactions, especially with other queer folks. Finding people I connect with in unexpected spaces is powerful, and getting to share those experiences builds a kind of resilience thatā€™s hard to teach any other way.

What would you say to an LGBTQ+ student who is interested in Ą¦°óĒæ¼é but unsure if they belong?

You absolutely belong here. The problem is that societal systems werenā€™t built with queer people in mind, and in lots of cases, built against you. This goes for more than just the LGBTQIA+ community. While it is uncomfortable, especially at first, I try and remind myself that change often starts with discomfort. Your perspective is part of what science needs to grow.

Jo S.
(BCM 2021, ISEF 2022ā€“2025)

Can you tell me about your current research and what excites you most about it?

I am currently working with the painted lady butterfly to see how blue light impacts their development. I love my research because itā€™s something that seems so small in passing but snowballs into something much greater! From insects to crops to farms to countries, people tend to underestimate just how much even a small action impacts the world.

You are a high school senior. Where are you heading to college next year and what do you plan to study? Do you plan on continuing your research?Ā 

Iā€™m going to the University of California, Davis for entomology! I plan on continuing my research, and Iā€™m hoping I can expand my research and get my ideas applied in order to help the environment and others.

Has your experience as a LGBTQ+ student shaped your perspective or interests in science in any way?

It has. Science kind of became the place I turned to when I had no one else: when I talked about research and data it didnā€™t matter how anyone else saw me. My whole life, I was told all of the things I couldnā€™t do, but science always encouraged me to do the impossible. It was freeing. I wasnā€™t just ā€œsome girlā€ instead I was a man who could look into the eyes of other men, women and people around me as an equal. I know that in the future I will never be ā€˜Ms. or Mrs.ā€™ and instead I will be the Dr. I was always meant to be.

What would you say to another young LGBTQ+ student who is interested in Ą¦°óĒæ¼é but unsure if they belong?Ā 

Do not give up. Your vision and ideas are worth more than the doubts that plague them. So many people do not want to hear your voice, but they need to: no one wanted to listen to when he advised surgeons to wash their hands and now itā€™s that very thought that saves so many lives. You arenā€™t always going to feel like a true scientist, but you are, and if someone doesnā€™t want to respect you, then they donā€™t deserve your brilliance.

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Milo Matsuda and Isabella York were both in the sixth grade at Pioneer Middle School in Shelton, Wash. when their teacher came to class with a problem to solve: Taylor Shellfish Farms, a locally owned business, had lost a lot of oysters in the . Record-breaking temperatures in Puget Sound, a large estuarine system in the northwestern United States, led to mass oyster die-offs, due to the overheating and exposure during low tide. Milo and Isabella sought to develop a solution to protect oysters from rising temperatures, ensuring their survival and supporting both the local economy and marine ecosystems. Both students noted that oysters are ecological powerhouses. They filter toxins from water, provide habitats for marine life, and prevent coastal erosion.

ā€œI was very interested in this topic because we were doing research that was relevant to our community and I felt the research was very important,ā€ Milo shared. Isabella added, ā€œLocally, Taylor Shellfish employs over 500 people in Washington State.ā€

Milo and Isabella were honored with the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize at the Discovery Regional Science and Engineering Fair for a project they conducted in seventh grade, which was their second year spent researching oyster cages. ā€œIn the first year of our research we tried to solve this problem using a natural resource,ā€ said Isabella. The two used biofouling as insulation and although the method was successful, the team decided it wasnā€™t the best solution because the insulation was dependent on variables outside of their control. In the second year of their work, the team designed a cage using reflective insulation, mesh and wood. Their research focused on how insulation could protect oysters from extreme heat, specifically by using reflective insulation to keep the oysters cool during temperature spikes.

Milo explained that they put HOBO MX temperature and light monitors in the cage to collect data for the project. ā€œThen we put four oysters in each cage and then sealed them up and nailed them with rebar onto the beach,ā€ Milo said. Each row had a control and an experimental cage. The team put their cages in Little Skookum Inlet, a branch of the Puget Sound known for its shellfish beds. Milo explained, ā€œThe Little Skookum shellfish growers generously gave us access to their beach.ā€

After a few months Milo and Isabella downloaded the data and learned that using reflective insulation to protect oysters is a viable option for keeping them safe. The team found that the temperature in their custom cage was lower than the temperature of a standard oyster cage.

For their cage to be used in the future more research would need to be done, according to Isabella. The insulation on the cages had deteriorated during the experiment; water-proof insulation would need to be designed, or the cage would need to be re-designed with internal insulation. ā€œI do think that fisheries can use our research to inform new cage designs,ā€ Isabella said.

Milo said that the most interesting thing he learned while working on this project was that ā€œyou can never stop improving your invention because it can always be better.ā€

ā€œThe recognition of winning the Lemelson prize meant that the work we put in on designing and testing paid off and that we did a great job with our project,ā€ said Milo. Isabella shared, ā€œReceiving the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize recognizes that our invention has merit and that engineering a new oyster cage may solve a problem caused by climate change. This is important because it is a solution that uses climate adaptation. Our world is getting hotter, and climate adaptation is becoming vital.ā€

The post Protecting oysters in the Puget Sound: from classroom curiosity to real-world impact appeared first on Ą¦°óĒæ¼é.

Imagine driving along a quiet coastal road in California and suddenly, your car begins to skid uncontrollably on what appeared to be dry pavement. This hidden danger, known as black ice, is an almost invisible hazard that has led to over 144,000 casualties annually in the United States, according to the Department of Transportation. For Sanvi Kannoori, who lives in San Jose, Calif., this issue became personal after a frightening and unusual experience with black ice on a coastal road inspired her to find a solution. She explained, ā€œAlong the coast where it reaches significantly chill temperatures with water vapor from the ocean, the perfect environment is created for black ice to form.ā€

“My family and I were stuck on black ice because we never even saw it coming,” Sanvi explained. “Thankfully, we made it to safety, but not everyone is as lucky.” Sanvi wanted to help her community and drivers everywhere by developing a tool that could help drivers identify and avoid black ice.

Black ice forms as a thin, transparent layer on roads and pavement surfaces, typically in cold temperatures. “Black ice is so dangerous because it is very hard to identify, especially at night when it almost completely blends in with the pavement,” Sanvi shared. Drivers traveling at high speeds can unknowingly encounter black ice, leading to a loss of control, skidding and potentially accidents that can even be fatal.

ā€œBeing aware early that a driver is on black ice before skidding is something that could save thousands of lives,ā€ Sanvi said.

When researching existing black ice detection solutions, Sanvi said she was surprised by the lack of affordable and effective devices on the market. “I searched for already existing solutions, but there are barely any marketed black ice detectors that are of an affordable price,” she said. Existing devices, priced between $100 and $2000, mainly rely on temperature sensors, which can be flawed due to changing air temperatures.

“The major difference between black ice and regular pavement is the way black ice reflects light,” Sanvi explained. Ice reflects more light than pavement. Sanvi designed a prototype that could differentiate between ice and pavement using something called a photoresistor, a sensor that changes its resistance based on the amount of incoming light ā€” the greater the light reflection, the lower the resistance. Sanvi also added a monitor that would alert drivers when they were approaching black ice.

ā€œBy using specialized algorithms that distinguish black ice from regular pavement based on their reflective properties, the detector can not only detect the ice but can display U.S. Department of Transportation- approved instructions, on how to handle black ice,ā€ Sanvi explained. The device is composed of a circuit, a Raspberry Pi and an LCD monitor. ā€œThe circuit and Raspberry Pi are placed underneath the car,ā€ Sanvi said, ā€œallowing it to gather the most accurate data continuously, while the monitor is placed on top of the carā€ to alert the driver of any black ice.

Sanvi shared that studying how a Raspberry Pi works was her favorite part of her research project. While she was already familiar with coding in Python, she explained that using the language to code a separate device was a new challenge. ā€œAlthough I was stepping into new territory and running into multiple coding issues, it certainly was my favorite part because of how much I was able to learn,ā€ she said.

Sanviā€™s research project earned her a Lemelson Early Inventor Award at the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship. ā€œMy invention helps drivers have an extra pair of eyes, and if they do get stuck in a black-ice region, they have the instructions they need to get to safety. But of course, the detector is mostly built for helping the driver avoid black ice in the first place,ā€ Sanvi said. She hopes that someday she can develop a device that can be incorporated into a car design.

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