Mass Academy STEM Fair 2025
Mass Academy held its annual STEM Fair on February 20, 2025.
The annual STEM Fair is an important event in the life of a Mass Academy student, where the community celebrates the hard work, dedication, and passion put towards each student’s independent research project. Congratulations to all of our juniors for participating in this year’s STEM projects. Everyone worked hard in completing their project, developing their narrative, and practicing their communication skills. We are honored to have witnessed how much growth each and every student has made since the beginning of August.
The STEM Fair judges, consisting of Mass Academy alumni and individuals from academia and industry, were truly impressed by all of the projects. Students received great feedback about their work and presentations.
Based upon the scores from our judges, the individuals advancing onto the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair (WRSEF) on March 7, 2025 are:
| Student Name | Project Title |
|---|---|
| Ravena Arun | Using Math Modeling to Identify and Correct Gerrymandering |
| Jianna Bixho | Nanoparticle-Based Disruption of Biofilms: A Novel Strategy to Counteract Antibiotic Resistance |
| Sophia Caramanica | Orthotic hand brace to improve range of motion and reduce pain in low-functioning children with cerebral palsy. |
| Vyshnavi Donthabhaktuni | Investigating the Neuroprotective Effects of T. Ammi on Parkinson’s Disease via the Gut-Brain Axis |
| Harshil Hari | Using AI image recognition to find flaws in syringes during the manufacturing process |
| Avani Jain | Pathophysiological Disruption of the Endothelial Glycocalyx by Microplastic Contamination |
| Maria Mishechkina | Solar Powered Water Purification Device Utilizing Membrane Distillation Methods |
| Niranjan Nair | Using Contrastive Activation Addition to Combat Societal Biases in Language Models |
| Noah Proctor | Reducing Freshwater Waste on Farms Through Automatic Irrigation |
| Grace Qiu | The impact different frequencies play on the behavioral response of ASD-induced Drosophila melanogaster |
| Ishana Saroha | The synergistic effect of combining natural compounds 1,8-cineole (Eucalyptol) and Naringenin with 11 antibiotics of different drug classes |
| Anika Sivasankar | Using CNNs and Machine Learning to Diagnose Skin Cancer Moles |
The following students will be advancing directly to the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF) scheduled for April 4, 2025 at Gillette Stadium.
| Student Name | Project Title |
|---|---|
| Varsha Alladi | Unraveling the Role of GABAergic Dysfunction in Catatonia: A GABAergic Investigation in Drosophila |
| Saketh Madhusudhan | Investigating the role of hsf-1, skn-1, and daf-16 in regulating oxidative stress response in C. elegans |
From WRSEF, students have an opportunity to advance onto the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF). There is also potential to directly advance onto ISEF, the International Science and Engineering Fair, held in May in Columbus, OH.
As part of their ongoing development as scientists and researchers, we encourage all students to seek additional opportunities to continue their work, join a research lab, and present at other conferences.
Please join us in congratulating the Mass Academy juniors on the tremendous job put forth in their projects.
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