DOWNINGTOWN, PA — It was a sight to behold. On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, classrooms at the Technical College High School (TCHS) Brandywine Campus buzzed with excitement. Gathered there were students from grades 6-12 from across Chester County, awaiting the results at the Dr. Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Science Fair awards ceremony.
The ceremony followed the annual Chester County Science Research Competition (CCSRC), a remarkable event arranged by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) at the West Chester University Student Recreation Center. This two-day affair offered young scientists the chance to shine. The fair, subdivided into the Dr. Jonas Salk Fair and the Dr. Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Fair, presented students with the opportunity to display their scientific prowess. Among the 183 projects entered into the Rorke-Adams Fair, 123 met the judges’ criteria and took center stage at the awards ceremony.
The atmosphere was electric as students anticipated the results. Each winner received a ribbon signifying project excellence, and special awards went to 16 standout students. These awards, totaling around $800, took recognition and celebration to another level.
Pride and achievement didn’t stop there. High school students scoring first, second, or third in their categories, and middle school students who topped their categories, earned their ticket to the Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF) held in the first week of April.
Tennyson Nelson, Jerry Huynh, Sruthi Desikan, Shipra Kapoor, Neha Chigurupati & Akshaya Venkatesh, and Kush Aggarwal stood as Chester County’s champions, ready to represent at DVSF. These are the bright sparks set to push the boundaries of Environmental Science, Microbiology, Physics, Medicine & Health, and Team projects.
Rithik Kamtam of Downingtown STEM Academy was another shining star. Stepping into the ring with 81 other participants at the DVSF, Kamtam claimed top place in the medicine and health category. His project, a study on the impact of insulin resistance on fruit flies, was a standout, securing him the second-best spot in the 10th-grade division.
Kamtam’s journey to success began with a mission to connect people needing insulin with subsidized programs in the Philadelphia area. This project sparked his interest in insulin resistance research. By feeding fruit flies an insulin-resistant diet and recording their reactions, Kamtam used the data to calculate the average physical performance of the flies. But Kamtam doesn’t plan to stop there. He is currently seeking to collaborate with local labs to continue his experiment on a larger scale and make his findings applicable to humans.
Kathy Gurnee, Special Events Coordinator for the CCIU, couldn’t contain her awe, saying, “Judge after judge reported how much better they feel about our future with these bright, talented, and hard-working students leading the way.”
When asked for advice for future CCSRC participants, Kamtam said, “Take your time, understand what you want, and be passionate about it. That passion really drives you to put more effort into your project.”
These inspirational words and extraordinary performances remind us of the wealth of talent present in Chester County. The passion, dedication, and innovation showcased at the science fair convince us that our future is indeed in safe, capable hands.
To see a full list of CCSRC winners, visit the CCIU website.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and Microsoft Start.