DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Chester County’s brightest young minds demonstrated their scientific prowess at the 36th annual Chester County Science Research Competition (CCSRC), celebrated on March 18 with an awards ceremony at the Technical College High School (TCHS) Brandywine Campus. Coordinated by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU), this long-standing event highlighted the hard work and ingenuity of local students, fueling a commitment to science and innovation.
The competition, hosted earlier this month at the West Chester University Student Recreation Center, brought students from grades 4-12 to the forefront. The Dr. Lucy Balian Rorke-Adams Fair, open to grades 6-12, showcased 171 projects, with 108 selected as winners meeting the judges’ high standards. For younger participants in grades 4-5, the Dr. Jonas Salk Fair offered a platform to explore their budding interests in science.
During the Rorke-Adams awards ceremony, students eagerly anticipated recognition in their respective categories, each receiving ribbons to commemorate their success. Special awards, carrying a combined total of $750 in value, were presented to 15 exceptional projects. The competition serves as a gateway to the prestigious Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF), scheduled for the first week of April.
High-achieving contestants from Chester County will advance to the DVSF, including middle school students who placed first or second and high schoolers who secured first, second, or third in their categories. Notable student winners include:
- Grade 12: Sohum Gautam, Downingtown STEM Academy (Computer Science)
- Grade 11: Atharv Uddi, Downingtown East High School (Engineering)
- Grade 10: Ojas Wani, Downingtown STEM Academy (Computer Science)
- Grade 9: Diya Kumar, Downingtown STEM Academy (Microbiology)
- High School Team Project: Nivedhana Sakthivel and Sneha Talluri, Downingtown STEM Academy (“Microplastics: A Growing Threat”)
- Grades 6-8: Anagha Kuricheti, Downingtown Middle School (Medicine & Health)
The ceremony also spotlighted student innovator Atharv Uddi of Downingtown East High School, who earned accolades such as the Spirit of Engineering Award, the Bill and Sue Phifer School and Community Benefit Award, and first place for Best of Division in grade 11. He described his project, “Search and Rescue UAVs with Image Processing and Machine Learning,” as a solution to enhance efficiency in locating individuals during emergency scenarios.
“My project was to build an airplane with a camera inside. It can fly over large areas and use the camera to detect people on the ground,” Uddi explained. “For example, if someone was stranded, then search and rescue responders could deploy my aircraft and use it to find people quickly and easily. A team usually takes about four hours to search one square mile of area. My airplane can do it in as little as 30 minutes.”
Uddi also emphasized other invaluable applications of his project. “If you needed to take pictures of a farm to analyze which crops are growing and how they are growing, you could use my airplane for that.” Recalling the challenges he faced, he added, “It takes a lot of time and dedication. There was a lot of trial and error to make my airplane work, testing again and again and making the aircraft fly multiple times. There were a lot of crashes and mistakes, but it finally worked out in the end.”
CCIU special events coordinator Kathy Gurnee commented on the broader significance of the event. “The Chester County Science Research Competition represents so much more than just an academic event on our calendar. It’s a celebration of our students’ curiosity, innovation, and determination,” she said. “Most likely they will experience failure along the way; but ultimately, they discover resilience and a sense of scientific achievement.”
By advancing to the DVSF, Chester County’s students will now test their solutions and ideas on an even broader stage, continuing to explore vital scientific questions and making strides toward impactful contributions. The 36th annual CCSRC highlighted not only the achievements of today’s young scientists but also the unwavering potential of tomorrow’s innovators.
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