ISEF 1st place and best project award

Me in front of the ISEF exhibit hall

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What is the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)?

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is an annual science fair in the United States. Each May, more than 1500 students from roughly 70 countries and territories compete in the fair for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the grand prizes. Individual science projects and team science projects both compete for prizes. Teams are composed of two to as many as four high school students (grades 9–12). In addition to the judging of projects and an open session for the public to view them, there time is set aside for students to experience the host city with tours and activities. A significant component of the program is social, as students interact with each other during mixers and ceremonies. Throughout much of the week, various seminars are also held for students, mentors, and teachers.

What Grand award did I win?

During my time at ISEF, after a long period of extensive judging and presenting, I was fortunate to receive 1st place in the category of “Robotics and Intelligent machines”, one of the largest categories of the fair, meaning I placed first globally out of all robotics projects in 2023. At the Highschool level this is the highest level robotics achievement possible in the world for an individual. I was honoured to receive this award for my project “TARS – Transmission-Line Assessment and Review System”.

What other awards did I win?

At the ISEF I was also awarded the SAE International best project award. Out of all 1600+ projects from 70+ different countries I was awarded one of three of these awards meaning that the international society of automotive engineers deemed my project 1 of the 3 best engineering projects out of the whole fair.

ASTA I3 1st place Senior Invention / Engineering

The certificate I received for winning the Senior Invention and Engineering category

What is the ASTA I3 program?

TThe ASTA I³ Awards program is a collaboration between all members of the ASTA Federation, comprising each state and territory’s Science Teachers Association and the ASTA Secretariat, celebrating inquiry, innovation and ingenuity across Australian school students of STEM. Entry to the the I³ Awards is open to school students from Preschool to Year 12 who have demonstrated exceptional results in their state or territory STEM awards program, and is via nomination only through a state or territory Science Teachers Association (STA).

What is the Senior Senior Invention / Engineering award?

After the top ranking projects from each state progress from their state fairs in 2022, each Senior project from around the country compete for either the Senior Invention / Engineering or the Senior Science Inquiry award. The Senior Invention / Engineering award is given, after an extensive judging period of professional and in-the-industry judges, the best high school senior engineering project in the country. In 2023, I was honoured to receive this award for my project “TARS – Transmission-Line Assessment and Review System.

NSW Young Scientist of The Year

What is the STANSW Young Scientist Award program?

The Young Scientist Awards Program celebrates the scientific investigations, technological innovations, and mathematical inquiries of K-12 school students across in NSW. Since 1992, the Program has been encouraging students to undertake innovative projects and investigations to find creative solutions to real-world problems. The Program aims to encourage and celebrate excellence in STEM through inquiry-based learning. The Young Scientist Awards is the premier curriculum-based STEM initiative that encourages and inspires inquiry-based learning in Science, Technology, Engineering Studies and Maths classes. Students are required to conduct a scientific investigation and/or design and build a model of an innovative device or application. They may also submit an investigation that demonstrates the application of mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills.

What is the Young Scientist of the year award?

The young scientist of the year award and title is given to the student with the best project across all age groups and all disciplines of the entire award program in that given year, chosen from approximately 700 entries. In 2022, I was honoured to receive this award for my project “TARS – Transmission-Line Assessment and Review System”

What other awards did I win?

At the STANSW Young Scientist Awards, I was also presented the Australian Institute of Physics Most Outstanding Physics Award, given to the most outstanding physics project representing robotics across all discplines and ages, as well as second place in the Innovation and Engineering Design Award category.

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance. The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations. The Gold qualification requires 12 months of sports participation, 12 months of Volunteering and 12 months of pursuing a skill. Additionally, both practice and qualifying outdoor exploration hikes are to be completed by the participant and a volunteering based program must be completed away from home.

Creativity in Design & Engineering

This award is presented to one Australian team every year and in 2022 the robot I co-designed was given this award. The creativity in design award is described by FIRST® as an award that “Celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components – electrical, mechanical or software – to provide unique machine functions.”

International Science School Scholarship

What is the International Science School

The Professor Harry Messel International Science School is an internationally recognized, selective, educational science event that happens in July every 2 years. 90 Students from around Australia (50 from NSW), as well as 48 international students, are individually selected after applying to attend the ISS event. Students are selected based on their performance at their school performance (mainly sciences), extracurricular and academic achievements, extracurricular activities and previous related awards and honours. Complete scholarship allows students given this prestigious award the chance to attend without fees.

How scholar’s are selected

Scholarships are determined by a multitude of factors. A large component of the selection process is the assessment of school grades, students who have been granted a scholarship must retain outstanding marks. Additionally, scholars are assessed based on their leadership, communication and passion in STEM fields through written, video and interview submissions.

Dean’s List Semi-Finalist

What is the Dean’s List Semi-Finalist Award

The Dean’s List Semi-Finalist award is given to a Student who: Demonstrates leadership and commitment to the FIRST core values (e.g. “to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”), Is effective at increasing awareness of STEM and FIRST in the school and community, Shows interest in and passion for a long-term commitment to FIRST, Greatly contributes to their team in many aspects, has technical expertise and passion, shows entrepreneurship creativity, Shows the ability to motivate and lead fellow team members.

Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award

What is the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award?

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance. The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations. The Silver qualification requires 6 months of sports participation, 6 months of Volunteering and 6 months of pursuing a skill. Additionally, both practice and qualifying outdoor exploration hikes are to be completed by the participant.

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze

What is the Duke of Edinburgh (DOE) bronze award?

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance. The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations. The Bronze qualification requires 4 months of sports participation, 4 months of Volunteering and 4 months of pursuing a skill. Additionally, both practice and qualifying outdoor exploration hikes are to be completed by the participant.

Engineering Inspiration Award

The robot I worked on and operated (pictured above) won the Engineering inspiration award during the March 2019 Australian FRC regional competition.

What is the Engineering Inspiration award?

As described by the FIRST organisation, the Engineering Inspiration award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization and community. It is awarded based on: Extent and inventiveness of the team’s efforts to recruit students to engineering with particular emphasis on the most recent year’s efforts, Measurable success of those efforts, Extent and effectiveness of the team’s community outreach efforts with particular emphasis on the most recent year’s efforts. Measurable success of those efforts, commitment to science and technology education among the team, school, and community, Achievement of the FIRST mission and ability to communicate that at the competition and away from it.