BHS students honored at science, engineering fair

Eight students from Bethpage High School received awards from the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair for their projects, with three of them receiving the chance to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair this May.

Six science research projects from Bethpage High School were awarded at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair on March 7. This included one which will send a team of students to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair this May.

Bethpage juniors Joy Kim, Sofia MacielSeidman and Riya Saha received first place in the Environmental Engineering category for their project, “Developing a Hydroponic System with the Incorporation of an Arduino Uno Powered pH Sensor” and will attend the ISEF in Dallas, TX. The ISEF is the largest pre-college STEM competition in the world where students compete for nearly $6 million in awards.

Kim, Maciel-Seidman and Saha’s project is the third in the history of the Bethpage Science Research Program to advance to the international level.

In the same Environmental Engineering category, junior Ankur Raghavan earned second place with his project, “Reduction of Agricultural Water Consumption through the Utilization of a Wireless Sensor Array.”

He also received the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize which was presented to the best water-science projects. With this award, Raghavan is invited to compete at the state level in the SJW competition.

Juniors Zoe Chinda and Parisa Pitranggon were recognized in the Earth and Environmental Science category. Chinda earned third place for her project, “Minimizing Nitrogen Fertilizer Use for Residential Lawns.” Pitranggon received Honorable Mention and a special award from the Association for Women Geoscientists for her project, “The Effects of Fertilizers with Different Levels of Element Content on Soil pH.” The special award was presented to students with projects that exemplified high standards of innovativeness and scientific excellence in the geosciences.

In the category of Animal Science, sophomore Devaanshi Kawatra earned Honorable Mention for her project, “Investigating the Role of Sunlight in Regenerating Planarians.” In the category of Math, Physics, and Astronomy, junior Miraj Shah earned Honorable Mention for his project, “The Impact of New Base Size on Major League Baseball Outcomes.” Shah also earned a special award from the Office of Naval Research — U.S. Navy & Marine Corps., which was presented to high-achieving projects.

Photos courtesy of the Bethpage Union Free School District

March 31, 2023