San Diego science fair winners head to international stage with AI, biotech, and drone innovations
Phone credit: Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair
The 71st Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF) took place this year at the Balboa Park Activity Center, with more than $40,000 in prizes distributed across middle and high school categories.
Top students earned placement at the California Science and Engineering Fair, and eight Grand Award winners qualified for the International Science and Engineering Fair.
Organized by the nonprofit GSDSEF, the regional event brought together 800 students from San Diego and Imperial counties. Their projects were judged by more than 400 STEM professionals and evaluated by over 60 scientific organizations. The event included a public showcase and a keynote address by Vanitha Kumar, senior vice president at Qualcomm.
Winning projects and key recognitions
Among the Grand Award winners were Karishma Saha from Bernardo Heights Middle School, for her MRI-based study of brain volume and aging, and Ryan Rezaei of Canyon Crest Academy, who used geometric deep learning to support material discovery.
Saanvi Dogra and Lilian Zeng, both from Del Norte High School, were recognized for genetic and microbiological studies, while Kayley Xu from The Bishop’s School was awarded for developing a wearable stethoscope array. Joe Smith from Stanford Online High School was also named a Grand Award recipient for his astrophysics research.
Additional standout projects included AI-driven invasive species mapping by Andy Feng and Henry Xu of Pacific Trails Middle School, and research on CAM plants under elevated CO₂ by Uma Kattamuri of Oak Valley Middle School.
A special recognition was awarded to Karen Podvin for her 50 years of service as a GSDSEF judge.
Founded in 1955, the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair supports independent research and inquiry among students. Organizers note that the fair has helped launch STEM careers for generations of participants.
