BSSEF 2023

  • Senior High Fair: 38 judges, 42 students, and 40 projects
  • Junior High Fair: 14 judges, 54 students, and 25 projects

Sponsored by:

  • University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • Gearbox Labs
  • CSupTwo LLC
  • Marian University
  • ASQ Milwaukee Section 1202
  • Society for Science and The Public
  • Regeneron ISEF
  • PPD
  • Symbiont
  • Marquette University
  • Milwaukee School of Engineering
  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Four Points Sheraton Brown Deer
  • American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science

Junior High Specialty Award Winners

  • Lemelson Early Inventor Prize – Jormarie Laureano, Arianna Parra, and Mariana Rodriguez, Hayes Bilingual Academy “Comedero de pájaros que resistir a las temperaturas fuertes”
  • US Office of Naval Research Award – Theodore Matthews, Cecelia Piaskoski, and Jack Porter, Fernwood Middle School “Magnetic Fields”
  • US Office of Naval Research Award – Hank Gilmour, Golda Meir Middle School “Hank Purifier”
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge
  • John Palenik, Home School Student “Can Soils Be Distinguished by Colorimetry?”
  • Benjamin Byers, Glen Hills Middle School “Toxicity of Treated Snow Melt to Daphnia”
  • Lexie Lundt & Mayzie Tauferner, Clintonville Middle School “Biodegradability of Plastics in Salt and Freshwater”
  • Henry Martin, Golda Meir Middle School “Kinected”
  • Third Place – Fabian Rylan, Whitman Middle School “The Smart Alarm Clock”
  • Jormarie Laureano, Arianna Parra, and Mariana Rodriguez, Hayes Bilingual Academy “Comedero de pájaros que resistir a las temperaturas fuertes”
  • CSupTwo Award for Excellence in STEM
  • David Smanz-Geier, Glen Hills Middle School “Do Different Types of Water Affect the Growth of a Plant”
  • Madison Harrell, Evan Hoover, Khaleah Okoro, & Dahlia Santiago, Golda Meir Middle School “Piezo Electric Remote”
  • Bryinn Hill & Santiago Maqueda, Fernwood Middle School “Sustainable House Materials”
  • Adenine Olowu, Golda Meir Middle School “Catalytic Converter Theft”
  • Zaeveon Holloway, Lillyahna Joly, Angel Nelson, Dkala Williams, Clarke Street Middle School “Robot Race”
  • Gearbox Labs Micro-Controller Awards
  • Chuannafe Jackson, Iyona Scott, & Faith Sides, Clarke Street Middle School “Emoji Me”
  • TaNijiah Carroll-Harris, Timirah Woodland, & Earl Woodland “Soil Moisture”

Junior High Category Winners

  • Science Category Winners
  • First Place – John Palenik, Home School Student “Can Soils Be Distinguished by Colorimetry?”
  • Second Place – Benjamin Byers, Glen Hills Middle School “Toxicity of Treated Snow Melt to Daphnia”
  • Third Place – Lexie Lundt & Mayzie Tauferner, Clintonville Middle School “Biodegradability of Plastics in Salt and Freshwater”
  • Engineering Category Winners
  • First Place – Kiley Bodor, Claire Reddin, Maya Sierra, and Maddy Van Hecke, Golda Meir Middle School “Fire Safety Fox”
  • Second Place – Henry Martin, Golda Meir Middle School “Kinected”
  • Third Place – Fabian Rylan, Whitman Middle School “The Smart Alarm Clock”

Senior High Specialty Award Winners

  • Alpha Chi Sigma Award Winner – Alexander Anoma, Nicolet High School “Phytochemical Impact of Chlorogenic Acid and Quercetin Derived from Moringa Oleifera on Microbial Growth”
  • APA Award Winner – Azara Mason, University School of Milwaukee “Lack of Women in Exercise Science & Physiology Research”
  • ASCLS Award Winner – Jason Shao, Nicolet High School “Gut-Skin Axis Theory: Do the Gut Bacteria Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus acidophilus Directly Inhibit the Growth of the Skin Bacteria Staphylococcus epidermis?”
  • ASQ Award Winner – Azara Mason, University School of Milwaukee “Lack of Women in Exercise Science & Physiology Research”
  • Assoc. of Women Geoscientists – Sophia Torinus, University School of Milwaukee “Seasonal Effects on Dissolved Oxygen Levels and Macroinvertebrate Populations in Wisconsin Waterways”
  • Society for Science Community Innovation Award – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways”
  • Gearbox Labs Microcontroller Award – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways ”
  • Gearbox Labs Microcontroller Award – Harini Tallam, University School of Milwaukee “Simulation of Artificial Pancreas to Demonstrate Automatic Control of Blood Sugar Level”
  • Genius Olympiad – Nathan Steinbach, University School of Milwaukee “PFAS: Solving the Contemporary Dilemma of Water Treatment”
  • Genius Olympiad – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways”
  • MacGyver Award sponsored by STI Engineering & American Science and Surplus – Harini Tallam, University School of Milwaukee “Simulation of Artificial Pancreas to Demonstrate Automatic Control of Blood Sugar Level”
  • MacGyver Award sponsored by STI Engineering & American Science and Surplus – Ivan Rivera-Mendez, Nicolet High School “The Modification and Application of a Robotic Hand to Assist the Movement of Prescriptions to Increase Efficiency in Pharmacies”
  • NASA Earth Science Award – Riya Kalluvila, Hartford Union High School “Analysis of Toxic Environmental Pollutants Present in the Fish Population of the Great Lakes.”
  • National Geographic Society “That’s Geography!” Award – Riya Kalluvila “Analysis of Toxic Environmental Pollutants Present in the Fish Population of the Great Lakes.”
  • NOAA Award – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways”
  • US Office of Naval Research – Aryan Kalluvila, Hartford Union High School “Efficient Low-Field MRI Super-Resolution via U-Net++ Architecture”
  • Philip Streich Memorial Award – Alexander Frick, University School of Milwaukee “Impact of Activated Charcoal on Energy Production of Plant Microbial Fuel Cells”
  • Regeneron Biomedical Award – Matias Dahl, Onalaska High School “Utilizing Patient Derived Organoids to Develop Optimal Chemotherapy Treatment Strategies for Uterine Cancer”
  • RICOH Sustainable Development Award – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways”
  • Society for In Vitro Biology – Krish Vasudev “MAPing Out the Road for Preserving Donor Liver Viability from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Unlocking the Secrets of the MAP Kinase Pathway in a Rat Model”
  • US Stockholm Jr. Water Prize – Sophia Torinus “Seasonal Effects on Dissolved Oxygen Levels and Macroinvertebrate Populations in Wisconsin Waterways”
  • US Stockholm Jr. Water Prize – Nathan Steinbach, University School of Milwaukee “PFAS: Solving the Contemporary Dilemma of Water Treatment”
  • US Stockholm Jr. Water Prize – Ziddane Isahaku, Nicolet High School “A Novel Application of Filtration for the Collection of Microplastics in Waterways”
  • USAF Award – Ethan Zentner, Nicolet High School “Design, Construction, and Testing of a Passenger-Capable eVTOL Hexacopter”
  • US AID Chamber of Commerce Award – Alexander Frick, University School of Milwaukee “Impact of Activated Charcoal on Energy Production of Plant Microbial Fuel Cells”
  • US Metric Assoc. Award – Matias Dahl, Onalaska High School “Utilizing Patient Derived Organoids to Develop Optimal Chemotherapy Treatment Strategies for Uterine Cancer”
  • Yale Science & Engineering Award – Ethan Zentner, Nicolet High School “Design, Construction, and Testing of a Passenger-Capable eVTOL Hexacopter”

Category Winners

  • Behavioral & Social Science
  • 1st Place: Azara Mason, University School of Milwaukee “Lack of Women in Exercise Science & Physiology Research”
  • 2nd Place: Grant Probst, Nicolet High School “The Effect of Age, Relative Location in Milwaukee County, and Educational Background on the Understanding of a New PFAS Environmental Act”
  • 3rd Place: Manasi Karthikeyan, Arrowhead Union High School “Temporal Variability in Instagram Posts Under #Glass-like Skin”
  • Biology, Chemistry, & Biochemistry
  • 1st Place: Jacob Byers, Nicolet High School “The effects of crumb rubber particles on Daphnia magna”
  • 2nd Place:  Krish Vasudev, University School of Milwaukee “MAPing Out the Road for Preserving Donor Liver Viability from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Unlocking the Secrets of the MAP Kinase Pathway in a Rat Model”
  • 3rd Place: Anjali George, University School of Milwaukee “Transcriptomic Profiles of NK cells in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Exploratory Framework to Unlock Their Therapeutic Potential”
  • Engineering
  • 1st Place: Aryan Kalluvila, Hartford Union High School “Efficient Low-Field MRI Super-Resolution via U-Net++ Architecture”
  • 2nd Place: Ethan Zentner, Nicolet High School “Design, Construction, and Testing of a Passenger-Capable eVTOL Hexacopter
  • 3rd Place: Wyatt Cox, University School of Milwaukee “Variables that Affect Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)”
  • Environmental Sciences
  • 1st Place: Sama Daham, University School of Milwaukee “The Effects of Bisphenol Compounds on Kidney Bean Plant Growth”
  • 2nd Place: Nathan Steinbach, University School of Milwaukee “PFAS: Solving the Contemporary Dilemma of Water Treatment”
  • 3rd Place:  Saul Flores & Miles Gourlay, University School of Milwaukee “The Effects of Different Types of Microplastics on Marigold Growth”
  • Medicine & Health
  • 1st Place:  Jason Shao, Nicolet High School “Gut-Skin Axis Theory: Do the Gut Bacteria Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus acidophilus Directly Inhibit the Growth of the Skin Bacteria Staphylococcus epidermis?”
  • 2nd Place:  Anand George, University School of Milwaukee “The Differential Impact of MET Amplification vs. MET Mutations in Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD)”
  • 3rd Place: Matias Dahl, Onalaska High School “Utilizing Patient Derived Organoids to Develop Optimal Chemotherapy Treatment Strategies for Uterine Cancer”
  • Math & Computer Sciences
  • 1st Place:  Eashan Anne, University School of Milwaukee “Developing a Machine Learning Model to Predict Complications after Surgery for Appendix Cancer”
  • 2nd Place:  Aidan Wang, University School of Milwaukee “SARS-CoV-2 Variant Analysis Using Discrete Fourier Transform”

Grand Prize Award Winners, Best In Show

  • Aryan Kalluvila, Hartford Union High School “Efficient Low-Field MRI Super-Resolution via U-Net++ Architecture”
  • Krish Vasudev, University School of Milwaukee “MAPing Out the Road for Preserving Donor Liver Viability from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Unlocking the Secrets of the MAP Kinase Pathway in a Rat Model”
  • Ethan Zentner, Nicolet High School “Design, Construction, and Testing of a Passenger-Capable eVTOL Hexacopter