A total of 69 students earned gold medals, including three sweepstakes winners, while dozens of prizes and entries into state, national, and international fairs, were awarded at the conclusion of the 2023 Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair which was held at Bourns Technology Center on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. A total of 450 students from 25 affiliate fairs representing public, charter, and private schools, presented their findings in 347 projects spanning 19 subject matter categories. Gold, silver (runner-up), and bronze (third place) medals were presented, along with community donor awards. Within each of the 19 subject matter categories, students competed in the Elementary division (grades 4-5), Junior division (grades 6-8), and Senior division (high school). Winners in the Junior and Senior division advance to the California State Science and Engineering Fair to be held on April 11, 2023, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, CA. Sweepstakes awards were presented to one project in Grades 4/5 combined, one project in the Junior Division, and one project in the Senior Division: Elementary Division Sweepstakes (Grades 4-5) Elijah Holm Seneca Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD Understanding the Algorithms of a Rubik’s Cube: What is the Most Efficient Method to Solve a Rubik's Cube? Junior Division Sweepstakes (Grades 6-8) Aiden Grover Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD Decreasing Pickleball Noise Senior Division Sweepstakes (Grades 9-12) Angelina Yang Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Mosquito Synthesis and In-Depth Evaluation of Biodegradable 2-methylyne-1,3-dioxepane Copolymers Four Senior Division students advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held virtual May 14-19, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. Moises Hur & Sungwon Hur Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Understanding the Impact of Various Metabolites on the Motility of Glioblastoma Cancer Cells Brooke Vansuch Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD Battle of the Bacteria Busters Angelina Yang Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Mosquito synthesis and In-Depth Evaluation of Biodegradable 2-methylyne-1,3-dioxepane Copolymers Grade 4 Gold Medal Winners: Nile Fells, Winchester Elementary School, Hemet USD Jay Hakomaki, Tomás Rivera Elementary School, Riverside USD Aldo Hernandez-Mera, Creekside Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD Lorenzo Rodriguez, Anna M. Hause Elementary School, Beaumont USD Grade 5 Gold Medal Winners: William Chase Berkeley, James Carter Elementary School, Desert Sands USD Emma Carrillo, Edward Hyatt World Language Academy, San Jacinto USD Roy Dagrella, Lake Mathews Elementary School, Riverside USD Victoria Duran, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD Samuel Flores, Harvest Valley Elementary School, Romoland SD Elijah Holm, Seneca Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD Kash Lopez, Amelia Earhart Elementary School, Desert Sands USD Cecilia Munoz, Valley View Elementary School, Nuview Union SD Amina Qazi, Susan B. Anthony Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD Arianna Reyes, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Desert Sands USD Corbin Richard, Hemmerling Elementary School, Banning USD Abril Sanchez, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Desert Sands USD Atputhan Sivathasan, Corona Ranch Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD Angelle Sullivan, Sugar Hill Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD Junior Division Gold Medal Winners (Grades 6-8)***^ Aubrianna Abayasekara, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD Lily Abeyta, St. Edward School Ethan Bhakta, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD Danni Brasher, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD Megan Burke, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Jordyn Castro, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD Caydence Chitwood, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD Jennavieve Covington, Vista Heights Middle School, Riverside USD Alia Duckworth, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Leila Isabella Evangelista, Temecula Preparatory School Aiden Grover, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD Jocelyn Harris, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Makayla Hernandez, Temecula Preparatory School Isabella Koral, Temecula Preparatory School Kristen Mason, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Eloise Miller, Sacred Heart School Shivani Talati, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Andrew Waghorn, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish School Asha Zachariah, Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD Senior Division Gold Medal Winners (Grades 9-12)*** Mia Abonza, Ramona High School, Riverisde USD Natalie Araujo, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD Jason Asariah, Ramona High School, Riverside USD Jaden Contreras Polo, Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD Rylee Coomber, Santiago High School, Corona-Norco USD Ryan Drake, Rancho Christian School Caleb Dyal, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD Shreyash Goli, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Gema Gonzalez, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD Moises Hur, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Sungwon Hur, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Jack Jennings, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Arabella Kats, Polytechnic High School, Riverside USD Sydney Katzenstein, Polytechnic High School, Riverside USD Dania Khan, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Aminah Khan, Patriot High School, Jurupa USD Hala Koreatam, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Arturo Perez, Ramona High School, Riverside USD Melissa Perez-Rodriguez, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD Anisha Prasad, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD Pranav Radhakrishnan, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Krish Raval, Santiago High School, Corona-Norco USD Carson Ruhnke, Santiago High School, Corona-Norco USD Hewanam Arachchige Flowery Samaranayake, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Bryan Saucedo Gutierrez, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley USD Krrishika Saxena, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Suhani Shah, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Luke To, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Claire VanDerLinden, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Brooke Vansuch, Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD Angelina Yang, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Joseph Zenarosa, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD *** Gold medal winners in the Junior and Senior division advance to California State Science and Engineering Fair ^ Gold medal winners in the Junior division also advance to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge 2023 Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair Community Awards The Air Pollution Research Center (APRC) at University of California Riverside $100 gift card – Aniket Bag, Francine Habacon, Eliana Habtamu, Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde USD $100 gift card – Bibinaz Nami, John W. North High School, Riverside USD HDR, Inc. Sustainability Awards and Award Ribbons Kash Lopez, Amelia Earhart Elementary School, Desert Sands USD Isabel Villegas, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Carson Ruhnke, Santiago High School, Corona-Norco USD Inland Empire Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG) $250 – Jay Hakomaki, Tomas Rivera Elementary School, Riverside USD $750 – Jocelyn Harris & Shivani Talati, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD $1,000 – Tenzing Carvalho & Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD National Geographic Award 2023 · $100 – Tenzing Carvalho & Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD The Energy Coalition · $50 – Natalie Araujo and Melissa Perez-Rodriguez, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) $100 – Elijah Holm, Seneca Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD $250 – Aiden Grover, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD $500 – Angelina Yang, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Lemelson Early Inventor Prize · Sophia Lipata & Blaja Thomas, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Nominees Aubrianna Abayasekara, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD Audrey Abeyta, St. Edward Catholic School Lilly Abeyta, St. Edward Catholic School Krystal Avila, Mission Middle School, Jurupa USD Aniket Bag, Vista Verde Middle, Val Verde USD Ethan Bhakta, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD Danni Brasher, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD Hudson Buckwalter, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD Megan Burke, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Jordyn Castro, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD Caydence Chitwood, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD Jennavieve Covington, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Camille Danielson, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Alia Duckworth, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Leila Isabella Evangelista, Temecula Preparatory School Isabella Flores, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Andrew Garcia, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Ava George, Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD Aiden Grover, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD Francine Habacon, Vista Verde Middle, Val Verde USD Eliana Habtamu, Vista Verde Middle, Val Verde USD Jocelyn Harris, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Makayla Hernandez, Temecula Preparatory School Logan Ibarra, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD Isabella Koral, Temecula Preparatory School Michael Lapid, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Kristen Mason, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD William Meeks, Margaret White Elementary School, Palo Verde USD Eloise Miller, Sacred Heart School Urijah Raju, St. Catherine of Alexandria School Giselle Salazar, Landmark Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Hailey Sanchez, Nicolet Middle School, Banning USD Elizabeth Scott-Magedman, Nicolet Middle School, Banning USD Claire Shami, Rancho Christian School Shivani Talati, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School, Riverside USD Tyler Towers, March Middle School, Val Verde USD Harleen Virk, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD Andrew Waghorn, St. Catherine of Alexandria School Matthew Wilson, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD Asha Zachariah, Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD 2023 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Affiliated Regional Awards (awards provided as part of affiliation with Regeneron ISEF) American Psychological Association Caroline Corr, St. Catherine of Alexandria Perish School Association for Women Geoscientists Rachel Lu & Audrey Mai, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Broadcom Foundation Roy Dagrella, Lake Mathews Elementary School, Riverside USD NASA Earth System Science Award Natalie Araujo and Melissa Perez, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tenzing Carvalho and Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD Naval Science Awards Program (NSAP) Isabel Villegas, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Jennavieve Covington, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD Aiden Grover, STEM Academy, Riverside US Ryan Drake, Rancho Christian Regeneron Biomedical Science Award Hala Koreatam, Hewanam Arachchige Flowery Samaranayake, Luke To, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Ricoh Tenzing Carvalho & Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD Society for In Vitro Biology · Krish Raval, Santiago High School, Corona-Norco USD Stockholm Jr Water Prize Ryan Drake, Rancho Christian School Tenzing Carvalho & Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD Crystal Renteria & David Zaragoza-Quezada, Valley View High School and Moreno Valley HS, Moreno Valley USD United States Air Force Eileen Lin, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD Syed Shaheer Ali, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD Odera Arene, Martin Luther King HS, Riverside USD United States Agency for International Development Tenzing Carvalho & Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD United States Metric Association Aravella Kats and Sydney Katzenstein, Polytechnic High School, Riverside USD Yale Science and Engineering Association Dania Khan and Claire VanDerLin, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD Participating districts and charter/private schools included: Alvord USD Banning USD Beaumont USD Chámmakilawish Pechanga School Coachella Valley USD Corona-Norco USD Desert Center USD Desert Sands USD Hemet USD Jurupa USD Lake Elsinore USD Moreno Valley USD Nuview Union SD Palm Springs USD Palo Verde USD Rancho Christian School REACH Leadership STEAM Academy Riverside USD Romoland SD Sacred Heart School San Jacinto USD St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish School St. Edward School Temecula Preparatory School Val Verde USD Additional details on this year’s Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair are available at https://www.rcoe.us/student-events/science-engineering-fair/.

Riverside County Students Earn Gold Medals Advance to State National and International Science Fairs