RIVERSIDE – A total of 72 students earned gold medals, including three sweepstakes winners, while dozens of prizes and entries into state, and international fairs, were awarded at the conclusion of the 2024 Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair which was held at the Riverside Convention Center on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Awards Ceremony Program and Photo Gallery

“This year’s event Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair attracted the highest participation since 2016, and we are excited for the award-winning scientists and innovators who will be representing Riverside County at state, national, and international fairs,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “The STEM leaders who will shape our shared future, are developing their skills and exploring new findings inside of our school classrooms and laboratories every single day.”

A total of 515 students from 29 affiliate fairs representing public, charter, and private schools, presented their findings in 359 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 online on April 16, 2024.

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)
  Senitha Weerakoo
  John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD
  Surface Comparison for Basketball Bouncing

• Junior Division Sweepstakes (Grades 6-8)
  Vienna Zhou
  El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
  Decoding the Matrix of Movement: Using Python to Determine Physical Activities

• Senior Division Sweepstakes (Grades 9-12)
  Angelina Yang
  Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
  Fabrication and In-Depth Evaluation of Reconfigurable Metallo-Polyelectrolyte Complexed Gels for Heavy Metal Ion Filtration 

Five Senior Division students advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held May 11-17, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Yoonchan Lee, Brian Ngo, and Andrea Vo
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Evolving an Epidemic: Optimizing Sialic Acid Receptor Configurations to Increase the Binding Affinity of Avian Influenza H5N1 to Human Cell Glycoproteins

Angelina Yang
Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Fabrication and In-Depth Evaluation of Reconfigurable Metallo-Polyelectrolyte Complexed Gels for Heavy Metal Ion Filtration

Harleen Virk
Eastvale STEM Academy / Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Wired for Sustainability: Minimizing Copper in Vehicles 

Grade 4 Gold Medal Winners
Zak Bryant, Harry Truman Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
Ethan Gaspard, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD
Solomiya Turkel, Mission Vista Academy, Mission Vista Academy-Beaumont
Senitha Weerakoon, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD
Alannah Clark, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD

Grade 5 Gold Medal Winners
Jillian Boersma, Mesa View Elementary School, Romoland School District
Riley Crawford, Mesa View Elementary School, Romoland School District
Troy Fogle, Orange Elementary, Corona-Norco USD
Coral Higgins, Summerwind Trails School, Beaumont USD
Julietta Marin, Creekside Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD
Samara Azrot, Benjamin Franklin Elementary, School, Riverside USD
Elizabeth Davidson, Anna M. Hause Elementary School, Beaumont USD
Jay Hakomaki, Tomás Rivera Elementary School, Riverside USD
Aaron Rodriguez, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD
Ryan Steet, Philistine Rondo School of Discovery, Corona-Norco USD

Junior Division Gold Medal Winners (Grades 6-8)***▲
Lilyana Covington, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
Everest Fraser, Sacred Heart School Palm Desert
Rebecca Kincaid, Mark Twain Elementary School, Riverside USD
Evan Edwards, Mark Twain Elementary School, Riverside USD
Vienna Zhou, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
Heidi Hafen, Margaret White Elementary School, Palo Verde USD
Roshhan Satheeshkumar, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
Rohit Satheeshkumar, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
Nadia Thrush, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD
Evelyn Trujillo, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
Maya Robles, Academy of Innovation, Corona-Norco USD
Kian Revale, Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde USD
Sai Srinika Bommineni, River Heights Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
GiselleTurner, Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, Desert Sands USD
Caitlin Buensuceso, Raney Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Avijeet Randhawa, Auburndale Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Arav Randhawa, Auburndale Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Shreyansh Medatati, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Delisha Azad, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate,Corona-Norco USD
Seoyool Kim, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
Gabriela Votruba, Riverside STEM Academy,Riverside USD
Yanuo Zhou, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
Anouk Trujillo, Riverside STEM Academy   Riverside USD
Michael Serrano, San Jacinto Leadership Academy, San Jacinto USD

Senior Division Gold Medal Winners (Grades 9-12)***
Jennavieve Covington, Moreno Valley High School, Moreno Valley USD
Harleen Virk, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Joel Mata, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley USD
Andrea Martinez Beleche, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley USD
Hank Jennings, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Arif Rahman, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Aiden Pianalto, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Kenneth Ditico, Riverside STEM High School, Riverside USD
Anthony Hernandez, Riverside STEM High School, Riverside USD
Nimmer Kaur, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
Vinaya Ayinampudi, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Jadon Szeto, Martin Luther King High Schoo, Riverside USD
Joseph Or, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Yoonchan Lee, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Brian Ngo, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Andre Vo, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Marie Rose Osei, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Sydney Katzenstein, Polytechnic High School, Riverside USD
Isabella Ta, Centennial High School Corona-Norco USD
Sheccid Gaeta, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
Haoyuan Wang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Kevin Delgado, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Ray Cheng, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Elizabeth Mattar, Corona High School, Corona-Norco USD
Samantha Floyd, Corona High School, Corona-Norco USD
Angelina Yang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Natasha Todorovski, Riverside STEM High School, Riverside USD
Yovana Zamohano, Riverside STEM High School, Riverside USD
Ayush Moghe, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Claire Van Der Linden, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
Anantvir Singh, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Derek Zhang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Nil Patel, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
Madison Saldana, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD 

*** Gold medal winners in Junior and Senior division advance to California State Science and Engineering Fair

▲ Gold medal winners in Junior division also advance to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

HDR, Inc. Sustainability Awards and Award Ribbons

• Tyson Dylan Deal, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Jayden Adams, Joseph Robbins, Alethea Vidal, Margaret White Elementary,
               Palo Verde USD
• Tiffany Marie Gonzalez Munoz, Gabriel Rodriguez, Canyon Springs High School,
               Moreno Valley USD

Inland Empire Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG)

• Tyson Dylan Real, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Naylene Arevalo, Aileah Jacobs, Lauren Tate, Palm Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
• Jazmine Polio, Kassandra Valle, Destiny Vieyra, Jurupa Valley High School, Jurupa USD

Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP)

• $100 – Senitha Weerakoo, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD
• $250 – Vienna Zhou, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• $500 – Angelina Yang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD

Everest Fraser, Sacred Heart School-Palm Desert
Rebecca Kincaid, Mark Twain Elementary School, Riverside USD
Evan Edwards, Mark Twain Elementary School, Riverside USD
Vienna Zhou, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
Heidi Hafen, Margaret White Elementary School, Palo Verde USD
Evelyn Trujillo, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
Maya Robles, Academy of Innovation, Corona-Norco USD
Kian Revale, Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde USD
Sai Srinika Bommineni, River Heights Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Giselle Turner, Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, Desert Sands USD
Caitlin  Buensuceso, Raney Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Shreyansh Medatati, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Delisha Azad, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, Corona-Norco USD
Seoyool Kim, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
Gabriela Votruba, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
Michael Serrano, San Jacinto Leadership Academy, San Jacinto USD

2024 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Affiliated Regional Awards

American Psychological Association

• Elena Anguiano, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD
• Kaitelyn Becker, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD
• Lucy Nair, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD

Association for Women Geoscientists

• Harleen Virk, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Angelina Yang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD

Broadcom Foundation

• Vienna Zhou, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD

Lemelson Early Inventor Prize

• Isabel Villegas, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD

NASA Earth System Science Award

• Heidi Hafen, Margaret White Elementary School, Palo Verde USD

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Rohit Satheeshkumar, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Roshhan Satheeshkumar, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD

Office of Naval Research

• Lilly Abeyta, St. Edward School-Corona
• Liam Cajudo, Villegas Middle School, Alvord USD
• Giselle Turner, Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, Desert Sands USD
• Caleb Alonzo, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley High School, Moreno Valley USD
• Angelina Yang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Nimmer Kaur, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Kenneth Esponoza, Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley USD
• Rylee Brodeen, Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD

Regeneron Biomedical Science Award

• Angelina Yang, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD

Ricoh USA, Inc.

• Joel Mata, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley USD
• Andrea Martinez Beleche, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley USD

Society for In Vitro Biology

• Brooke Vansuch, Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD

United States Agency for International Development

• Ayush Moghe, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School,
              Corona-Norco USD
• Nil Patel, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Madison Saldana, Eastvale STEM Academy/Eleanor Roosevelt High School,
              Corona-Norco USD

United States Metric Association

• Shanmukh Bachhu, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Ian Do, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Patrick Moon, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

Yale Science and Engineering Association

• Jazmine Polio, Jurupa Valley High School, Jurupa USD
• Kassandra Valle, Jurupa Valley High School, Jurupa USD
• Destiny Vieyra Jurupa Valley High School, Jurupa 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/.