American Heritage Schools’ High School Students Receive Global Recognition for Science Research Excellence
The prestigious American Heritage Schools, which celebrates 60 years of fostering academic excellence and shaping future leaders this school year, is proud to announce that both its Broward and Palm Beach campuses achieved remarkable success at the highly-renowned global competition recognizing excellence in science research. The 2024 International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE) by Sigma Xi held in Washington, D.C. gathered nearly 180 student researchers from high schools, colleges, and graduate programs across the globe to compete and share innovative ideas.
Sigma Xi, the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society for scientists and engineers, hosts IFoRE annually to showcase innovative research across diverse fields. Known for its rigorous judging process and limited awards, IFoRE is a platform where only first-place winners are recognized in each of the 13 discipline-specific and 10 interdisciplinary categories.
Despite the fierce competition, the students from American Heritage Schools’ Palm Beach campus secured an incredible 12 awards, earning nearly half of the total prizes in the poster competition. Additionally, standing out for their exceptional work in both the oral and poster presentation categories, the students from American Heritage Schools’ Broward campus secured five awards across multiple categories.
American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus Award Winners:
First Place Discipline-Specific Awards ($100 prize and one year of a paid membership to Sigma Xi):
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Maya Behura (12th grade): Physiology and Immunology
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John Staton (12th grade): Geosciences
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Daniela Staton (11th grade): Anthropology
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Bhav Jain (10th grade): Engineering
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Devesh Kumaresh (10th grade): Physiology and Immunology
First Place Interdisciplinary Awards ($200 prize and one year of a paid membership to Sigma Xi):
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Maya Behura (12th grade): Human Health
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Bhav Jain (10th grade): Environmental Challenges
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Zohar Eshet (12th grade): Understanding the Universe
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Dishika Parikh (12th grade): Engineering
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Devesh Kumaresh (10th grade): Human Health
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Shengwu Luo (11th grade): Tools for Science, Education, and Personalized Learning
People’s Choice Award: Kayli Harris (12th grade)
American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus Award Winners: Poster Competition ($200 prize and one year of a paid membership to Sigma Xi):
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Noah Duro-Andre (11th grade): Agriculture, Soil and Natural Sciences
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Iris Fan (12th grade): Chemistry
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Anagha Iyer (11th grade): Environmental Challenges
Oral Presentation ($200 prize and one year of a paid membership to Sigma Xi):
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Emma Colarte Delgado (12th grade): Interdisciplinary Research in Human Sciences and Policy
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Calvin Mathew (12th grade): Interdisciplinary Research in Design, Construction and Manufacturing
“There were so many scientists I spoke to that were in awe of the research being done by the students on our campus and at the support provided by our school to pursue these incredible traveling opportunities,” said Dr. Brittnee McDole, co-director of the science research program at American Heritage Schools. “Our Research Program truly provides life-changing experiences and opportunities for so many students, we are truly grateful!”
American Heritage Schools has consistently fostered a culture of innovation and academic achievement, empowering students to pursue excellence in STEM fields. The awards at IFoRE 2024 highlight the caliber of education and mentorship at American Heritage Schools and the commitment of its students to advancing scientific research.
