May 01, 2026
For Immediate Release
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA – Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society presented awards for its 2026 Student Research Showcase. The virtual competition included 311 student participants across 13 disciplinary categories. Awards were given for first place ($500) and second place ($250) winners in the high school, undergraduate, and graduate divisions. Additional prizes were awarded for the top overall winner and people's choice awards.
The 2026 overall winner was a tie between Lauren Choi of Irving High School and Vijeta Garg of Edison High School. Each received an additional $500 prize. The people's choice winner was Heritage Xperiential Learning School's Aryaman Chandra, who received a $250 prize for his project, Can a Shape Hear Itself?, which was voted on by fellow participants.
The Student Research Showcase is an annual virtual competition aimed to build students' science communication skills so they can convey the value of their research to technical and nontechnical audiences. Participants submitted abstracts for entry into the competition in early spring. During a month-long evaluation period, students built websites, videos, and slideshows to present their research to a panel of judges and public audiences. Judges' evaluations were based on how well the students communicated enthusiasm for their projects; explained the significance of their research; used text, charts, and diagrams; and responded to questions.
Overall Winners—Tie
Lauren Choi, Irving High School
AI Health Support: Low-Cost Digital Stethoscope
Vijeta Garg, Edison High School
Soft Actuators to Improve Life for Breast Cancer Survivors
People’s Choice Award
Aryaman Chandra, Heritage Xperiential Learning School
Can a Shape Hear Itself?
First Place High School Division—Tie
Lauren Choi, Irving High School
AI Health Support: Low-Cost Digital Stethoscope
Vijeta Garg, Edison High School
Soft Actuators to Improve Life for Breast Cancer Survivors
Second Place High School Division
Sejal Solkhan, Green Level High School
Reliable Cough Detection with Uncertainty-Aware AI
First Place Undergraduate Division
Desiree Thomas, California State University, Sacramento
Size assortative mating in wild Costa Rican cichlid
Second Place Undergraduate Division
Priyanka Supraja Balaji, California Institute of Technology
Safe LiDAR Perception Framework for Mars Rover Navigation
First Place Graduate Division
Nina Grant, Rutgers University
Keeping Coffee and Chocolate on the Table in a Warming World
Second Place Graduate Division
Tsion Eshetu, Wake Forest University
Skill-Based Learned Oculomotor Avoidance
Interdisciplinary Awards
Advances in Computation
Lauren Choi, Irving High School
AI Health Support: Low-Cost Digital Stethoscope
Biology and Biotechnology
Zain Shariff, Curtis Senior High School
AICathDesigner RV-EMB
Design, Construction, and Manufacturing
Vijeta Garg, Edison High School
Soft Actuators to Improve Life for Breast Cancer Survivors
Engineering
Aditya Goel, The Shri Ram School
IoT-Based Industrial Energy Monitoring & Carbon Visibility
Environmental Challenges
Arihant Jaggi, Cushman High School
Can Math Predict Miami's Future?
Human Health
Lily Yuan, Amador High School
Lung Cancer Drug Resistance: miR-7 Metabolic Reprogramming
Human Sciences and Policy
Anant Agarwal, Vasant Valley School
Sectoral Responses to Macroeconomic Variables in India
Tools for Science, Education, and Personalized Learning
Vidushee Shekhar, Mallya Aditi International School
Phonological Error Detection in Child Speech
Understanding the Universe
Priyanka Supraja Balaji, California Institute of Technology
Safe LiDAR Perception Framework for Mars Rover Navigation