In the recent 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, three Plano ISD students were named as some of the top 300 competitors in the nation for middle school science.
The students were invited to apply by placing in the top 10% in science fairs last year and were chosen from 1,890 applicants around the state. Each student will receive a $125 award from the Department of Defense STEM Education Consortium.
The students include:
- Matthew Kuo, then an eighth grader at Renner Middle School, for his project, Factors Affecting Fuel Cell Energy Efficiency.
- Terri Lv, then a seventh grader at Rice Middle School, for his project, Synthesis and Quantum Effect Desmos of the Super Conductor YBa₂Cu₃O₇₋ₓ (YBCO)
- Rajveer Savla, then an eighth grader at Rice Middle School, for his project, Creating Environmentally Friendly Biodegradable Plastics Using Potato Peels
On September 17, 30 of those 300 students will be selected as finalists, travel to Washington, D.C. to present their projects and receive awards.
