Delaware Valley Science Fair
2022

Founded in 1949, The Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc. (DVSF), is a non-profit organization sponsored by companies, foundations, universities, and individual donors in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas within Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. DVSF is one of the oldest science fairs in the nation and has always promoted the philosophy that students learn science by doing science. We research teachers here at HTHS embrace that same philosophy. In the research process, students learn how to think and develop critical problem-solving skills that they will utilize in in the lab here at High Tech, in college, and later in their careers. The mission of DVSF is to connect hard working and inventive young minds with professionals in their fields. During the fair the competitors are interviewed by experts in their field as their research is evaluated. The students who compete at DVSF have to opportunity to learn from top research scientists and engineers, gain insight into new directions for their research, and, in some cases, make connections with people who could help bring a potential product to market. Students compete for scholarships, monetary prizes, and a chance to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Each year, 900 to 1,000 students in grades 6 through 12 from Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware compete in the Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF). Our students enter projects that address a novel research question or engineering solution. In participating in this rigorous research competition, they make new discoveries that could change their lives forever as they compete for the nearly $6 million in scholarship and prize money awarded at DVSF. The gold medal winners then represent DVSF as they travel to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) competition in May to compete for more than $5 million in scholarships and awards.

This year's Delaware Valley Science Fair was an in-person event, and project submissions from JSSF for the top three finishers in each category were advanced to DVSF to be reviewed by their judging panel. There were special awards given by sponsoring corporations and institutions and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place was awarded in each category. Then, the first place finishers in each grade level competed for the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes that allow them to advance to Regeneron's ISEF.

Delaware Valley Science Fair 2022 Official Results

Full Student Participants List
*All participants advanced from JSSF Competition. Students listed alphabetically below.

  • Ranvith Adulla - "Using Artificial Intelligence to Classify Diseases in Various Plant Species"

  • Ayush Bobra - "The Effect of Soil Acidity on the Hatch Rate of Eisenia hortensis Eggs"

  • Blake Cregg-Wedmore - "Improved, Affordable Pulse Oximeter for Accurate Readings in People With Poor Circulation"

  • Katherine Fang - "Surveying Water Surface and Wetlands in Delaware Bay Using Cloud-Removed LandSat Data"

  • Varun Gabbita - "The Effect of Plant Extracts Compared to Different Everyday Household Disinfectants on Various Types of Bacteria"

  • Jue Gong - "Integrating Traditional Chinese Wood Joints with 3D Printing"

  • Aravind Gunasekaran - "Production of Hydrogen For Automobiles with Rocket Fuel (Hydrazine) and Transition Metal Catalyst"

  • Kevin Liu - "Determining the Pebbling Number For Endpoint Root Vertices of Generalized Theta-graphs"

  • Daniel Lin - "Development of Novel and Improved Copper-based Organic Fungal Treatments"

  • Yuvna Musuku - "Designing a Novel Device to Prevent Perineal Tears During Labor"

  • Sreeja Paruchuri - "The Effect of the Foliar Application of Selenium and Zinc on the Growth of Strawberry Plants Undergoing Drought Stress"

  • Ishani Singh - "Detection of Bullying Comments on TikTok"

  • Arjun Tschand - "Early Detection and Insight into Air Quality Degradation Using a Compound Neural Network-Based Substance Concentration Measurement System"

  • Shravani Vedagiri - "Comparing the Effects of Varying Light Intensities on Glucose Production in Wildtype and Ilp2 Mutant D. melanogaster"

  • Advika Vuppala - "The Effect of Rhizobacteria and Mycorrhizae Seed Inoculation on the Development of Hydroponically Grown Microgreen Plants"

  • Caitlyn Zito - "Shoelace Locking Device for Individuals with RA in Finger Joints"

  • Daniel Zlotnick - "A Flooring Materials Comparison in Minimizing Head Injury Severity from Falls"

Category and Special Award Winners

  • Kevin Liu

      • Bronze Medal 11th Grade Division - Advanced to Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)

      • 1st Place - Mathematics Category, 11th Grade Fair

      • Special Awards - Mu Alpha Theta Award

- Yale Science and Engineering Association Award

  • Ishani Singh

      • Honorable Mention - Computer Science Category, 9th Grade Fair

  • Ranvith Adulla

    • 2nd Place - Computer Science Category , 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - FMC Corporation Honorable Mention

- Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award

  • Ayush Bobra

    • 3rd Place - Zoology Category, 10th Grade Fair

  • Blake Cregg-Wedmore

    • 2nd Place - Medicine & Health Category, 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - Janssen Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Award- 1st Place

- West Pharmaceutical Services Medicine and Health Award

  • Katherine Fang

    • Honorable Mention - Environmental Science Category, 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - Drexel Environmental Science Leadership Academy - 1st Place and scholarship

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award

- Pennsylvania Council of Professional Geologists Award

- Ricoh Sustainable Development Award

  • Varun Gabbita

    • 2nd Place - Microbiology Category, 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - US Department of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center Award

  • Sreeja Paruchuri

    • 2nd Place - Botany Category , 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - FMC Corporation Special Award- 3rd Place

  • Arjun Tschand

    • Honorable Mention - Engineering Category, 10th Grade Fair

    • Special Awards - Air Products Engineering Innovation Award- 1st Place

- Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award

- Roy F. Weston Memorial Award

  • Shravani Vedagiri

    • Special Awards - Janssen Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Award- Honorable Mention

  • Advika Vuppala

    • 1st Place - Botany Category, 10th Grade

    • Special Awards - US Department of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center Award

  • Caitlyn Zito

    • 1st Place - Engineering Category, 10th Grade

  • Daniel Zlotnick

    • 1st Place - Physics Category, 10th Grade

  • Jue Gong

    • 2nd Place - Physics Category, 11th Grade

    • Special Awards - American Society of Civil Engineers Award

  • Aravind Gunasekaran

    • Honorable Mention - Chemistry Category, 11th Grade

  • Daniel Lin

    • Special Awards - US Department of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center Award

  • Yuvna Musuku

    • 3rd Place - Medicine & Health Category, 11th Grade