Dougherty Valley High School student Gatik Trivedi won first place at the state Science & Engineering Fair for his entry entitled NeuroGuardian. Photo: SRVUSD
Four Dougherty Valley High students win amidst 900 entries at state competition.
By Ilana Israel Samuels, Director of Communications, Family and Community Engagement, San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Danville, CA (May 9, 2024) – More than 65 high school students and 40 middle school students recently placed or received special awards at the 2024 Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair, including students from Diablo Vista, Gale Ranch, Iron Horse, Los Cerros and Windemere Ranch Middle Schools; and from California, Dougherty Valley and Monte Vista High Schools. Students submitted projects in the categories of Behavioral Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental, Math and Computer Science, or Physical Sciences.
The students prepared for the science fairs in part by meeting with coaches to work on their research experiments and craft presentations. The students were excited to participate and represent their schools at this annual fair.
Each year, 18 successful projects are selected by the judges to represent the Contra Costa County Science & Engineering fair at the state-level competition – the California Science and Engineering Fair. This year, 11 of the 18 projects moved forward for this special honor were submitted by SRVUSD students, who competed against 900 other entries during the event on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Four San Ramon Valley Unified School District students from Dougherty Valley High School won big at the California Science & Engineering Fair this year. They each placed 1st or 2nd in their respective categories:
Gatik Trivedi, 1st place, NeuroGuardian: A Multimodal Telemedical Neurodegenerative Monitoring System with Self-learning Predictive Analytics for Late-Stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Patients, Computational Systems Medical
Yizhou (Michael) Wang and Yifan (Frank) Shi, 1st place, Development of a Biodegradable Hybrid Inspired Paper Battery Powered by Carbon-Black with Origami Designs Applicable for Biomedical Smart Systems, Chemistry
Vaishnavi Kolluru, 2nd place, Breastmilk: Nature’s Vaccine Against COVID-19, Mammalian Biology
“I am pleased to recognize our students for their outstanding accomplishments at the California Science and Engineering Fair,” said Dr. John Malloy, Superintendent, San Ramon Valley Unified School District. “Their dedication, creativity, and passion for their research projects showcase the depth of talent and potential we have within our educational community. I look forward to their future contributions to science and research. I also thank all of the educators who supported our students through these achievements.”
The California Science & Engineering Fair is the final science fair of the academic year for students throughout the State of California in grades 6-12, serving California’s future scientists and engineers since 1952. The fair is hosted by the California Science and Engineering Foundation.
SRVUSD partners with Bay Area LEEDS to ensure students have access to the tremendous resources the organization provides for the region’s youth to prepare them for a future in STEM careers. In an email, Bay Area LEEDS Executive Administrator, Janice Fujii, and CEO April Treece, noted that this was an outstanding achievement and that our students “worked very hard to excel in their field of study.”
San Ramon Valley Unified School District congratulates all of its participating students for their remarkable science fair achievements and excellence in research.
About Bay Area LEEDS: Bay Area LEEDS helps prepare the region’s youth for tomorrow’s STEM careers with relevant industry tools and skill sets, strengthening the workforce pipeline. We collaborate with business and educators to excite students about pursuing purposeful post-secondary pathways aligned with high-wage, high-skill, high-demand jobs in the global economy. The organization improves STEM education in regional communities by providing STEM teachers professional development, and providing students with meaningful and engaging STEM learning opportunities, while involving current STEM professionals in educating the next generation of STEM leaders and creators. Linking Education & Economic Development Strategies Bay Area LEEDS is one of the few business/education intermediaries in the Bay Area that brings long-term talent development solutions to workforce shortages by engaging STEM career pathway educators (K-16) and employers who have high-demand, difficult-to-fill STEM jobs. Through innovative programming, we develop, plan and execute industry- supported approaches that build a more diverse, inclusive and equitable talent base, assuring economic vitality in our local communities.
About San Ramon Valley Unified School District: Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) is one of the highest-achieving school districts in California. With approximately 29,000 students, the district encompasses the communities of Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and a small portion of Walnut Creek and Pleasanton.
SRVUSD has been recognized at state and national levels with many awards and achievements. The district is designated by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, as a Learning 2025 Lighthouse District because it serves as a model of positive change in public education and is committed to the whole child. Based on a foundation of academic excellence, SRVUSD’s work is guided by the district’s Strategic Directions, and broadening the definition of success so all students can thrive. The district maintains graduation rates above 96%. The Learner Profile outlines the competencies the district aspires for students to possess upon graduation, preparing students to be Critical Thinkers, Creative Contributors, Intentional Collaborators, Adaptable Learners, and Effective Communicators.
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