On Saturday, February 24th, the Catholic University of America hosted the 61st Greater Washington, D.C. Region Junior Science & Humanities Symposium. This was the university’s second year in a row hosting the event, which provides high school students with the opportunity to showcase their research, compete for scholarships, and develop skills for further pursuits in STEM.
Doctoral candidates, professors and a variety of professionals from different fields volunteered as judges, and they were hard pressed to identify the top submissions among 82 participants. Catholic University doctoral student Roya Damircheli participated as a judge. “Being part of this symposium was an honor, and the experience was incredibly enriching. I was not only able to witness the burgeoning potential of the next generation of researchers, but also gained valuable insights that have enriched my own academic journey. The participants' dedication to their research and their visionary outlook on their careers and the broader field of science is truly worthy of admiration," she said.
After oral and poster presentations, the top three winners were selected from each category. Eeshan Dandamudi of Chantilly High School was selected for 1st place oral presentation for his research on Neuroassist: Advancing Cognition-Computer Synergy with Adaptive AI and Enhanced Neural Decoding. Marina Lin of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was the top choice among poster presentations for her work on Accelerated Discovery of Fe@AI2B2 HER Catalyst throughout ML+DFT.
After a brief astronomy lesson, keynote speaker Mike Menzel shared his experience as a NASA Missions Systems Engineer and his contributions to the James Webb Space Telescope, and offered words of wisdom and encouragement to the students.
The top five finalists from the regional DC JSHS are eligible to compete in the 62nd National JSHS taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico in May.