Ten students from Friendswood High School showcased their research at the 66th annual Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH), held on Saturday, February 15, at the Epicenter in Rosenberg. The prestigious competition featured over 1,200 students from 23 counties across the Greater Houston area, all presenting their scientific discoveries to a panel of judges from the Houston scientific community.
Several Friendswood students earned top awards and special recognition for their innovative projects.
Award Winners:
- Silas Lovett received special awards from NASA, Amentum, and the North Houston Space Society for his project in Physics & Astronomy, which earned him a 2nd place finish in the category.
- Ishan Pendyala was awarded 2nd place and a $75 prize from the Babs Foundation for his work in Systems Software.
- Daniel Blessan earned an Honorable Mention from Iyar Fine Arts, along with a gift card.
- Vikram Gupta placed 3rd in Medicine & Health for his research on brain tumor detection using artificial intelligence.
- Shivam Gupta took 1st place in Energy and Transportation with his project, “LIFE SHIELD – A Novel Real-Time System to Minimize Road & Workplace Accidents.”
With their top placements, Shivam Gupta and Silas Lovett will advance to the Texas Science and Engineering Fair, set to take place at Texas A&M University on March 29.
Friendswood High School Participants and Projects:
- Joel Blessan & Ky-Minh To (Biomedical Engineering: Team) – A Non-Invasive Cholesterol Detection Method Using NIR Spectroscopy
- Daniel Blessan (Systems Software) – Identifying Mood Level Using Facial Recognition to Improve Public Safety
- Shivam Gupta (Energy & Transportation) – LIFE SHIELD – A Novel Real-Time System to Minimize Road & Workplace Accidents
- Vikram Gupta (Medicine & Health) – A Novel and Innovative Approach in Detection, Prediction & Classification of Brain Tumors Leveraging AI and Deep Learning
- Daniel Levin (Behavioral & Social Sciences) – The Math Behind Emotions: Isolating Specific Sounds That Evoke Human Emotions
- Silas Lovett (Physics & Astronomy) – Three-Dimensional Web Application to Simulate and Analyze the Effectiveness of Various Space Debris Removal Strategies
- Ishan Pendyala (Systems Software) – FlashGuard: Detecting and Sanitizing Triggering Media and Content for Photosensitive Individuals for Epileptic Seizure Prevention in Real-Time
- Ethan Praisoody (Biomedical Engineering) – Wearable Assistive Technology for People With Hearing Loss
- Sofia Rivera (Biochemistry & Microbiology) – Screening for Soil-Derived Antibiotics: A Study of Microbial Inhibition in Urban and Rural Ecosystems
Friendswood High School science teacher Rebecca Clarke praised the students for their hard work and dedication to their research. “These students have put in countless hours developing innovative solutions to real-world problems. Their success at SEFH is a testament to their dedication and scientific curiosity,” Clarke said.
