APS Students Earn International Science Fair Honors

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Society for Science announced the winners of the 2026 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), featuring more than 1,700 young scientists representing over 60 countries, regions, and territories. Washington-Liberty sophomores Margaret Saperstein and Orgil Soronzonbold, along with H-B Woodlawn junior Janak Vasisht, were recognized as finalists at the prestigious international competition, held May 9–15 in Phoenix, AZ. These students represented APS among the world’s top young scientific researchers.

Vasisht’s project, Optimization of Wind Turbine Performance: Integrating Evolutionary Based AI-Assisted Genetic Algorithms and XGBoost With Blade Element Momentum and Aero-Servo-Hydro-Elastic Simulations competed in the category of Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design. He received the following awards:

• First Place in the category and $6,000 award

Saperstein’s project, The Effect of Different Rapidly-Composed, Biodegradable Hydrogel Formulations on Adhesion, Fire Retardation, and Viscosity competed in the category of Chemistry. She received the following awards:

• First Place from the YM American Academy and $3,000 award and certificate
• Second Place from the Chemistry and the Law and $3,000 award

All projects can be viewed online at the Regeneron ISEF 2026 Virtual Showcase. More information about awards and this year’s competition can be found on the Regeneron ISEF 2026: Phoenix, AZ site.