Celebrating Excellence: Winners of Our 13th Polygence Symposium of Rising Scholars
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The 13th Polygence Symposium of Rising Scholars took place on September 27, bringing together students, families, mentors and judges. The online event celebrated months of dedication and creativity as students presented research on topics spanning ocean conservation, neuroscience, AI, biotechnology and public health.
Each Symposium reminds us how curiosity and passion can inspire young people to create meaningful change. This time, we’re proud to recognize students whose projects stood out for their originality, depth and thoughtful presentation.
Join us in celebrating the winners of our 13th Symposium of Rising Scholars!

First Place Live Talk
Winner: Daphne Panie
Topic: Environmental Science & Climate Change
Project Title: "Experimental Evaluation of Buffering Strategies to Mitigate Ocean Acidification in Long Island Sound"
Second Place Live Talk
Winner: Riya Chatterjee
Topic: Neuroscience & Cognitive Science
Project Title: "Epigenetic regulations of the intrinsic properties of HVC neurons in zebra finches under stuttering"
Third Place Live Talk
Winner: Anna Broderdorf
Topic: Cancer & Immunology
Project Title: "Investigating the Causative Relationship Between Hyperinsulinemia and Pancreatic Cancer"
Top Asynchronous Talk
Winner: Nathan Yong
Topic: AI, Machine Learning & Data Science
Project Title: "Machine Learning-Based Keystroke Reconstruction from Passive Video Capture: Techniques and Threat Analysis"
Top Asynchronous Talk
Winner: Abigail Nguyen
Topic: Technology in Science & Society
Project Title: "ArthriTrack"
Innovator Award (1)
Winner: Aashika Reddy
Topic: Technology in Science & Society
Project Title: "Harmony: A Machine-Learning Based Adaptive Music Neurostimulation Device for Pediatric Epilepsy"
Innovator Award (2)
Winner: Simran Soni
Topic: Technology in Science & Society
Project Title: "The Detrimental Effect of Micro and Nano Plastics on the Human Brain"