Research, Inquiry Skills & Experimentation (RISE)
The Research, Inquiry Skills & Experimentation (RISE) program is intended for students in 9-12th grade who are interested in pursuing a high-level, year-long, in-depth study of a science topic of their choosing by conducting original scientific research. Successful students in this program are self-motivated and independent learners.
This program gives students the opportunity to participate in the community of scientific research and scholarship. Students are expected to utilize their work from this program to enter various science symposia, usually hosted annually in March-May. Dates for all symposia will be posted at the start of the program, as they are announced.
The outcomes of this program are linked to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), College Readiness Standards, and Common Core State Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium RISE Projects
- Use of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines on Agricultural Drones
Sanjay Ravishankar
Grade 11, Poster Presenter
This experiment explored the effect of vertical axis wind turbines on the range and efficiency of an unmanned aerial vehicle by using the wind turbines as the independent variable as well as the time in air and the voltage as the dependent variables. - Permafrost Thaw in Relation to the Varied Photosynthetic Pathways and Abundance of Chlorophytum comosum, Sedum angelina, and Senecio cineraria to Limit Thermokarst Action
Ashrith Valluri
Grade 10
The purpose of this research was twofold: 1) to investigate if plants that used varied photosynthetic pathways (C3 or CAM) decrease permafrost thaw amount and subsequent CO2 accumulation and 2) ascertain if plant abundance has any additive impact Plants were selected from CAM and C3 groups due to their variations in methods of CO2 fixation. - Novel Convolutional Neural Networks for Improved Accuracy in User-Accessible Brain Tumor Detection
Kevin Tian
Grade 9
The purpose of this design investigation was to create three user-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) models, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs), each designed using different and novel techniques for brain tumor detection from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. - Novel Treatment as Reduction of Oxidative Stress Using Mixed Antioxidants for Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms
Sahana Garapati
Grade 10
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate if the combination of the antioxidants ferulic acid, curcumin, and caffeine decreased oxidative stress (OS) in order to ascertain if mixed antioxidants facilitate a greater decrease of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms due to the correlation between OS and AD symptoms. - The Impact of 2-Propanol and Sodium Hypochlorite on Quantity of Extracted DNA from Human Fingerprints for the Advancement of Forensic Fingerprinting Technologies
Maggie McIntyre
Grade 9
Physical fingerprints are frequently used as evidence in forensic investigations. - The Effect of Various Fin Designs on the Stability, Apogee, and Drag of Model Rockets to Maximize Efficiency
Varun Nagaraj
Grade 10
The purpose of this experiment was to ascertain if different fins for model rockets impact their stability, apogee, and drag in order to provide an optimal design for new rockets. - Quantifying Microplastics Released From Medicine Vials Through Fluorescence Microscopy: A Risk Assessment
Abdullah Mohammed
Grade 10, Poster Presenter
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the number of microplastics found in medicine bottles of popular brands. - Meta-Analysis Research to Discover Novel Method for Increasing the Role of NK Cells in LAG-3 Immunotherapy to Increase Efficiency of Melanoma Treatment
Anirudh Saravanan
Grade 11
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficiency and stability of introducing natural killer (NK) cells in the existing immunotherapy for melanoma cancer known as LAG-3 CD223. - Mathematical Modeling of the Optimal Light Wavelength for Increasing Biomass and Cell Size of Chlorella vulgaris as a Basis for Enhancing Biofuel Production
Sidharth Brahmandam
Grade 9, Poster Presenter
The pressing need for eco-friendly fuel sources due to limited fossil fuels and rising population has brought attention to microalgae including Chlorella vulgaris (C. - Utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Single-Cell RNA-seq Data for the Investigation and Discovery of Novel Genetic Biomarkers in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Ibrahim Arif
Grade 10, Oral Presenter
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive neurodegenerative eye disorder characterized by eventual degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) leading to permanent vision loss.