Wrapping Up a Remarkable Science Fair Season!

As the school year winds down, we’re celebrating an incredible season of science fair success—and the students, educators, and supporters who made it all possible.

In this issue:

• Go behind the scenes of one student’s inspiring visit to SharkNinja HQ.
• Highlights from our Spring Student Symposium, hosted at Holyoke Community College.
• MSEF takes on the Kendall Square Challenge—raising $10,000 while celebrating innovation, collaboration, and community impact.
• Massachusetts students shine on the global stage at the 2025 Regeneron ISEF.
• Meet Benjamin Davis—and find out why he was featured on 7News!
• Meet some more of our valued sponsors!
• Hear what students and judges had to say about this year’s science fair experience.
• ICYMI: Full list of award winners from the High School and Middle School State Fairs.

Thank you to every volunteer, judge, sponsor, and teacher who helped bring STEM to life this year!

Student Spotlight: Ethan Okeke – Winner of the SharkNinja G.R.I.T. Award!

After impressing judges at the High School State Science Fair, Ethan Okeke didn’t just take home the Shark Ninja G.R.I.T. Award, he took his project passion straight to the source! Ethan had the exciting opportunity to meet with SharkNinja’s Chief Design Officer Ross Richardson and other standout members of the team.

From a behind-the-scenes tour to hands-on conversations about product development and design, Ethan brought his full curiosity and energy to the day and left with ideas (and inspiration!) buzzing. 

Check out the short video below to hear Ethan’s advice to the next generation of Science Fair students.

SPRING STUDENT SYMPOSIUM

Earlier this month, we were thrilled to take our Student Symposium series to Western Mass! The 2025 Spring Student Symposium lit up Holyoke Community College with energy, curiosity, and connection!

We brought together local STEM-loving students for a powerful day of mentorship and peer-to-peer learning. Students heard directly from inspiring STEM professionals during our career panel—gaining real-world advice and discovering just how many paths a future in science and engineering can take.

Students often tell us that coming up with their big idea is the most challenging part of the science fair journey. In response to this feedback, we were delighted to engage them in project ideation activities, brainstorming sessions, and resource table conversations with local colleges and organizations.

KENDALL SQUARE CHALLENGE

We were honored to be one of the nonprofit partners selected for this year’s Challenge—a fast-paced, purpose-driven event hosted by the Kendall Square Association (KSA). It was a thrill to roll up our sleeves alongside teams from across Kendall Square and see so many familiar faces from longtime MSEF supporters like Sanofi and Moderna!

Thanks to the generosity of participating teams, MSEF received $10,000 to support our mission of expanding access to independent STEM research opportunities for local students. The check was proudly presented to us by Cambridge City Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler—a meaningful moment that underscored the strong community commitment to advancing STEM education.

Huge thanks to KSA for creating space where innovation, community, and impact collide—we’re energized by this partnership and excited for what’s ahead!

MSEF @ the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Hot on the heels of the Middle School State Fair, MSEF’s Executive Director Helen Rosenfeld and Student Program Coordinator Martha Johnson flew 17 of our high-school students to Columbus, OH, to represent Massachusetts at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Our team stood alongside 1,600 of the world’s brightest young scientists from 65 countries—truly a milestone in any student’s STEM journey—and returned home with ten awards, highlighted by Benjamin Davis’ Grand Award win.

Recognizing MSEF delegates: Benjamin Davis; Jayaratna Deshamouri; Vyshnavi Donthabhaktuni; Alex Hu; Adrita Samanta; Agastya Sarmah; Aru Sharma; Ram Sivaraman; Dylan Striek; Anoushka Nair; Nichelle Thinagar; Tim Wang; Ethan Yan; Shutang Zhu; Louis Chiu; Qiaorui Zhang; Jingxuan Zhou.

Thanks to MSEF's fundraising activities, we were able to cover the cost of every student’s travel, lodging, and meals, so no family or school faced any financial burden. Thank you to those who contributed!

Student Spotlight: Benjamin Davis – Winner of the ISEF Regeneron Young Scientist Award!

We’re thrilled to share that Massachusetts’ own Benjamin Davis has won the Young Scientist Grand Prize at the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)—the world’s largest pre-college science and engineering competition!

Benjamin’s project, "From Crude to Extrude", is a groundbreaking desktop plastic recycling system that dramatically improves the efficiency and quality of 3D printing filament made from waste materials. His innovation combines extrusion and pultrusion—a novel approach that is 45% more energy efficient and produces far less particulate matter than standard methods.

“I worked over 800 hours on my project, went through more than 50 component iterations, and many redesigns along the way,” Benjamin shared. “The science fair experience this year was one of the most intense, and the most rewarding opportunities that I have ever had.”

What makes this moment even more powerful is the perseverance behind it. As his teacher reflected:

“He did have setbacks along the way, but he didn’t give up. He figured out a solution. He learned, adapted, and persevered through adversity.”

Benjamin’s journey took him from his school fair to regionals, then to the state fair, where he earned the AMD Engineering Excellence Award, and ultimately to ISEF, where he was named a Regeneron Young Scientist.

“I was honored to win the AMD award, which gave me further inspiration to refine my project before ISEF,” he said.

“ISEF was incredible—probably one of the best weeks of my life. I made so many new friends and met like-minded people who share my passion for science and engineering.”

Benjamin pairs deep technical knowledge with a rare gift for communicating complex ideas clearly—a combination that makes this recognition so well deserved.

“Although the science fair took over my life at times, I will never forget the incredible experience I had and the number of things that I learned—from improving my machine to scientific research to communication. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had, and for the support of my family, friends, teachers, mentors, and the leadership at MSEF.”

This is a proud moment not just for Benjamin, but for the entire Commonwealth—and a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are supported in pursuing independent STEM research.

See Benjamin in action at ISEF (click image below)



▶ You can also click here to watch Benjamin on 7News

High School State Fair Winners

Click here to see our outstanding High School State Fair winners! This year’s awards showcase not only the top-scoring projects, evaluated by our judges for scientific rigor, but also teacher nominated awards celebrating creativity, perseverance and grit.

Thank you to Amazon our title sponsor without whom the day would not be possible, and the forward thinking companies who sponsored awards, making this phenomenal recognition and celebration feasible; Sanofi, MathWorks, AMD, MITRE, Alnylam, SharkNinja, Eversource, Fish & Richardson, Wolf Greenfield and Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

Above: Jerome Smith of Amazon delivers opening remarks at the 2025 High School State Fair.

Middle School State Fair Winners

A special thank-you to Cabot Corporation, our stedfast title sponsor without whom the day would not be possible. Hosted on Clark University’s welcoming campus, the Middle School State Fair brought our young innovators together for a day of celebration and applause. You can view the full list of winners here.

This year’s awards honored both the highest-scoring projects—judged on scientific excellence—and teacher-nominated recognitions. Special thanks to Broadcom Foundation for the Broadcom Coding with Commitment® Award; SharkNinja for the G.R.I.T. Award; the Massachusetts Life Science Center for the Trailblazer Award; Clark University for the Challenge Convention, the Change the World Research Award; and Cabot Corporation for the Rising Star Award.

Above: Cabot Corporation employees gathered to support students at the 2025 Middle School State Fair.

Science fair is STEM education at its best—fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, while building confidence, self-efficacy, and lasting connections.

With your support, we can keep participation free and accessible, equipping students with the skills and confidence they need to thrive—both in and beyond the classroom.

Thank you to all our financial supporters! Want to learn more about how you can support our work? Drop me a note—I’d love to connect!

With deep gratitude, we recognize MathWorks for being one of MSEF’s most enduring and impactful partners. Year after year, their generous support helps us nurture the next generation of problem-solvers by creating opportunities for students to engage in hands-on, independent STEM exploration.

Headquartered in Massachusetts, MathWorks is the developer of MATLAB and Simulink—widely used software tools that enable engineers and scientists to accelerate innovation across industries from aerospace to biotech. Their work helps power breakthroughs in research, design, and education.

MathWorks’ commitment to making education accessible and inspiring is reflected in their prestigious MathWorks Awardat the State Fair—recognizing excellence in student research. Their partnership reflects a shared belief in the transformative power of learning and the potential of young minds to drive meaningful change. We’re proud to stand alongside MathWorks in building a future shaped by curiosity, creativity, and innovation.

We’re proud to thank Alnylam Pharmaceuticals for championing the next generation of bioscience innovators through their sponsorship of the Bioscience Excellence Award at this year’s State Fair.

Alnylam is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering transformational medicines through RNA interference (RNAi)—a groundbreaking approach that targets the underlying causes of disease by silencing specific genes. Just as they are redefining what’s possible in medicine, Alnylam is also helping to expand what’s possible for students.

With their support, we were able to recognize and celebrate outstanding student research that reflects curiosity, creativity, and real-world scientific impact. We’re grateful for their commitment to advancing independent STEM exploration and uplifting young scientists across Massachusetts.

Our sincere thanks go to Hologic for their steadfast support of MSEF’s Getting Science Fair Ready programming. A global leader in early detection and innovation in women’s health, Hologic is dedicated to improving lives through science.



Their commitment to expanding access to STEM education for underserved students helps ensure that all young people—regardless of background—have the opportunity to explore science, build confidence, and realize their full potential. Just as Hologic raises the standard of care for women worldwide, they are also raising the bar for equity in STEM education across Massachusetts.

We’re also incredibly grateful to Eversource Energy Foundation for their continued support of MSEF and their commitment to building a more sustainable and equitable future.



This year, Eversource continued to sponsor the Sustainability Award at the State Fair, recognizing student projects that address pressing environmental challenges with creativity and scientific insight. They also showed up with nearly 20 dedicated volunteers—both STEM and non-STEM professionals—whose enthusiasm and support helped make the fair a success. We’re proud to partner with a company that invests in meaningful, community-driven change.

A big thank you to the National Grid Foundation for their longstanding partnership and commitment to advancing education and opportunity across our communities. This year, their generous support allowed MSEF to deepen our investment in educators—offering improved resources, training, and guidance to help teachers confidently lead their students through the science fair journey.

National Grid Foundation’s mission to promote self-sufficiency and positive change shines through in everything they do. By supporting programs that strengthen STEM learning and community wellbeing, they’re helping to create a more equitable and empowered future—one classroom at a time. We’re proud to work alongside a foundation that believes in the power of education to transform lives.

As we close out the 2024–25 fair season, we’re taking time to reflect, evaluate, and refine. Our team is currently reviewing program feedback and outcomes from across the state, and we look forward to sharing a full Impact Report later this summer. In the mean time here is a peek at some of the comments we have had the joy of reading!

Thank you for being part of such a positive and impactful community. We always love hearing from you—don’t hesitate to reach out. Until next time, stay curious!

Sarah Thomas

Development Manager

sthomas@scifair.com

Why was the obtuse angle sweating so much at the pool?

Because it was over 90 degrees!

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Advancing science and engineering literacy since 1949, the Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair (MSEF) was founded by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, MIT professors, and a group of pioneering K-12 science educators. 

MSEF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. EIN (04-2707499)