Minnesota’s Distinguished High School Students Honored for Exemplary Levels of Performance
Fifty-Three Minnesota Students Were Honored at the Scholars of Distinction Ceremony at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley
ROSEVILLE, MN – Fifty-three distinguished Minnesota high
school students were honored at the Scholars of Distinction award program in
the areas of Science, STEM, Mathematics, Social Studies, Leadership and Theater
Arts.
The Scholars of Distinction selection process is overseen by
the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). To earn recognition, a student
must complete required work in Minnesota’s academic standards, demonstrate
mastery of complex subject matter, and apply their knowledge and skills on a challenging project. Experts in each category read and score the applications,
and students are awarded a medal and certificate. MDE Deputy Commissioner Charlene
Briner was at the ceremony at the Perpich Center for Arts Education to
congratulate the scholars.
The students
honored were:
STEM Scholars of Distinction
Piljoo (Matthew)
Jeon, Wayzata High School
Project: Silk-based Biocompatible Nano-sensor Platform
Haley C. Jostes,
Stillwater Area High School
Project: Using Ceratophyllum Demersum as a Water Filter
and Fertilizer in an Organic Farming Cycle
Devika Narayan*,
Wayzata High School
Project: Understanding the Effects of Insulin on
Amyloid-Beta Fibril Formation in Alzheimer’s Patients
Pranav Rupireddy*,
Parnassus Preparatory School
Project: Untangling Parkinsonian Dynamics: Analyzing
Spatio-Temporal Neural Spiking Patterns under Second-Order Network Structures
in Parkinsonian-like Networks
Nandan Nayak,
Wayzata High School
Project: Validating Material Properties of Devices Used to
Treat Early Onset Scoliosis WithFinite Element Analysis
STEM Meritorious Performance
Aditya Bhati,
Wayzata High School
Project: Optimization of Laser Nanowarming in Phantom Droplets
Alex Anderson+, Breck
School
Project: Holding Your Heart in
Your Hand: 3D-Printing a Mechanically Accurate Aortic Valve Model
Anika Ahluwalia,
Wayzata High School
Project: Effects of Configurational Entropy on Population
Free Energies for Growing Poly-mer Chains
Namrata Padmanabhan, Wayzata High School
Project: Assistive Artificial Intelligence for Coping with Memory Loss
Mathematics Scholars of Distinction
Frank Yu+, Wayzata High School
Project: Design
and Prototype of Helical Miura Origami
Mathematics Meritorious Performance
Louise Kim+,
Breck School
Project: Unplugged: Sleep, Mood, and Electronics
Dylan Vincent+,
Breck School
Project: Low-cost Oil Spill Detection
Spencer Yueh+,
Breck School
Project: Unplugged: Sleep, Mood, and Electronics
Social Studies Scholars of
Distinction
Neha Gunapati*, Wayzata High School
Applied Geography Project: Impacts of Climate Change on
the Flow of the Brahmaputra River from 1986-2017
Yonit Krebs, St. Louis Park High
Applied History Project: Trills of Change: Music and
Mizrakhim from the Margins to the Center of Israel
Michael Pak, Mounds View High School
Economics Project: Child Care: Problems and Solutions
Social Studies Meritorious
Performance
Rhea Alley, Wayzata High School
Economics
Project: Racial Profiling and Airport Security
Esperanza
Lee, Woodbury High school
Applied History
Project: China to Minnesota and Back: China Inland Mission’s Legacy
Amogh
Kulkarni, Wayzata High
School
Applied History
Project: The Growth of Paris, 250 BC through Today: Social, Economic, and
Political Factors
Anish
Kulkarni, Wayzata High
School
Applied History
Project: Executive Traditions of Peace-Making: The 1987 US-Soviet Intermediate
Nuclear Forces Treaty, Its Forerunners, and Its Aftermath
Science Scholars of Distinction
Eesha Bharti,
East Ridge High School
Project: Causes
of Alzheimer’s Disease: Genetic Differences between Early- and Late-Onset
Alzheimer’s Disease
Neha
Gunapati*, Wayzata High School
Project: Impacts
of Climate Change on the Flow of the Brahmaputra River from 1986-2017
Neha Jain, Woodbury High School
Project:
Non-narcotic Emergency Management of Renal Colic Improves Length of Emergency
Department (ED) Stay and Discharge Rate
Akash
Nagapurkar, Wayzata High
School
Project:
Evaluation of Critical Polymer Concentration in the Presence of Drug as a
Solvent
Devika
Narayan*, Wayzata High
School
Project:
Understanding the Effects of Insulin on Amyloid-Beta Fibril Formation in
Alzheimer’s Patients
Manashree Padiyathm, Woodbury High School
Project: Pulp Fiction! Lead remediation with Biochar Made from the Apiaceae (Carrot) Plant Family
Catherine
Pirtle+, Breck School
Project:
Mesenchymal Missiles: Utilizing Stem Cells to Revolutionize Targeted Cancer
Treatment
Ananya Shah, Wayzata High School
Project:
Generation of GST-PELP1 Expression Constructs for Structural Studies
Lana
Trautman+, Breck School
Project:
Mesenchymal Missiles: Utilizing Stem Cells to Revolutionize Targeted Cancer
Treatment
Science Meritorious Performance
Jeffrey
Huang, St. Paul Academy
Project:
Investigating the Effects of the Light-Dark Cycle and Wavelength of Light on
the Bioluminescence of Pyrocystis Lunula
Erica Iliarski+,
Breck School
Project:
Terminating Tuberculosis: Creating a Bacterial Model to Determine the Genetic
Basis for Rifampicin Tolerance
Jaitri Joshi,
Wayzata High School
Project: The
Utility of Bortezomib in Children and Young Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic
Leukemia
Serena Laing,
Orono High School
Project:
Investigation of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Isotypes in Relation to Various
Clinical Factors
Neal
Mukherjee*, Wayzata High
School
Project: Effects
of CRABP-1 on the Metabolism of Mice Models
Karthik
Papisetty+, Orono High
School
Project:
Inhibiting Cancer Progression by Removing CSPG4: Bringing New Ideas to Life
Using CRISPR Technology
Matthew Qu, Wayzata High School
Project:
Characterization of the Extra-Cellular Matrix during iPSC Differentiation into
Cardiomyocytes
Cassie
Roland+, Breck School
Project:
Spilling the Beans: A Ground-breaking Approach to Mitigate Phosphorus Loss in
Urban Agriculture
Pranav
Rupireddy*, Parnassus
Preparatory School
Project:
Untangling Parkinsonian Dynamics: Analyzing Spatio-Temporal Neural Spiking
Patterns under Second-Order Network Structures in Parkinsonian-like Networks
Ruhi
Shirodkar, Wayzata High
School
Project: Overexpression
of MASH4 and MyoD for Increased Satellite Cell Number
Abhiraj
Singh, Wayzata High School
Project:
Identification of Novel Resistance Mechanisms to Pyrazinoic Acid in
Mycobacterium Smegmatis and other Insights into the Precise Mechanism of Pyrazinamide
Action
Sydney Stern,
Wayzata High School
Project:
Analysis of Changes in Heat Propagation due to Varying Specific Heat (cp) and
Thermal Conductivity (k)
Gautam Nathan
Tank+, Breck School
Project:
Low-cost Oil Spill Detection
Andrea
Torniainen, Wayzata High
School
Project:
Assessment of Side Population Contribution to Myofiber Types
Christiana
Wilke+, Breck School
Project:
Spilling the Beans: A Ground-breaking Approach to Mitigate Phosphorus Loss in
Urban Agriculture
Leadership Meritorious Performance
Neal
Mukherjee*, Wayzata High
School
Project: Effects
of Teaching & Evaluation Methods and Systems on Overall Personality
Development-A comparative study between high schools of Rural West Bengal,
India and suburban, USA
Theater Arts Scholars of Distinction
Jack Bechard,
Eagan High School
Acting/Musical
Theater Project: Beyond the Triple Threat: Building Authentic Characters and
Communities of Belonging
Arsema Belai,
East Ridge High School
Acting Project:
The Power of Theater to Create Ensemble and Expand the World
Rachael
Bernstein, Tartan High
School
Acting/Musical
Theater Project: Inspiring Community through Inclusion and Commitment
Alex Bretoi, East Ridge High School
Acting/Musical
Theater Project: Fully Engaged: Making Bold Physical, Vocal, and Emotional
Choices
Antonio De La
Vega, Minnetonka High
School
Acting/Musical
Theater Project: Forging New Pathways with Visionary Leadership
David Lee
Edgerton III, East Ridge
High School
Acting/Musical
Theater Project: The Voice of Social Justice on a National Stage
Sophia
Pfluger, East Ridge High
School
Technical
Theater/Scenic Design Project: All the World’s My Color Palette: Designing for
the Stage, Mentoring the Next Generation
Jocelyn
Reiter, Academy of Holy
Angels
Comprehensive:
Acting and Technical Theater/Scenic Design Project: Comprehensive
Comprehension: Bringing Worlds to Life through Research, Analysis, and Artistry
Theater Arts Meritorious Performance
Hunter
Keating, Academy of Holy
Angels
Acting Project:
Illuminating Challenging Characters with Sincerity, Honesty, and Authenticity
McCrossen
Schiller, East Ridge High
School
Directing
Project: Staging Strong Women: Empowering Female Characters and Actors
Anya Steffel,
East Ridge High School
Playwriting
Project: Creating Contemporary Characters to Reflect Society and Spark Empathy
+ Joint Project
* Dual Awardee
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