The Martin County School District proudly recognized an outstanding group of young scientists during the Jan. 26, 2026, School Board meeting, honoring middle and high school students who will represent the District at the 2026 Florida State Science & Engineering Fair in late March, early April.
The students earned the distinction after presenting their innovative research at the Martin County Regional Science & Engineering Fair on Jan. 10, 2026. These young researchers explored topics ranging from environmental engineering and biotechnology to wearable technology and microbiology, showcasing the strength and spirit of STEM education across the District.
Congratulations to the following students:
Senior Division State Qualifiers
1st Place: Varun Singh, South Fork High School
Quadraplexing Experimentation in Microplate Assays to Support High-Throughput Screening: Delivering Breakthroughs Faster in Drug Discovery
2nd Place: Madeline Tuma, Martin County High School
Are Green Roofs Greener?
3rd Place: Nina Goyal, Martin County High School
Using Bioenhancers and RNA Interference for Test Management
4th Place: Aahan Asthana, South Fork High School
Native Plant Competition Suppresses Chlorella vulgaris Growth
5th Place: Madeline (Maddie) Parr, Jensen Beach High School
Characterizing Differential Binding of Transcriptional Machinery Across β‑Globin Locus Control Region Variants
6th Place: Rohan Kaul, South Fork High School
Wearable Air Index Recorder (WAIR)
7th Place: Julian Cebollero, South Fork High School
Transgenerational Transmission of Radiation Tolerance in Tardigrades
Junior Division State Qualifiers
1st Place: Stella Dzikowski, Hidden Oaks Middle School
From Sheen to Clean: Using Natural Materials to Extract Oil from Water
2nd Place: Evelyn Gettings, Hidden Oaks Middle School
Hydration Beyond the Recipe: Humidity’s Impact on Sourdough
3rd Place: Sigurd “Sig” Sanchez, Hidden Oaks Middle School
Sound and the Aquatic Landscape
4th Place: Zoey Kappler, Hidden Oaks Middle School
Ferro Sweep
5th Place: Liliana Reppeto, Hidden Oaks Middle School
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy: Citrus “Volcanoes”
We congratulate and are proud of all our students who participated in this year’s Regional Science & Engineering Fair. Their effort and commitment were evident in every project. We also extend a special congratulations to our state qualifiers and look forward to cheering them on as they represent Martin County in the spring.