Marquette Student Earns 2nd-Place Award at International Science Fair

In May, rising Marquette High senior Ayush Vasireddy presented his research at the 76th annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona. Vasireddy earned a spot in the fair by being selected as one of two winners at the Academy of Science-St. Louis Honors Division Science Fair in February.

Vasireddy's research project - "A Cost-Effective Hierarchical Bimodal Nanoporous Gold Sensor for the Electrochemical Detection of Bisphenol F" - earned one of four second-place awards in the Chemistry division, placing him among only six projects that earned first- or second-place awards at the ISEF and among the top 2 percent of Chemistry projects from around the world. Vasireddy also received three Special Awards: the Arizona State University ISEF Scholarship, International Precious Metals Institute Award and the YM American Academy Award.

Here are some of Vasireddy's thoughts about his experiences at the ISEF:

What was your experience like at the ISEF?

"Participating in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. ISEF is the world's largest international pre-college science competition, bringing together nearly 1,800 finalists from more than 60 countries. Just earning a spot was an incredible honor in itself. Presenting my research to panels of expert judges from academia and industry was both challenging and deeply rewarding. I had to communicate complex electrochemical concepts clearly and confidently, and the ability to communicate my findings to judges with decades of experience in chemistry and materials science pushed my thinking in ways I hadn't anticipated. Walking through the exhibition hall and seeing the caliber of research from students around the world was humbling and inspiring at the same time. More importantly, ISEF was an amazing opportunity to meet new people, learn about their research and see how various people from all across the world approach similar research questions with different approaches. This really helped me create an interdisciplinary scientific environment because I was able to bounce off ideas with fellow peers interested in the same fields me. ISEF really helped me meet a ton of new people and make a lot of connections."

How did it feel for your work to earn multiple awards on an international stage?

"It was very surreal. Honestly, for me, just being there at ISEF felt like an achievement in itself before any awards were announced. Regeneron ISEF brings together finalists from across 22 categories, selected from 365 affiliated fairs across the world, so the room is already the result of an extraordinary global filtering process. Millions of students compete worldwide. Placing second in the Chemistry Grand Award means finishing second among chemistry finalists from around the world, evaluated by panels of credentialed scientists and researchers. That alone was beyond anything I'd imagined when I first started this project. Specifically, I placed among the top 2 percent of chemistry projects globally and placed second out of 95 participants in the Chemistry category.

"Special Award Organizations at ISEF each establish their own independent judging panels that evaluate projects across all fields and disciplines, meaning their judges scan all finalists - not just one category - to choose who to recognize. Earning three of those - from Arizona State University, the International Precious Metals Institute and the YM American Academy - meant that experts from three completely different professional communities each looked at the full field and singled out my work.

"More than anything, though, it was the feeling that months and years of work had become something real and tangible: a project that could stand on an international stage and hold its own."

What was your favorite or most impactful part of your experience?

"The most impactful part of my experience was the conversations I had with other student researchers and judges. It was very exciting to be in a room where everyone, regardless of country or background, was united by a passion for discovery. One special judge in particular spent nearly 20 minutes diving deep into my methodology and future directions, and that conversation sparked ideas I'm still thinking about. It reinforced to me that science is fundamentally collaborative. My favorite memory, though, was simply standing in front of my poster as an official ISEF finalist, knowing how far the project had come from a simple research question to an international stage."

What interests you about your area of research?

"Bisphenol F (BPF) is one of those 'hidden' environmental contaminants. It's increasingly used as a replacement for the better-known Bisphenol A (BPA) in consumer products, but it poses comparable hormonal and environmental risks while remaining largely unregulated and understudied. What drew me in was the gap between how serious the problem is and how inaccessible current detection methods are. Existing lab techniques like GC-MS and HPLC cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and require extensive sample preparation, tools that are completely out of reach for onsite or field use. I wanted to ask, 'What if we could detect BPF accurately, affordably and in real time?' My study was the first to fabricate and drop-cast hierarchical bimodal nanoporous gold (hb-NPG), a novel type of gold, deposited onto a screen-printed carbon electrode to dramatically improve sensitivity, bringing the cost of detection to less than $50. The idea that chemistry and materials science can close a regulatory gap and protect public health, that's what excites me most. 

"More importantly, I am extremely interested in the role we can play for prevention, as BPF causes many diseases, often leading to an increased risk of cancer and posing a plethora of other human health risks. With BPF exceeding 66.5 percent of human urine samples, it becomes increasingly necessary to discover novel detection techniques to prevent BPF from entering the human body."

How do you hope to use your experience at ISEF moving forward into senior year and beyond?

"Going into senior year, I plan to continue refining and improving the sensor. Particularly, I hope to test hierarchical bimodal nanoporous gold's ability to test real-world water samples and expand to detect other endocrine-disrupting compounds beyond BPF. Developing a tool designed to detect harmful environmental contaminants in communities that can't afford expensive lab infrastructure made the connection between science and patient health feel very personal. Long-term, I want to pursue medicine, where I can bring that same drive for accessible, impactful solutions directly to patients. ISEF showed me that meaningful work doesn't have to wait, and that's a mindset I'll carry into medical school and beyond."

What have been some of your favorite classes or teachers at school?

"Without question, my favorite class has been Dr. Cathy Farrar's Authentic Science Research (ASR) class at Marquette, and I cannot overstate how transformative it has been. Dr. Farrar doesn't just teach science, but she teaches you how to think like a scientist. She walked us through the entire research process from the ground up: how to start with a broad area of genuine curiosity in a topic, dive into the published literature, identify a real gap in what's known and what's not, form a focused research question, design methods, collect and analyze data and then communicate findings through a formal report, presentation and scientific poster. ASR's lessons are exactly what I used to build this project from scratch, and without Dr. Farrar's guidance and mentorship, I genuinely would not have had the foundation to compete at ISEF. I'm so grateful she pushed me to pursue this, and I would strongly encourage any student who has the opportunity to enroll in an ASR course, especially one taught by someone as dedicated as Dr. Farrar." 

Are you involved in any clubs/extracurriculars at Marquette?

"I'm president of both Marquette's Science Bowl team and Red Cross Club. With Science Bowl, I captained the team last year to a fourth-place Missouri state finish and have mentored more than 30 underclassmen. Through the Red Cross, I lead more than 45 members in organizing blood drives and CPR/first-aid events, and I also coordinate with 37 Red Cross chapters across Missouri as part of a statewide club coordinator leadership role.

"I am also Marquette Speech and Debate's president, where I actively built resources for more than 11 event formats, helping to host the Marquette Invitational Tournament with more than 470 competitors and qualified to the National Speech and Debate Association tournament. I also received the Academic All-American award, which places me within the top 2 percent of debaters globally."