By Caleb Youngblood, Public Relations Coordinator
March 27, 2025
Three students from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) earned top honors at the Region V Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF), held at Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering on February 25, 2025. Joe Yang, Jonathan Stancill, and Harrison Shao each won first place in their respective categories and brought home multiple awards. Meanwhile, Jasmaan Banipal also earned first place in his category at the Region VII Science and Engineering Fair, hosted by the Office of Pre-College Programs at the University of Mississippi on March 19, 2025.
The Region V MSEF is one of seven regional science fairs across Mississippi and serves as a key event for high school students to showcase their innovative research in various scientific fields. Hosted by Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering, Region V covers 15 counties, including Attala, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Lowndes, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Scott, Webster, and Winston. Students from K-12, including home-schoolers, competed to represent their schools and communities at this prestigious event.
Harrison Shao from Columbus, MS, earned first place in the Behavior and Social Sciences category for his project, “Multi-Dimensional County-Level Risk Factors Associated with Lung Cancer Incidence in the United States: Generalized Linear Models and Machine Learning.” This year marked a significant milestone for Harrison, as it was the first time he competed in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category after four years of science fair participation. Harrison’s work was not only recognized with a first-place finish, but he also placed third in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Award, which honors high school students making significant contributions in the field.
“I was honored to take first place in my category,” Harrison shared. “This is my first year in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category, and it’s been a huge honor for me. Science research has always been a passion of mine, and I learn so much from other competitors in these competitions. As a senior, this will be my last science fair experience, so I will enjoy every moment to the fullest.”
Harrison will compete in the Mississippi State Science Fair in Jackson on March 27 and will travel to Virginia in April for the 63rd National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
Joe Yang from Starkville, MS, was named a Best of Fair Finalist, a recognition given to the top students across all categories and was invited to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Joe’s research titled, “Oxidative Stress-Induced Protein Aggregation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Potential Model for Early Alzheimer’s Disease,” earned him the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award, which includes a $375 prize and a certificate for demonstrating exceptional command of biomedical science and research.
“I’m really grateful to have received those awards,” Joe shared. “My project took a lot of time and effort from start to finish. I spent countless hours reading and learning the technical side of neuroscience completely on my own. I faced many setbacks along the way, like struggling to understand complex cellular and molecular concepts in neuroscience and molecular biology, but this experience motivates me to keep exploring and contributing to science, especially in areas tied to medicine and health.”
Joe’s recognition as a Best of Fair Finalist qualified him to represent MSMS and Mississippi at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio, from May 10-16. In addition, he will be competing at the Mississippi State Science Fair in Jackson on March 27.
“I think science fairs are one of the best ways for students to get a real feel for independent research. It’s about discovering something that excites you and realizing that even as a high school student, you can make meaningful contributions to science,” Joe continued. “MSMS is a great place to setup students to take on these opportunities and really allow students to find their passion.”
Jonathan Stancill, also from Starkville, won first place in the Engineering Mechanics category and was named the Region V Best of Fair 1st Alternate for High School. His project, “The MCAW: a Magnetically Compounding Accelerator for Watercraft,” impressed the judges for its innovative approach. Jonathan’s efforts were further recognized with the Office of Naval Research Award, a prestigious honor that encourages students to pursue STEM fields, the Yale Science and Engineering Association, Inc. Award, which recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in scientific research with a focus on engineering and technology, and the STEM Achievement Award, which acknowledges projects that combine STEM knowledge with engineering technology in practical applications.
“I was really proud to receive the awards I had hoped for, especially the Naval Research Award and the STEM Achievement Award, because I had somewhat geared my project towards those,” Jonathan shared. “I am also proud of the group as a whole because all three of us placed well both in our categories and also in the other available awards.”
Jonathan is currently focused on competing in the Mississippi State Science Fair and hopes to qualify for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the future.
“I am excited to go and hopeful that MSMS students continue to excel.”
The Region VII MSEF is another of the seven regional science fairs across Mississippi, offering high school students a platform to showcase their innovative research across various scientific disciplines. Hosted by the Office of Pre-College Programs at the University of Mississippi, the Region VII fair serves counties including Calhoun, Carroll, DeSoto, Grenada, Lafayette, Marshall, Montgomery, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, and Yalobusha.
Jasmaan Banipal from Madison, MS, earned first place in the Microbiology category at the Region VII Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF) for his project, “Synergistic Disruption of Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilms: D-Amino Acids as Adjuvants to Enhance Ciprofloxacin Efficacy.” His research also earned him the prestigious Region VII Best of Fair recognition for high school students.
“The fair was a great experience, especially when I won first place,” Jasmaan shared.
Jasmaan will also compete at the Mississippi State Science Fair in Jackson on March 27.
The success of these students speaks volumes about the rigorous academic environment at MSMS, where students are encouraged to pursue their scientific passions and explore new frontiers of knowledge. Faculty members have expressed immense pride in their accomplishments.
“It’s a proud moment that our students are being recognized for their hard work and dedication,” said Dr. Lisa Smith, Chemistry faculty at MSMS. “Whether they win or lose, what matters the most is that they can look back on this time and reflect on just how much they have grown during their projects. How much more interested they may be in the area that they conducted their project in or maybe in new ideas that they are developing for next year.”
For more information about the Region V/VII Science Fairs and some of the awards, please visit the following links:
Yale Science and Engineering Association, Inc. Award
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium