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Plano ISD Students Win Top Honors At State Science Competition

Students excelled at the Texas Junior Academy of Science competition, winning two grand prizes and several awards
plano-isd-2024-grand-prize-winners
Photo: Plano ISD

Plano Independent School District students made an impressive showing at the 2024 Texas Junior Academy of Science (TJAS) competition, held Oct.10-11, 2024 in College Station, Texas. Out of 53 Plano ISD students selected to showcase their scientific research, several earned top awards, including both grand prizes in the Physical Science & Engineering and Natural Sciences divisions.

Securing seven out of ten first-place category awards, Plano ISD students advanced to the final round. Ultimately, the district took home both grand prizes, winning the top spot in both the physical science and engineering, and natural sciences divisions. 

Ryan Xu, an 11th grader at Plano West Senior High, took home the first grand prize in physical science and engineering with his project, “GIVS: A Novel, Generative Artificial Intelligence Vision System for the Visually Impaired.” In the natural sciences category, Siri Peddinti, a 12th grader at Plano East Senior High, won the top award for her research on using deep learning to detect major depressive disorder (MDD) and track treatment progress through vocal and sentiment analysis.

Plano ISD students also captured second and third grand prizes in these divisions, further emphasizing the district’s strong academic and scientific preparation.

As first-place winners, these students are now invited to attend the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) Conference in February 2025. Held alongside the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, the conference offers students the chance to present their research to a national audience and engage with leading scientists.

Check out the complete list of results by clicking here.

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