Horace Greeley HS Student Wins Big At International Science Fair

CHAPPAQUA, NY —A Horace Greeley High School student is manning the front lines of protecting elephants from poachers, even though she lives right here in the Hudson Valley.

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world’s largest global high school competition, was held in Atlanta from May 8-13. The competition featured 1,750 young scientists representing 49 states and 63 countries, regions and territories across the world. In total, awards valued at nearly $8 million were awarded to the finalists, who were evaluated based on their projects’ creativity, innovation and level of scientific inquiry.

17-year-old Anika Puri from Horace Greeley High School won a First-Place $5,000 award in the Earth and Environmental Sciences category, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Her research was titled, "A Novel Real-time Wildlife Poacher Detection Solution Leveraging Machine Learning Driven Spatio-temporal Analysis of Nighttime UAV Thermal Infrared Videos." More information on Puri's project can be found here.

Puri also received the Peggy Scripps $10,000 Award for Science Communication, given to the finalist who was best able to communicate their project to the lay public, explaining both the science and its potential impact on society, for her low-cost machine learning software that can analyze night-time infrared videos taken by a drone flown over the African wilderness to spot elephant poachers in real time. In tests, her $300 system worked with 91% accuracy, a four-fold improvement over current systems, without needing high-resolution thermal cameras that can cost as much as $10,000.

“Congratulations to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2022 winners,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of Society for Science and Publisher of Science News. “Every single Regeneron ISEF finalist has shown true dedication, passion, and grit. Their commitment to their research, and perseverance throughout the continued challenges of COVID-19 are an inspiration to us all. We are eager to watch the impact they are sure to make in their communities and chosen fields.”

SEE ALSO:

• Horace Greeley HS Student Named Regeneron Scholar for 2022
• 21 Horace Greeley Students Win 26 Awards At This Year's WESEF
• Game, Set, Match: Horace Greeley Varsity Tennis Make Finals And Excel
• Life-Changing Accident Led Teen To Create Business And Charity
• Horace Greeley Junior Wins 2022 YoungArts Award In Dance
• Horace Greeley HS Among Top Schools: U.S. News 2021 Rankings

Founded on the belief that advances in science are key to solving global challenges, Regeneron ISEF says that it supports and invests in the next generation of leading STEM thinkers who are generating ideas and acting as catalysts for the change needed to improve the well-being of all people and the planet.

“These exceptionally talented Regeneron ISEF finalists are some of the brightest minds from around the world and our greatest hope for addressing global challenges in the future,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. “Science is critical to the survival of our society, and these finalists have limitless potential to make a positive impact on the world. I congratulate them for their hard work and am eager to see what they achieve in their scientific journeys.”

For the first time in three years, ISEF finalists competed in person. More than half of the finalists gathered in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center, while the remaining finalists participated virtually.

About the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of Society for Science for over 70 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school. Through a global network of local, regional and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately U.S. $8 million in awards and scholarships. Learn more at their website.