Student named among Top 300 in national science competition

Fox Chapel Area High School ninth-grader Rishabh Krishnamurthy has been named one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) for the third consecutive year.

Thermo Fisher JIC is the nation’s premier science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competition for middle school students and the Top 300 represent the best and brightest middle school STEM talent in the United States and its territories. The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, inspires young scientists, engineers, and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the future.

The Top 300 Junior Innovators (including six from Pennsylvania) were selected from nearly 2,000 entrants from 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico who applied to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC. Students who place in the top 10% of their local science fair are eligible to enter the contest. Rishabh was chosen based on his project “Robots: Filling the Human Void,” for which he was awarded a first place in the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair in April 2025 when he was an eighth-grader at Dorseyville Middle School.

“These young innovators embody the most promising science and engineering talent in the nation,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO, Society for Science and executive publisher, Science News. “They are taking on complex challenges and demonstrating a passion for STEM that can lead to impactful change. I am thrilled to celebrate their achievements.”

“We are inspired by the creativity and determination of the Top 300 Junior Innovators, whose projects reflect a true passion for solving real-world challenges,” said Dr. Karen Nelson, chief scientific officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Recognizing and supporting young scientific minds is essential to fostering the next generation of innovators who will shape a brighter, more collaborative future for us all.”

Each of the Top 300 Junior Innovators will receive a $125 award from Department of Defense (DoD) STEM, as well as a special prize package.

A total of 30 Thermo Fisher JIC finalists, selected from among the top 300 by a nationwide panel of scientists, engineers, and educators, will be announced September 17 and will compete for $65,000 in awards and prizes.