Student named one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators
Rishabh Krishnamurthy
Dorseyville Middle School eighth-grader Rishabh Krishnamurthy was recently named one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) for the second consecutive year. Thermo Fisher JIC is the nation’s premier science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition for middle school students. The Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the future.
The Top 300 Junior Innovators (including 15 from Pennsylvania) were selected from 1,862 entrants from 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands who applied to compete in the Thermo Fisher JIC. Students who are named in the top 10% of their local science fair are eligible to enter the contest. Rishabh was chosen based on his project “Can Crowdsourced Weather Monitoring Work,” for which he was awarded a first place in the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair in April 2024.
“The next generation of scientists and engineers emerging from middle schools today is remarkable,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science and executive publisher of Science News. “Their projects tackle real-world problems with creativity and rigor beyond their years. I congratulate each and every one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators and wish them the best of luck in their scientific and engineering careers.”
“The Top 300 projects are an extraordinary reflection of what matters most to these students and their dedication to improving lives through the use of STEM,” said Dr. Karen Nelson, chief scientific officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Congratulations to the entire class of 2024 Junior Innovators – your example strengthens our ambition to make STEM education equitable for all youth.”
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 will be announced September 18 and will compete for more than $50,000 in awards and prizes.