April 16, 2021
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – High school students Alice Guo and Alexandria Harper will represent West Virginia during the 2021 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in a virtual setting May 16-21. Both competed in the state Science and Engineering Fair and were successful in earning a spot at the international level.
Guo, a junior at Morgantown High School in Morgantown, West Virginia, was awarded top honors for her project titled, “Automated Recognition of Autism Based on Visual Analysis with Artificial Intelligence Techniques.” Guo also represented the West Virginia Science and Engineering Fair at ISEF 2019.
Harper, a freshman at Riverside High School in Belle, West Virginia, was awarded top honors for her project titled, “Chasing Fireflies: Creating a Firefly Sanctuary to Increase the Firefly Population.” This will be her first appearance at ISEF.
Each year, more than 1,800 ninth through twelfth graders from around the world earn the right to compete at Regeneron ISEF by winning a top prize at a Society-affiliated local, regional, state or national science fair. Finalists will have their science projects judged May 16-21, 2021, when they will compete for nearly $5 million in awards, prizes and scholarships.
“Our West Virginia students are an important piece of the puzzle when we talk about building the next generation of scientific innovators for our state,” State Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch said. “We are grateful to those who continue to inspire, celebrate and elevate young scientific superstars like Alice and Alexandria. These young ladies are a product of the tremendous science education we offer within West Virginia, and we are extremely proud of their accomplishments.”
To learn more about the 2021 Regeneron ISEF, visit https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/regeneron-isef-2021/.
For questions about the West Virginia Science and Engineering Fair, visit https://wvde.us/wvsef/.
For media inquiries, contact Christy Day at West Virginia Department of Education Office of Communications at 304-558-2699 or Christy.Day@k12.wv.us.