The Texas Science and Engineering Fair (TXSEF) is an annual state science competition for students in grades 6-12. To advance to the TXSEF competition, students must have placed at their district and regional fairs. This year’s competition was held in College Station, TX, on March 27–28, 2026. Students were judged on their document submissions (a 2 minute overview video, digital board and presentation of physical boards) as well as their in-person interviews.
With more than 20,000 students in Texas starting the science fair process on their campuses, approximately 1,300 participated in this year’s event, competing in 22 categories in the life and physical sciences across Junior and Senior divisions. 18 Plano ISD students earned 22 awards and distinctions at the competition, including the Best in the State of Texas award in Physical Science – Senior Division. Seven Plano ISD Senior Division students placed first, second or third in their category and have earned the opportunity to attend the Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy.
Top Senior Division projects advance to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Two Plano ISD students qualified to advance to ISEF. They will join the four Plano ISD ISEF qualifiers from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair to compete at ISEF in Phoenix, AZ, from May 11-16, 2026.
Senior Division, Physical Science
Ana Spiride, Plano East Senior High School, Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, HandTalk: A Translation System for American Sign Language
Junior Division
James Roe, Otto Middle School, Environmental Engineering, A Breath of Fresh Air: Do houseplants reduce carbon dioxide in homes? — Science Toy Magic
Senior Division
Ananya Nagendra, Plano East Senior High School, Animal Sciences, ANTatomy: Utilizing Ants to Mitigate MSW Landfill-Generated Methane Production through Novel Aerobic Digester System for Anthropogenic Food Waste Decomposition
ExxonMobil Award | $500
Science Toy Magic
Ana Spiride, Plano East Senior High School, Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, HandTalk: A Translation System for American Sign Language
Jessica Zhang, Plano West Senior High School, Environmental Engineering, A Physical Approach to a Chemistry Problem: A Novel Mechanochemistry Treatment for Plastic Degradation and Upcycling (Year II) — Science Toy Magic
Junior Division
Plano ISD Junior Division made up approximately 2.9% of the competition and took 13.6% of the category awards
First Place
Ishaan Kothari, Rice Middle School, Robotics and Intelligent Machines, PillDetect: A Convolutional Neural Network to Accurately Predict and Classify Pills
Second Place
Madhav Anand, Schimelpfenig Middle School, Physics and Astronomy, Unraveling the Science of Spin – A Detailed Exploration on the Magnus Effect
Rachael Du and Ira Sen, Rice Middle School, Animal Sciences, Planarian Regeneration and Cannibalism: A novel study on the cannibalistic tendencies of terrestrial planarians and how it affects the organism in terms of growth and neurotoxins
Mia Gao and Lillian Ye, Rice Middle School, Software Design, Exercise Vision: Real-Time Computer-Vision Coaching for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Anjali Ipe, Rice Middle School, Mathematics, Game Theory of Most Successful Payoff Matrices to the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Jane Pan, Rice Middle School, Chemistry, The Effects of Viscosity-Influencing Agents on the Emulsion in Sunscreen
Third Place
Terri Lv, Rice Middle School, Biomedical Engineering, Visualizing Neuron Network in Mice Intestine with Optical Clearing
Margaret Noll and Catherine Trimmell, Otto Middle School, Chemistry, Baked to Perfection: Making Everyday Bread Healthier, More Natural, and More Delicious
Kurumi Shinagawa, Rice Middle School, Animal Sciences, Light Response of Tardigrades
Senior Division
Plano ISD Senior Division made up approximately 3.1% of the competition and took 10.6% of the category awards
First Place*
Aarav Bansal and Neel Tipnis, Plano West Senior High School, Robotics and Intelligent Machines, SmartCane
*Ananya Nagendra, Plano East Senior High School, ANTatomy: Utilizing Ants to Mitigate MSW Landfill-Generated Methane Production through Novel Aerobic Digester System for Anthropogenic Food Waste Decomposition
*Ana Spiride, Plano East Senior High School, HandTalk: A Translation System for American Sign Language
*ISEF 2026 qualifiers
Second Place*
Vijay Shivnani, Plano West Senior High School, Microbiology, Characterizing Chlamydial Cytotoxins as Inflammatory Modulators: C. muridarum and C. trachomatis Putative Glycosyltransferase Activity and NF-kappa B Regulation
Third Place*
Neel Marripalapu and Akul Kolhatkar, Plano West Senior High School, Technology Enhances the Arts, Generative Topological Symphonies: AI-Composed Music Through Higher-Dimensional Geometry
Aarini Sen, Plano West Senior High School, Physics and Astronomy, OptiSkew: A Biophysical Approach for Self-Assessment of Eye Refractive Disorders (Year 2)
Abhiram Jetty, Plano East Senior High School, Microbiology, Quorum Interdiction: a novel approach to prevent Antimicrobial resistance in the Staphylococcus Aureus and Candida Albicans complex, using secondary plant compounds as Quorum-Sensing Inhibitors
*All first through third place senior division winners qualify for the Texas Governor’s Science and Technology Academy
ISEF Qualifiers
Penna Pardhiva, Plano East Senior High School, Synthesis and Chemical Stability of L-Citrulline Ethyl Ester across Alkaline Conditions, qualified from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Arya Gurumukhi, Plano East Senior High School, The Bionic Leaf: Developing a Novel Self-Healing, Bi-Functional Manganese Oxide Catalyst to Use with the Bacterium Ralstonia eutropha for Sustainable Ethanol Production, qualified from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Aarini Sen, Plano West Senior High School, OptiSkew: A Biophysical Approach for Self-Assessment of Eye Refractive Disorders (Year 2), qualified from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Vijay Shivnani, Plano West Senior High School, Characterizing Chlamydial Cytotoxins as Inflammatory Modulators: C. muridarum and C. trachomatis Putative Glycosyltransferase Activity and NF-kappa B Regulation, qualified from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Ananya Nagendra, Plano East Senior High School, Utilizing Ants to Mitigate MSW Landfill-Derived Methane Production through Novel Aerobic Digester System for Anthropogenic Food Waste Decomposition, qualified from the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Ana Spiride, Plano East Senior High School, HandTalk: A Two-Way Translation System for American Sign Language, qualified from the Texas Science and Engineering Fair