Brookings School District had a fantastic showing at the 2025 Eastern South Dakota Science and Engineering Fair (ESDSEF) held at South Dakota State University on Tuesday, March 25th. Eleven talented students—eight from Mickelson Middle School (MMS) and three from Brookings High School (BHS)—competed alongside more than 300 students from Eastern South Dakota and Northwest Iowa.
Among the standout achievements, Brookings is proud to have two students, Kerrick Zhang and Anika Hooda, advancing to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio, from May 11-16. Additionally, Sanhita Tummala earned the Grand Prize Award in the Junior Division for her project focused on addressing Vitamin A deficiency in rural areas.
Brookings students received numerous prestigious awards across various scientific disciplines.
Senior Division Awards
Navneeth Rao: Biodegradable Packaging Films from Orange Peel Fiber
-Office of Naval Research (Senior Division) Honorable Mention
-Ricoh Sustainable Development Award Honorable Mentions
-SDSU Army ROTC Award
-South Dakota Innovation Partners 3rd Places
-Chemistry/Bio-Chemistry Category Award
Kerrick Zhang: Molecular Modeling In Design Of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
-Honorable Mentions - Office of Naval Research (Senior Division) Award
-SDSU Army ROTC Award
-SDSU Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics Scholarship Award
-Yale Science and Engineering Award
-1st Places - Chemistry/Bio-Chemistry Category Award- Sr. Division
-Senior Grand Prize- ISEF Finalist
Anika Hooda: Dye-ing to Discover: Investigating the Production of β-carotene in the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa as Natural Pigments
-American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science SD Chapter
-SDSU Army ROTC Honorable Mention
-SDSU College of Education and Human Sciences 2nd Place
-1st Places - Food Science Category Award- Sr. Division
-Senior Grand Prize-ISEF Finalist
Junior Division
Ryker Ver Helst: Do Dogs And Cats Have Dirtier Mouths Than Humans?
-SDSU Animal Science Jr Division Award
-South Dakota Academy of Science Award
-South Dakota Veterinary Medical Alliance Award
-Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Award
-1st Place - Animal Science Category Award- Jr. Division
-Jr Grand Prize - 3rd Award
Sulmy Aguilera Vallecillo: Stress Vs. Dancing
-SDSU School of Performing Arts Award
-South Dakota Academy of Science
Iyie Nyawanda: Fungal Fighters in the Great Mold Race, Who Will Win?
-SDSU Medical Lab Science Club Award Honorable Mention
-South Dakota Academy of Science
3rd Place - Food Science Category Award- Jr. Division
Virinchi Janaswamy: Biodegradable Pumpkin Vine-Based Packaging Films
-Office of Naval Research (Junior Division) Honorable Mention
-Ricoh Sustainable Development Award Honorable Mention
-South Dakota Academy of Science Honorable Mentions
-South Dakota Innovation Partners Award
-Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge 2nd Places
-Food Science Category Award- Jr. Division
Sanhita Tummala: A Novel Self-Sustainable Kit to Combat Rural Vitamin A Deficiency During Pregnancy and Early Childhood
-Lemelson Early Inventor Prize Runner Up
-Ryon Gross Memorial Award Honorable Mention
-SDSU College of Education and Human Sciences Award
-Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Award
-1st Place - Food Science Category Award- Jr. Division
- Jr Grand Prize -1st Award- Food Science Category
Adrian Butzin: How Clean Are Different Sources of Water?
-Honorable Mentions
-SDSU Medical Lab Science Club Award
- South Dakota Academy of Science Honorable Mention
-Microbiology/Cellular & Molecular Biology Category Award- Jr. Division
Layne Buterbaugh and Malcolm McCormick: Hovertrax 2.0
-ESDSEF Participation Award
Brookings School District is incredibly proud of all the students who participated, showcased their talents, and earned recognition for their hard work. Their success highlights the district’s commitment to fostering curiosity and excellence in STEM fields.
We look forward to cheering on Kerrick Zhang and Anika Hooda as they represent Brookings on the international stage at ISEF in Columbus this May!