2026 Colorado Science & Engineering Fair
View the 2026 CSEF Projects Digitally!
April 9 – 11, 2026
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Junior Division
- Eleanor Smith (7th grade) & Rylee White (7th grade) – Brain Lateralization in Goats – Connect Charter School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Citadel Securities Innovation Prize
- Elena Amador (8th grade) – How Do Different Active Ingredients in Injected Pesticides Affect the Life Span of Superworms in Modeled Bark Beetle Galleries? – Challenge School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Eliza Byrne (7th grade) – A Scramble for Flavor – West Grand Middle School
- Hannah Deering (8th grade) – Year Two: The Effect of Leg Length on Canine Speed Across Multiple Breeds – Yuma Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 3rd Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge Nomination
- Dian Fossey Animal Sciences Award
- Jaycee Francis (7th grade) – Worm Wars – Sargent Middle School
- Skyler Kechter (8th grade) – Keeping it Clean: Effective Methods of Preventing Coccidiosis by Lifecycle Interruption – Liberty School
- Jack Fenwick Award for Agricultural Science
- Kennadee Kravig (6th grade) – How Cattle DNA Can Advance the Industry – Liberty School
- Kendyl Osborn (8th grade) – Bumble Bees Please – La Junta Jr/Sr High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Agricultural Biology Award
- Colorado Natural Plant Society Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Charli Poss (6th grade) – Burning Out: Sunlight’s Impact on Bull Sperm Motility – Genoa-Hugo School
- Jack Fenwick Award for Agricultural Science
- Khaleesi Reynolds (7th grade) – Can’t Resist This – Sargent Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Veterinary Science Award
- CBTA Best Biology Project Award
- Elodie Sondker-Lew (8th grade) – Clownfish Behavior – Summit Middle Charter School
- Makenzie Vaughn (8th grade), Naeve Henschel (8th grade) & Kortney Beeson (8th grade) – Barnyard Bacteria – Stratton Schools
Senior Division
- Jax Poss (9th grade) & Gabe Carr (9th grade) – Do Steers or Heifers Have Better Rate of Gain in Early Stages of Life? – Genoa-Hugo School
- Akshaj Adimulam (10th grade) – Quantifying the Percent of Prairie Dogs That Needed to be Vaccinated to Prevent Trophic Cascade and the Extinction of the Black Footed Ferret – Cherry Creek High School
- Maggie Anderson (12th grade) – Expected Progeny Difference: Analysis of Maternal Trait Accuracy and Associated Calf Growth – Yuma High School
- Jack Fenwick Award for Agricultural Science
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Arden Bagley-Hossain (9th grade) – Birds the Word – Compass Community Collaborative School
- Cash Carlson (9th grade) – Do Protein, Lysine, and Fat Affect Rate of Gain in Pigs? – Genoa-Hugo School
- Pranav Erukulapati (10th grade) – Intraspecific Variation in Postcranial Skeletal Pneumaticity: Insights from the Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) – Fairview High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Max Hermele (10th grade) – Evolution of Gene Regulation in Association with Scale Loss and Replacement in Catfishes – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Jaelie Jaminet (9th grade) – Observing pH Levels in Mares to Predict Parturition – Sanford Jr/Sr High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Veterinary Science Award
- Innovations in the Science of Agriculture Award
- Priya Mayjoy (10th grade) – Monitoring Apis Mellifera Linneaus for winter survival (Year 3) – Lamar High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 5th Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Agricultural Biology Award
- Innovations in the Science of Agriculture Award
- Domenica Plaza Homiston (11th grade) – Barn Illuminance as a Modulator of Dairy Cow Behavior and Welfare – Fairview High School
- Excellence in Agricultural Innovation Scholarship
- Haley Smith (11th grade) – The Impact of Age, Exercise, and Sex on Cortisol Levels of Horses – Yuma High School
- Outstanding Achievement in In Vitro Biology Award
- Paisley Wiersma (9th grade) – The Cattle Calmer: The Effect of MBAS on Weaning Cattle – Genoa-Hugo School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Innovations in the Science of Agriculture Award
- CBTA Best Biology Project Award
Junior Division
- Grayson Michael (7th grade) & Lauralyn Alber (7th grade) – Does Self-Esteem Affect Academics and Behaviors – Boulder Country Day School
- Nadiya Abarca-Reynoso (8th grade) – How Does Time Affect Witness Reliability After an Incident Has Occurred? – Skinner Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Mary Ainsworth Behavioral & Social Sciences Award
- Bhavish Matli (6th grade) – Risky Business: Developmental Peaks in Dopamine-Linked Eye-Blink Rates – Home School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- NSA Special Award
- Achievement in Psychological Science Award
- Ava McFarland (8th grade) – AI’s Effect on a Person’s Originality – Challenge School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Leon Festinger Behavioral & Social Sciences Award
- JuliAnna Medina (7th grade) – Insecurities? Why? – Part 2 – Monte Vista Middle School
- Dhriti Mehta (7th grade) – Effects of Notetaking on Memory Retention – Flagstaff Academy
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Ali Mooney (6th grade) – Visual or Auditory – Alta Vista Charter School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
Senior Division
- Sayra Arneros Machuca (10th grade) – AI vs Human Art Based on Age – Limon School
- Amika Begin (11th grade) – Assessing the Impacts of Social Media-Driven NIL Endorsements on College Sports Sponsorship – Nederland Middle/High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Lydia Boyd (10th grade) – Mental Health of Athletes – Monte Vista High School
- Natalie Cappelletti (12th grade) – Mitigating and Miscommunicating: Analyzing and Visualizing Discourse Markers from Bilingual Children Across the United States – Fairview High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Zachary Harreld (10th grade) – Is VR Helping CPR Training? – Limon Schools
- Sadee Mosenteen (10th grade) – Mental Health of Athletes – Yuma High School
- Kilah Rojas (9th grade) – Virtually Stressed – Liberty School
- Anthony Zarlengo (12th grade) – RamJam: Digital Student Connectivity – Green Mountain High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Achievement in Psychological Science Award
- Natalia Woolcock (11th grade) – Carbon Conscious: Measuring How Health and Carbon Footprint Data Labels Influence Real Consumer Behavior – The Academy of Charter Schools
- 3rd Place Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Edna Abel (11th grade) & Genesis Archila-Ochoa (11th grade) – Neighborhood Food Quality Disparities Revealed Through DNA Degradation Analysis – Green Valley Ranch High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- AAUW CO Award for Women in STEM
- Abigal Adams (12th grade) & Julia Leary (12th grade) – Party Lines and Blind Spots: An Examination of the Introspection Illusion – Alamosa High School
- Adalyn Saffer (9th grade), Anastasia Diego (9th grade) & Tania Vega-Garcia (9th grade) – How Loud Is to Loud? : The Relationship Between Decibel Level & Cognitive Functioning – Akron High School
- Alexis Schneider (12th grade) & Hailey Cornelius (11th grade) – The Scent of Memory – Plainview School
- Quinn Crowe (10th grade) – The Forecast for Tonight: Dark – Compass Community Collaborative School
Junior Division
- Amaya Sutherlin (7th grade) & Adyson Young (7th grade) – Nutrition Facts and the Negative Effects of Ingredients in Junk Food – Bayfield Middle School
- Benjamin Boedeker (8th grade) – Is There Lead in Protein Supplements? – Fort Morgan Middle School
- Lucy Boehm (6th grade) – How Does Food Affect Blood Sugar: With and Without a Working Pancreas – Eagleview Middle School
- Elizabeth Helen Blackburn Biomedical & Health Sciences Award
- Dental & Forensics Award
- Anna Antohe (8th grade) – Do Popular Health Assumptions Survive Real Data? Testing Sleep, Activity, and Heart Rate Relationships with Fitbit Wearables – Challenge School
- David Young Memorial Award
- Chase Falter (8th grade) – Choose the Right Electrolyte – St. Mary Catholic School
- Mabel Grimsley (7th grade) – Elite Essential Oils – Vail Mountain School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Kynzleigh Hanel (7th grade) – Barnyard Bacteria – Sargent Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Daxon Peddy (8th grade) – From Grain To Glucose: Fresh vs. Store Bought Flour and Its Affect on Blood Sugar – Home School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Joanna Raguraman (8th grade) – Xenobiotic Nero-catastasis: Evidence for Biochemical Interference in the Cognitive Retention of Dugesia tigrina – Discovery Canyon Middle School
- Future of Life Sciences Award
- Excellence in Protection of Occupational Health and Safety
- Ainsley Salaz (8th grade) – The Effect of Age on Orthostatic Heart Rate Response and Heart Rate Recovery – Skinner Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Lissa Schulz (6th grade) – Can Pumpkin Spice Season Kill You? – Colorado Connections Academy
- Hollis Young (6th grade) – Which Sunscreens Work the Best – Sacred Heart of Jesus School
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Annabel Cowan (6th grade) – Run, Run, Run – Mancos Middle School
- Nhi Vuong (8th grade) – Plant Compounds and Their Effect on Glucose Absorption in the Small Intestine – Flagstaff Academy
- Colorado Medical Society Foundation Award
- Davis Wischer (7th grade) – Minty Fresh or Plaque Mess? – St. Mary’s Catholic School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Dental & Forensics Award
- Kourtney Talbert (8th grade), Brystol Robinson (6th grade) & Sophia Hornung (6th grade) – Battles of the Boosts – Stratton Schools
Senior Division
- Aariv Arora (9th grade) – Computational Screening of FDA‑Approved Cancer Drugs for Targeting Altered Proteins in Cholangiocarcinoma – Stargate Charter School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Acalia Baca (11th grade) –Self-Heimlich Force Analysis – Rocky Ford Jr/Sr High School
- Dental & Forensics Award
- Tyler Goodnow (12th grade) – Using an AI Model to Interpret Nerve Signals to Move a Robotic Hand – Nederland Middle/High School
- NSA Special Award
- Excellence in Protection of Occupational Health and Safety
- Advait Jadhav (9th grade) – Methyl-Predict: Using DNA Methylation to Predict Immune System Disease Risk – Pine Creek High School
- Adhvay Jayanty (9th grade) – Unmasking the Tumor: Utilizing Molecular Docking to Identify Novel Inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint – Fossil Ridge High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Naomi Kruse (12th grade) – Clean Vaccine: Assessing Antigen Recognition in a Minimal Excipient Vaccine Formulation – Schullandheim Home School
- Biomedical Science Award
- Colorado Medical Society Foundation Award
- Katherine Madrid (9th grade) – How Preservatives Affect the Gut Microbiome – Liberty School
- Julia Muro (9th grade) – Sting at the Cellular Level: How Bee Venom Lyses Cell Membranes as a Pathway to Kill Cancer Cells – Palmer High School
- Warnock Family Award
- Brahan Eashwer Parameswari Bagavathi Perumal (11th grade) – Small Molecule Rescue of GLUT1DS – Cherry Creek High School
- Joshua Wells (11th grade) & Keian Keating (9th grade) – “A Cardiovascular Pharmacology Investigation using Daphnia Magna”: Comparing the Effects of Energy Drinks and Heart Rate: Are you one of the 22 Million? – Weldon Valley School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Emma Perry (12th grade) – Healing from Within: Amniotic Fluid as a New Solution for Diabetic Wounds – South High School
- Vikram Rahu (11th grade) – Opi-Gone: A Novel Synthetic Protein Switch to Restore GABA Release and Regulate Dopamine in Opioid Use Disorder – Cherry Creek High School
- Advancing Equity through Innovation Award
- Samantha Simmons (9th grade) – Case of Claws – West Grand High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Poster Art Contest
- Zoe Wang (11th grade) – Restoring Klebsiella pneumoniae Susceptibility to Tobramycin via Antibiotic Adjuvants – Fairview High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
Junior Division
- Metta Omundsen (6th grade) & Anna Steaves (6th grade) – Meticulous Melting Matter – Miller Middle School
- Award for Excellence in Mineral Science and Engineering
- Christiana Adakai Smith (8th grade) – Turning Milk into Plastic – Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Rudrika Agarwal (7th grade) – Microplastic Mayhem (Are you drinking microplastics?) – Heritage Heights Academy
- CCTA Chemistry Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- Elizabeth Gerk (8th grade) – Shocking Sips – Wiggins Middle School
- Willa Gripka (7th grade) – Lip Lab! – La Veta Schools
- Evan Jardine (8th grade) – Solventing the Pigment Mystery– Miller Middle School
- Humza Memon (8th grade) – Effect of Osmotic Stress on the Microbial Activity: Modeling Biogas Inhibition through Idli Batter Fermentation – Crescent View Academy
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- Kenley Mitchell (8th grade) – Small Plastics, Big Problems! – Sargent Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Elemer Bernath Technical Writing Award
- Air & Waste Management Award
- Sydney Montague (6th grade) – Medicine War – Centauri Middle School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- AAUW CO Award for Women in STEM
- Naval Science Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- Adalyn Pettinger (6th grade) – How Much Activated Charcoal is Needed to Purify Water? – Vilas School
- John Goodenough Chemistry Award
- Excellence in Physical Sciences & Engineering Award
- Connor Stone (8th grade) – Science of the Sip: Coffee Grinder Brand, Ground Uniformity and Its Affect on Taste Profile – Brush Middle School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Excellence in Chemistry Award
- Emerson Tench (7th grade) & Liam Sridhara (7th grade) – Effect of Ferrofluid on Efficient Removal of Microplastics – Boulder Country Day School
- Grace Zamora (7th grade), Kayden Salapich (7th grade) & Callie Mincic (7th grade) – The Potential of Sagebrush-Derived Compounds as Antibacterial Agents – Hoehne Jr/Sr High School
- Excellence in Chemistry Award
Senior Division
- Kinzi Dawson (9th grade) – Ocean Acidification on Clam Shells and Crustacean Exoskeletons – Liberty School
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Mia Gallegos (9th grade) – How Fast Does Vitamin C Disappear? – Lotus School For Excellence
- Miley Gallegos (11th grade) – Creating Biodegradable Plastics from Gelatin – Lotus School For Excellence
- Excellence in Chemistry Award
- Liam Griffin (10th grade) – Comparative Thermodynamic Analysis of Conventional and Alternative Deicers – Sargent High School
- CCTA Chemistry Award
- Izaiah Hebberd (11th grade) – Making Homemade Cologne – Vilas School
- Abhijay Kodadala (11th grade) – Renaturing Proteins with Organic Materials – Grandview High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Abdullahi Adan (12th grade), Kamal Khalif (11th grade) & Ebenezer Yimam (11th grade) – ZnO Nanoparticles for Simultaneous UV Disinfection + Filtration – Lotus School For Excellence
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- Excellence in Physical Sciences & Engineering Award
- Regional Water Prize Award
- Jubilee Gehlhoff (12th grade) & Jennavieve Gehlhoff (9th grade) – Let Them Eat Cake – Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences
- Austin Weickum (11th grade), Drew Fox (11th grade) & Brais Novoa (11th grade) – Operation S.H.I.E.L.D. – Stratton Schools
- Excellence in Chemistry Award
- Sophia Zhang (12th grade) & Carolyn Long (9th grade) – Water-Soluble Eutectogel Adhesives for Sustainable Packaging – Fairview High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- SWE Award
- Casey Moore (12th grade) – Lead Filtration – Centennial High School
- Regional Water Prize Award
- Ria Rajasekharan (11th grade) – Laser Induced Graphene Electrodes for Capillary Microfluidic Electroanalysis – Fossil Ridge High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- ACS Chemistry Award
- Collin Richardson (9th grade) – The Power of Hydrogen – Wiggins High School
- Platte River Power Authority’s Special Award for Energy Efficiency and Innovation
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
Junior Division
- Ava Boblitt (7th grade) – Invisible Threat: The Impact of Microplastics on Macroinvertebrates – Bayfield Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Amelie Byyny (8th grade) – How Does Altitude Affect Soil Chemistry and Microbiology? – Challenge School
- Ellis Evans (8th grade) – Connecting Contaminants: A Correlation between Air and Water Quality – Eagleview Middle School
- Water Research Award
- Jack Jankelow (6th grade) – Wildfire Burn Scar Reseeding and Restoration – McClelland School
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program Conservation Award
- Nela Kereshi (7th grade) – The Effects of Water Temperature on Phytoplankton Population – Ridgway Secondary School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Burt Ratan Energy Award
- Ashlyn Kozura (8th grade) – Forecasting the Flash: What Makes Lightning Choose You – Summit Middle Charter School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- AWG Student Award for Geoscience Excellence
- CSS Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Junior Division Student Choice Award
- NCEI Award of Scientific Excellence
- Naval Science Award
- Jayla Kravig (8th grade) – Testing BioPlastics – Karval Schools
- Air & Waste Management Award
- Clara Miller (8th grade) – Coop to Crop: How Chicken’s Affect the Soil – Sanford Jr/Sr High School
- Elemer Bernath Technical Writing Award
- Eashanand Palakolla (7th grade) – Evaluating Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Microplastic-Induced Snowmelt in Colorado’s Mountain Snowpack – Cherry Creek Academy
- Water Research Award
- CBTA Best Biology Project Award
- Best Use of the International System of Units Award
- Natural Resource Conservation Award
- Jett Smith (6th grade) – Damming Evidence – Centauri Middle School
- Wangari Muta Maathai Earth & Environmental Sciences Award
- Trout Unlimited River Conservation Award
- Amelie Andujar (8th grade) & Emely Quijada (8th grade) – Rain of Terror – Brush Middle School
- Best Earth Science Award
- Ezekiel Stulp (8th grade) & James Miller (8th grade) – Dust Busters! Who you gonna call? – Lamar Middle School
- Best Earth Science Award
- Sienna Harden (8th grade) – Save the Cows, Save the Soil, Save the World! The impact of grazing in Northern Colorado on soil fertility, soil function, and soil structure – St. Joseph’s Catholic School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- CSS Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Natural Resource Conservation Award
- Innovations in the Science of Agriculture Award
- E-STEAM Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Paisley Vandiver (8th grade) – Lock in Bro: Testing Which Soil Holds Fertilizer the Best, Lock in Bro: Testing Which Soil Holds Fertilizer the Best – Sargent Middle School
- Mikaela Ludden (8th grade) & Charlotte Hoffman (7th grade) – The Effects of Climate Change on African Whites’ Tree Frogs – Challenge School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Earth System Science Award
- Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
Senior Division
- Paisley Anderson (9th grade) – The Rusting Creek: The Impact of Mining Contamination on Riparian Vegetation in West Willow Creek – Creede High School
- Award for Excellence in Mineral Science and Engineering
- Regional Water Prize Award
- Colter Dennison (10th grade) – Toxic Tributaries 3: Mines Effect on Rivers Health – Mancos High School
- Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Earth System Science Award
- Diego Jose (9th grade) – Building *Ph*ilters: Constructing a Phosphorous Capturing Filter to Abrogate Red Tide Blooms – Aurora Science and Tech Middle School
- Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award
- Cameron Kempisty (9th grade) – Sequestering PFAS from Biosolids: A Natural Solution Using Biochar – Air Academy High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Excellence in Forestry Research Award
- Dental & Forensics Award
- Water Research Award
- CSS Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Advancing Equity through Innovation Award
- AWG Student Award for Geoscience Excellence
- Ryan Okolie (12th grade), Zakria Munasar (12th grade) & Nathaniem Tadesee (9th grade) – Air Quality in Colorado – Lotus School For Excellence
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Yoona Oh (12th grade) & Neva Comstock (12th grade) – How Will Various Space Activities Influence Debris Congestion and the Kessler Syndrome? – Monarch High School
- US Air Force Certificate of Achievement Award
- Isaiah Peralta (12th grade) – Testing the Accuracy of Short, Medium, and Long Range Weather Models – La Junta Jr/Sr High School
- Juakin Sawatzky (11th grade) – Phytoremediation of Mine Effluent Using Juncus Ensifolius – Liberty School
- Colorado Native Plant Society Award
- Lola Sondrol (9th grade) – Sustainable Cleanup: Mycoremediation as a Green Alternative for Heavy Metal Removal – Monte Vista High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Award for Excellence in Mineral Science and Engineering
- Trout Unlimited River Conservation Award
- DRMS Outstanding Science Exhibit Award
- Isaac Stong (11th grade) – How Much More Impacted by Microplastics Are Urban Lakes and Reservoirs Than Rural Lakes and Reservoirs – Green Mountain High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Regional Water Prize Award
- Noah Tice (12th grade) – Plausibility of Abiotic Formation of Martian Poppy Seeds and Leopard Spots Through the Oxidation of Iron Sulfide Grains – Fairview High School
- CSS Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Ayush Vispute (11th grade) – Complete in Csilico Discovery and Validation of New High Performing Carbon Capturing Organisms – Rampart High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Citadel Securities Innovation Prize
- Natural Resource Conservation Award
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Air & Waste Management Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- William Walker (11th grade) – Modeling the Impacts of Flow Rate on Riparian Beach Stability – Monte Vista High School
- Best Earth Science Award
- Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Nelia Yanes (9th grade) – Fabrics Under Different Conditions – Vilas School
- Caroline Prieto (10th grade) & Layna Snyder (10th grade) – Increasing Microplastic Removal Efficiency with Ferrofluids – Brush High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Excellence in Physical Sciences & Engineering Award
- Addison Mondragon (12th grade) – Sink or Swim II: Analyzing Impacts of River Conservation Methods on Each Other While Building River Conservation Projects – Monte Vista High School
- Natural Resource Conservation Award
- Isabella Lorenzini (12th grade), Paisley Vezeau (11th grade) & Amalia Mercenier (12th grade) – Breaking Down Bio-plastics Banana peel vs. Plastic Wrap – Ignacio High School
Junior Division
- Logan Haffner (8th grade) – Making the Invisible – Visible – Cardinal Community Academy
- The Colorado EnergyWise Award
- Taliyah Hayes (6th grade) – Temperature Change: Speed or Slow Motion – Mountain Vista Community School
- Benjamin Knight (8th grade) – How Many Blades? Evaluating Performance of Different Rotor Configurations – Corwin International Magnet School
- Excellence in Physical Sciences & Engineering Award
- Cy Poss (7th grade) – Distance by Mousetrap Power – Genoa-Hugo School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Anirudh Rao (8th grade) – Mirai – A Sustainable Alternative to Electrochemical Batteries Using Treated Nanomaterials and Water – STEM School Highlands Ranch
- 1st Place Category Award
- 1st Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- The Colorado EnergyWise Award
- Platte River Power Authority’s Special Award for Energy Efficiency and Innovation
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- US Air Force Certificate of Achievement Award
- Nimisha Upadhyay (8th grade) & Azaria Saiz (8th grade) – Power from Footsteps: How Piezoelectric Tiles Generate Electricity – Challenge School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Jayden Zhang (8th grade), Caleb Henrichson (8th grade), James Weirauch (8th grade) – Veggie Voltage: A study on the power of fruits! – Frontier Academy
- 3rd Place Category Award
Senior Division
- Bryce Washburn (10th grade) & Layla Fields (10th grade) – Feel the Heat, Power the Future – Brush High School
- Ethan Bonnell (12th grade) – SunSpot: A Solar-Powered Public Charging Station for the Future – Centaurus High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- The Colorado EnergyWise Award
- Shreyas Gadepalli (10th grade) – Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles: Enhancing Platinum Nanoparticle Stability in PEM Fuel Cells – Cherry Creek High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Reduction of CO2 & Greenhouse Gases Scholarship
- The Colorado EnergyWise Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Om Vegesna (11th grade) – New Materials for the Green Synthesis of Energy Intermediates from Waste via Selective Hydrogenation and In-Silico Screening – Fairview High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Air & Waste Management Award
- Joseph White (10th grade) – Biomass to Biogas – Limon Schools
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Platte River Power Authority Special Award for Environmental Responsibility
- Jack Fenwick Award for Agricultural Science
- Colton Young (11th grade), Rhea Belisle (11th grade) & Violet John (11th grade) – Parabolic Solar Boiler/Grill – East High School
Junior Division
- Payal Gopinath (8th grade) & Evan Gopinath (8th grade) – An Objective Measurement of Physical Properties and Environmental Impact of Climbing Chalk – Nevin Platt Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Ainsley Einspahr (6th grade) – The Egg Drop – Hi-Plains School
- Ryel Fury-Hacko (7th grade) – Catapulting – Mancos Middle School
- Callie Griffin (7th grade) – Feel the Game: Basketball for the Blind – Sargent Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Amelia Earhart Award
- SWE Award
- STEMgirls Middle School Rising Star Award
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Siena Halterman (7th grade) – En Pointe. On Point. – Sacred Heart of Jesus School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Andy Keller Memorial Award
- SWE Award
- James Muro (6th grade) – A Redesigned Shade Structure for NFL Sidelines to Enhance Performance – North Middle School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Naval Science Award
- Aarav Raisinghani (6th grade) – Braking Bad: Investigating Child-Detection Gaps in Tesla’s ADAS – Home School
- Sharuya Sisodia (8th grade) – The Effects of Soil Liquefaction on The Structural Stability of Buildings – Liberty Middle School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Award for Excellence in Mineral Science and Engineering
- Excellence in Earth Science Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Ciyana Stum (6th grade) – Paper vs. Beans – Plainview School
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Steven Chu Engineering Award
- Chloe Nadon (7th grade) – Lighthouse Christian School & Zarya Sandeen (7th grade) Home School – Will Your Wood Withstand the Elements?
Senior Division
- Aryaveer Sheoran (11th grade) & Kowshik Shanmugamani (11th grade) – Analyzing the Effectiveness of Blown Wing Application in Fighter Jet Movement Dynamics – Cherry Creek High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Lockheed Martin Aerospace Award
- Cuinn Archer (10th grade) – Smart Wheels 2: A Wireless Solution to Irregular Measuring and Marking – Mancos High School
- Vaughn Bankston (10th grade) – MQ-13 Condor: Year 2 – Mancos High School
- US Air Force Certificate of Achievement Award
- Riley Davis (10th grade) – Deep Water Diver – Limon School
- Hayden Drullinger (12th grade) – No Flow, No Grow – Liberty School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 3rd Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Andy Keller Memorial Award
- Logan Futrell (11th grade) – The Infusion Solution: Designing a Multifunction Medical Pump to Treat Hyper/Hypoglycemia – Monte Vista High School
- Surie Jia (11th grade) – Engineering a Smart Wearable Sleep Sensor Using Shape-Memory Polymer Networks – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Young Entrepreneur’s Award
- Connor Knight (10th grade) – Engineering the Optimal Airplane Wing for Maximum Lift-to-Drag Ratio – East High School
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Harshini Palakollu (9th grade) – A Non-Invasive Microfludic Platform for Hematologic Flow and Anemia Screening – Cherry Creek High School
- Rachel Rojhani (9th grade) – Analyzing the Impact of Dust Accumulation on Solar Panel Voltage: A Comparative Study with and without an Arduino-Based Vibration Mechanism – Denver Jewish Day School
- Helen Wan (11th grade) – Medicine Dissolution in a Ground-Based Acoustically Levitated Environment – Pine Creek High School
- YSEA Science Fair Award
- Naval Science Award
- Todd Makings (9th grade) & Dustin (9th grade) – Study of Toroidal Propellers – Weldon Valley School
- Havoc Martinez (12th grade) & Nikolas Martinez (12th grade) – WET Technology – Magnetic Outlet Adapter – Central High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Colorado State University-Pueblo Scholarship
- Jessie Yan (10th grade) – Effect of Foot Materials on Hexapod Robot Performance – Fairview High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Hung Le (11th grade), Drew McArtor (11th grade) & Simon Helin (12th grade) – AI Surgical Robot – Fossil Ridge High School
- IEEE Award
- Senior Division Student Choice Award
Junior Division
- Clay Grossman (8th grade) – Trust the Trees: How Mangroves Impact Costal Flooding – Summit Middle Charter School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Excellence in Earth Science Award
- Ilan Murad (6th grade) – Electric Deionzation – McClelland School
- Shelby Neal (8th grade) – Dirt Diagnostics: Turf V.S. Grass – Wiggins Middle School
- Ingram Olson (7th grade) – Mycoremediation Exploration: Can Adding Materials or Plants Help Fungi Remediate Pollution in the Soil? – Telluride Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Excellence in Forestry Research Award
- Environmental Health Award
- Hagen Short (8th grade) – Rural De-Icer – Dove Creek Middle School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Andy Keller Memorial Award
- George Tchobanoglous Environmental Engineering Award
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Joel Wilson (8th grade) – Hydrogen . . . A Green Gas of the Future? – Home School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- The Lemelson Early Inventor Prize
- IEEE Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Platte River Power Authority Special Award for Environmental Responsibility
Senior Division
- Brynn Hamm (11th grade) – Plastic Decomposition Using Blue Oyster Mushrooms – Silverton Public High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Excellence in Mycological Research Award
- SWE Award
- Osman Yanes (12th grade) – Wind Turbines: Does the Blade Matter? – Vilas School
- Leo Stasevich (10th grade) – Analyzing Water Filter Efficiency – Compass Community Collaborative School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Sierra Winslow (9th grade) – Engineering Calm Zones for Coastal Biodiversity – Air Academy High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Cami Wolkow (12th grade) – Fungi: The Future Solution to Building Materials – Palmer High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Excellence in Mycological Research Award
- Natalie Muro (12th grade) – A Novel Field-Based Approach to Reducing Harmful Algal Blooms in Freshwater Ecosystems – Palmer High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 4th Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Environmental Health Award
- Water Research Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Ralph Desch Technical Writing Award
- Advancing Equity through Innovation Award
- Regional Water Prize Award
- Best Use of the International System of Units Award
Junior Division
- John Dicker (8th grade) – Reducing Human Pesticide Exposure Through Technology – Monte Vista Middle School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Coding with Commitment Award
- Laurel Kent (8th grade) – SnackSnap: Developing a Mobile-Based Diagnostic Tool to Identify Hyper-Palatable Foods – Eagleview Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- NSA Special Award
- Sovereign Sybrant (6th grade) – SmashDude Fitness – Wray Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Geoffrey Hinton Mathematics & Computer Sciences Award
- Emmett Wiedenheft (8th grade) – Can AI Learn to Game: A Project on How AI Learns – Southern Hills Middle School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Anand Zolboo (8th grade) – VisuAI Deception – Challenge School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
Senior Division
- Eric Chen (11th grade) – A Secure and Transparent Voting System using Blockchain Technology – Cherry Creek High School
- Maxamillian Montoya (12th grade) – Turing Tested: Testing AI & Preventing Image Recognition – Ignacio High School
- Andrew Liu (11th grade) – Resilience at the Edge of Space: Imputing Ionosphere-Thermosphere Weather for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation Mission – Fairview High School
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- US Air Force Certificate of Achievement Award
- Bode Monahan (9th grade) – Entropy Engine: Utilizing Non-Deterministic Electron Cascade Dynamics for Cryptographically Secure Password Generation – Liberty School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Dev Patel (11th grade) – Physics-Based Simulation and Machine Learning for Optimal Two-Layer Thermal Protection System Design – Centaurus High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Hayden Street (11th grade) & Adhrit Sundaresan (11th grade) – Engineering Thermostable PETase for Optimized Plastic Recycling – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Amy Zhang (11th grade) – Just Look, Don’t Type: Enabling Intent-Level Communication through Gaze Grounding and Disambiguation – Lakewood High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- NSA Special Award
- Eshaan Yendamuri (11th grade) – Confidence-Driven Dynamic Model Ensembles for Robust Detection of AI-Generated Images – Rock Canyon High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
Junior Division
- Emerald Ballard (8th grade) – Tongue Twister: A Bacterial Comparison – West Grand Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Chesney Boubet (6th grade) – Spoken Nice: Do Words Have a Price on Rice? – Genoa-Hugo School
- Anmoldeep Gill (8th grade) – Effects of Probiotics on Pathogenic Adhesion – Lamar Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 2nd Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Madison Glenn (7th grade) – Clean Fight Testing Soaps Against Acne Bacterias – Lone Star School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Clayton Lee (8th grade) – The Microscopic Menace – Wiggins Middle School
- James Patrick Allison Micro & Molecular Biology Award
- Kayla Melby (7th grade) – Not So Sweet: The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on E. coli and Antibiotics – Yuma Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Esme Trujillo (8th grade) – Microorganisms Carried on Water Fountains – Wiggins Middle School
- Kasey Farmer (7th grade) & Aliya Craig (7th grade) – The Great Debate – To Eat or Not to Eat – Cardinal Community Academy
- Marat Gilanov (8th grade) & Takahiro Stewart (8th grade) – The Solution to Pollution – Southern Hills Middle School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
Senior Division
- Aayush Paliwal (9th grade) – Digital Defense: Using Molecular Docking to Combat the Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in North American Forests – Pine Creek High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 2nd Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Trout Unlimited River Conservation Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Yuna Lee (10th grade) & Sieun Jang (11th grade) – Visualization of Beta-Amyloid Aggregation Using Split-GFP in Caenorhabditis elegans for Screening Small Molecules to Mitigate Protein Aggregation in Alzheimer’s Disease – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Future of Life Sciences Award
- Keanen Berhost (10th grade) – Yeast to Best: Analyzing Yeast Growth Patterns in Sourdough – Compass Community Collaborative School
- Aislynn Boese (9th grade) – The Effectiveness of Disinfectants Against S. epidermidis and E. aerogenes – Yuma High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Bailey Cook (10th grade) – Acne Attack – West Grand High School
- Taelynn Rojas (10th grade) Digestion Demise: Evaluating the Toxicity of Microplastics Byproducts on the Bacteria that Produced Them – Liberty School
- Grace Xue (11th grade) – Analysis of the Interaction between the Bacterium Nissle 1917 and L-Dopa to Improve Treatment – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Ella Wilson (12th grade) & Hailey Znamenacek (12th grade) – Heat-sensitive Protist Presence in the Microbiome of Pocillopora damicornis Correlated with Thermal Stress Response of Coral – Steamboat Springs High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Ralph Desch Technical Writing Award
- The Volz Family Award for Outstanding Work in Fundamental Science
Junior Division
- Musab Atif (6th grade) – Effect of Friction on Objects in Motion – Crescent View Academy
- Physics Classroom Demonstration Award
- Jaxson DePue (6th grade) – The Dimple Difference: How Tiny Dents Lead to Big Distances – Wray Elementary School
- Tessa Dorenkamp (8th grade) – Batter Up – Cardinal Community Academy
- Lucille Lapp (6th grade) – Swing Away – Brush Middle School
- Physics Classroom Demonstration Award
- Cason Mattive (7th grade) – Power of the Prop: How propeller shape impacts drone flight. – Sargent Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Tucker Moore (7th grade) – Roll Goal – Vail Mountain School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Alexander Snow (8th grade) – The Effect of Surface Dimples on Aerodynamics – Compass Community Collaborative School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Isaac Newton Physics & Astronomy Award
- Jaxson Specht (8th grade) – Singularity: The Heart of the Void – Plainview School
- Brisha Alvarado Aguilar (8th grade) & Danna Bolanos Conlago (8th grade) – Roller Coaster Engineering – Risley Middle School
- Walker Williamson (6th grade) – Did Nature Do It First? – Fort Morgan Middle School
- Calvin Yang-Jacobs (8th grade) – Testing the Lift of Airfoils with a Wind Tunnel – Southern Hills Middle School
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Lockheed Martin Aerospace Award
Senior Division
- Walter Martin (11th grade) & Tucker McClain (11th grade) – An Experimental Study of Aerodynamic Efficiency in Ballistic Projectiles – Hoehne Jr/Sr High School
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
- Pranav Challa (11th grade) – Magnetic-Field–Dependent Optical Signatures of Quantum Dots as an Analog for Spin-Sensitive Neural Imaging Limits – Stargate Charter School
- The Volz Family Award for Outstanding Work in Fundamental Science
- Danica Christensen (10th grade) – Fractal Form and Function in the Brain: The Interdimensional Physics Underlying Cognition and Consciousness – Fairview High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Naval Science Award
- Julia Gao (11th grade) – Year Two: Toward Expansion of the Standard Model with Multi-Hadron Final States and Muon Neutrino Reconstruction – Fairview High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- 1st Place Best-of-CSEF Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Colorado School of Mines CSEF Scholarship
- Physics Classroom Demonstration Award
- Ralph Desch Technical Writing Award
- US Air Force Certificate of Achievement Award
- Warnock Family Award
- David Young Memorial Award
- Tanner Houser (12th grade) – Demonstrating a Potential Method for Black Hole Information Recovery via Simulated Hawking Radiation – Sargent High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Physics Classroom Demonstration Award
- Andres Montour (11th grade) & Lee Pagels (11th grade) – An Investigation of the Field Strength of Ceramic Blocks Using a Weighted Levitated Disk – East High School
- Matthew McCausland Memorial Award
Junior Division
- Lynnin Alba (6th grade) – The Frequency Factor – Alta Vista Charter School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Excellence in Horticulture Award
- Addison Alexander (7th grade) – Sorghum vs. Flood, Drought and Darkness – Mancos Middle School
- Sustainable Development Award
- Talon Hodgson (7th grade) – Nature’s Filters – Sargent Middle School
- Naval Science Award
- Agricultural Biology Award
- Paxton McClellan (6th grade) – Nailed It: Exploring the Wives’ Tail that Nails in the Soil Improve the Garden – Liberty School
- Luther Burbank Plant Sciences Award
- Jace Poss (7h grade) – Does Ecosyl Preserve Silage? – Genoa-Hugo School
- Ashton Power (8th grade) – Dye or Die: The Effect of Various Saline Solutions on White Flowers – Heritage Heights Academy
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Caprise Priestley (7th grade) – The Influence of Applied Frequencies on Plant Growth – Mancos Middle School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Kynzlee Rojas (6th grade) – Does Humidity influence the Success of Air Pollination – Liberty School
- Hartlyn Tollis (6th grade) – Will Music Affect Plant Growth? – Eagleview Middle School
- Yasawini Vinjamuri (8th grade) – Air-Purifying Geniuses – Heritage Heights Academy
- 1st Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Laurynn Vetter (7th grade) & Bristol Cook (7th grade) – Shape-Shifting Gel: Helping Plants Thrive Through Drought – Lone Star School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Junior Innovators Challenge
- Excellence in Horticulture Award
- Innovations in the Science of Agriculture Award
- DRMS Outstanding Science Exhibit Award
Senior Division
- Niels Novotny (10th grade) – NDVI Analysis of DWC, Drip Through, and Potted Plants – Cherry Creek High School
- 2nd Place Category Award
- Excellence in Agricultural Innovation Scholarship
- Excellence in Horticulture Award
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award
- Emilio Ortiz (12th grade) – Roots to Resilience: Testing the Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on Different Potato Cultivars Under Simulated Drought Conditions – Monte Vista High School
- 1st Place Category Award
- CSU Fort Collins Scholarship
- Excellence in Mycological Research Award
- Sustainable Development Award
- CBTA Best Biology Project Award
- Agricultural Biology Award
- Excellence in Horticulture Award
- Enzo Shows (12th grade) – How Fire Influenced Soils Affect Short Term Native Plant Regrowth – Nederland Middle/High School
- Allyson Solze (9th grade) – Microbes Matter – Genoa-Hugo School
- Honorable Mention Category Award
- Molly Wienstroer (10th grade) – A Great Day for Pie? Or What About Fruit? – Limon Schools
- Madison Gunnels (10th grade) & Chase Pollart (11th grade) – The Effects of Northeast Colorado Irrigation Water Sources on Alfalfa Seed Germination – Brush High School
- 3rd Place Category Award
- Outstanding Achievement in In Vitro Biology Award
Junior Division Best-of-CSEF Winners:
First Place: Anirudh Rao
Second Place: Anmoldeep Gill
Third Place: Hannah Deering
Senior Division Best-of-CSEF Winners:
First Place: Julia Gao
Second Place: Aayush Paliwal (not pictured)
Third Place: Haydan Drullinger
Fourth Place: Natalie Muro
Fifth Place: Priya Mayjoy
Colorado International Science & Engineering Fair Delegation
Phoenix, AZ May 10 – 15, 2026
