The Gatton Academy's News Archive

Two Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science students recently qualified for the world-renowned Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held May 14-19 in Dallas, Texas. Seniors Divya Naidugari (also of Randall K. Cooper High School) and Gabriel Nowaskie (also of Bardstown High School) were among the five GE Best of Fair winners at the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair (LRSEF), an annual competition featuring students in grades 6-12 from 52 Kentucky counties. Best of Fair winners at LRSEF earn automatic passage to the Regeneron ISEF. In addition to Best of Fair, Naidugari and Nowaskie received First Place in their respective categories, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Physics and Astronomy.

Nowaskie also presented his research at the 22^nd Annual Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair March 22-23 at Eastern Kentucky University and won First Place in the Physics and Astronomy category.

In addition, Gatton Academy seniors Kareena Pansuria (also of South Warren High School) and Carolina Wheeler (also of Greenwood High School) received regional awards at LRSEF by earning First Place in their respective categories, Chemistry and Systems Software. Pansuria’s Research was also recognized by the American Chemical Society, the Office of Naval Research, and US Women in Science.

Divya Naidugari’s project, “Regional Control of Hairless and Hair Bearing skin: with DKK2 and SOSTDC1 Wnt/ꞵ-catenin Signaling Pathways with the LEF/TCF Family,” is based on research she conducts under the advisement of Dr. Alicia Hu in Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) Biology Department.

Gabriel Nowaskie’s project, “Quarkonium Dynamics in Phase Space,” is based on research he conducts under the advisement of Dr. Tony Simpao of WKU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Kareena Pansuria’s project, “Iron-based metal-organic framework for photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide,” is based on research she conducts under the advisement of Dr. Bangbo Yan of WKU’s Department of Chemistry.

Carolina Wheeler’s project, “Virtual Reality Campus Tour Using 3D Modeling and Scanning,” is based on research she conducts under the advisement of Dr. Jeffrey Galloway of WKU’s Computer Science Program.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.