North Texas student contributes to science, named finalist in a prestigious competition

FRISCO (KDAF) — In a standout moment for Texas, Prince Nallamothula from Frisco has made his mark as one of the top young minds in STEM. A 9th grader at Centennial High School in the Frisco Independent School District, Prince was recognized as a finalist in the prestigious 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s leading science competition for middle schoolers. Competing among some of the brightest students across the U.S., Prince earned a place alongside nine other finalists for his impressive contributions to science and innovation.

As part of this year’s cohort, Prince joined an elite group of students mentored by 3M scientists over the summer, where they worked together to bring their groundbreaking ideas to life. While the grand prize went to Sirish Subash, a 9th grader from Snellville, Georgia, for his innovative AI handheld pesticide detector, Prince and his fellow finalists impressed judges with their creative solutions to real-world challenges.

Sirish Subash, now named “America’s Top Young Scientist,” designed Pestiscand, a device that uses spectrophotometry to detect pesticide residues on produce with over 85% accuracy. His work won him the coveted $25,000 grand prize. Minula Weerasekera from Beaverton, Oregon, took second place for his energy storage solution, and William Tan from Scarsdale, New York, earned third for his AI-powered Smart Artificial Reef project.

Other remarkable finalists included students from across the U.S., like Ankan Das and Steven Goodman from Florida, Ronita Shukla from Massachusetts, and Rithvik Suren from Connecticut. Together, these young innovators are part of a legacy that stretches back 17 years, inspiring future generations to explore the transformative power of STEM.

To learn more about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and meet the next wave of young scientists, visit youngscientistlab.com .

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