MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is pleased to announce the award winners for oral and written presentations chosen from 100 participants by an eminent panel of judges at the 43rd annual Research Science Institute (RSI), sponsored in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Each of the winners received $1,000 scholarship awards from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Top 5 Written Research:
- Raquel Gomez Junco Lobo, American School Foundation of Monterrey, Mexico
- Sylvia Lee, Lexington High School, Lexington, Massachusetts
- Ngawang Namgyal, The Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York
- Rohan Peddamallu, Franklin High School, Franklin, Wisconsin
- Nikola Veselinov, Sofia High School of Mathematics, Sofia, Bulgaria
Top 5 Oral Presentations:
- Logan Duran, NUS High School of Math and Science, Singapore
- Luke Itomura, Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Siddhi Kochar, Shiv Nadar School, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Guanjie (Tony) Lu, Saint Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, Texas
- Xindy Luo, Raffles Institution, Singapore, Singapore
In addition, Michael Luo of Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka, Minnesota, was chosen by his RSI peers for the top honor: Rickoid of the Year. The award recognizes academic acumen, leadership, and personal demeanor, and is named for late Admiral H.G. Rickover, “The Father of the Nuclear Navy,” and co-founder of CEE.
“These scholars are our future creators, inventors, scientists, and leaders of the 21st century, and their research represents a high level of academic acumen,” said Joann P. DiGennaro, CEE President and Co-Founder.
The 2026 RSI summer program was held June 28 to August 8. It consisted of one week of theoretical classroom work, followed by four-and-a-half weeks of innovative research under the mentorship of leading scientists, engineers, and researchers. In their final week, students demonstrated their research work through written academic papers and oral presentations to their peers and a panel of judges.
About the Center for Excellence in Education
The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in 1983 by the late Admiral H.G. Rickover and Joann P. DiGennaro, President of the Center. The Center’s mission is to nurture high school and university scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and business, and to encourage collaboration between and among scientific and technological leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), USA Biolympiad (USABO), Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP), and STEM Lyceums. CEE is a leading source for top STEM talent. For more information, visit https://www.cee.org.
Media Contact: John Mooney, Over The Moon PR, (908) 720-6057, john@overthemoonpr.com
