Students from Blacksburg High School delivered a strong performance at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair this past Saturday, April 11. The competition, held at Piedmont Virginia Community College, featured some of the most promising young researchers and innovators from across the Commonwealth.
The group representing Blacksburg qualified for the state-level event after securing first-place finishes in their respective categories at the Blue Ridge Highlands Regional Science Fair earlier this year. The qualifying team included Saad Ali, Xavier Gitre, Lucas Holland, Adelaide Li, and Ian Yu.
Several students earned top honors for their scientific inquiries and technical designs during the weekend’s proceedings. In the category of Cell, Molecular and Computational Biology and Biochemistry, Saad Ali secured a second-place finish. Xavier Gitre also received recognition for his work in the Animal Sciences division, earning an Honorable Mention from the judging panel.
Ian Yu received multiple accolades for his contributions to the field of Robotics, Software, and Embedded Systems. In addition to taking second place in that category, Yu was honored with the Leidos Award for Excellence in Applied Science, earning first place for that specific distinction.
The success of these students highlights the rigorous academic standards and the commitment to scientific discovery within the Blacksburg High School community. Following their achievements in Charlottesville, the participants return home having distinguished themselves among the top tier of Virginia’s high school scientists.