Each student conducted an original research project in one of 12 scientific categories identified by PJAS, and then presented her research to a team of judges at competition. The Ellis PJAS team is overseen by faculty advisor Kim Mechling.

Four Ellis students won special awards and also took first place honors:

Sruthi Muluk, Class of 2015, won three awards:

• First Place
• Award of Excellence from the Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering
• Award of Excellence from the Society of Women Engineers

Sanjana Adurty, Class of 2016, won three awards:

• First Place
• Perfect Score
• Duquesne University Award for Merit

Taylor Robinson, Class of 2017, won two awards:

• First Place
• Award of Excellence from the Duquesne University Rangos School of Health Sciences

Pallavi Muluk, Class of 2017, won two awards:

• First Place
• Award of Excellence in Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering

First Place Awards were won by:

• Sofia Lorenzini, Class of 2019
• Rebecca Rust, Class of 2019
• Lucia Snyderman, Class of 2019

Second Place Awards were won by:

• Anya Levine, Class of 2019
• Katharine Ference, Class of 2019
• Leah Ewers, Class of 2019
• Olivia Strickland, Class of 2019
• Alexandra Wood, Class of 2020

All first place winners are invited to participate at the PJAS state competition in May at Penn State’s Main Campus. Several of the PJAS participants from Ellis will also participate in the Pittsburgh Science Fair taking place in April at Heinz Field.

Please join us in congratulating these brilliant girls and their dedicated faculty advisor Kim Mechling, who sends special thanks to Upper School teachers Sam Rauhala (physics), Kassie Wadsworth (biology), and Erica Holtgraver (chemistry) for the guidance they provided particularly to our Middle School students.