Two Indian students bag $50,000 prize at International Science and Engineering Fair

From left: Meghana Bollimpalli, Oliver Nicholls and Dhruvik Parikh celebrate on Friday, May 18, 2018, at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Nicholls, of Sydney, Australia, was awarded first place for designing and building a prototype of an autonomous robotic window cleaner for commercial buildings. Bollimpalli, of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Parikh, of Bothell, Washington, received Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

Oliver Nicholls, 19, of Sydney, Australia, was awarded first place on Friday, May 18, 2018, for designing and building a prototype of an autonomous robotic window cleaner for commercial buildings at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)

Finalists celebrate their home countries at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public. This year’s competition featured nearly 1,800 young scientists selected from 420 affiliate fairs in 81 countries, regions and territories. 2018 Intel ISEF takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

Overhead view of the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. This year’s competition, which takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18, featured nearly 1,800 young scientists selected from 420 affiliate fairs in 81 countries, regions and territories. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)

Finalists enjoy the Intel Quad at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. 2018 Intel ISEF takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)

The 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, featured nearly 1,800 young scientists selected from 420 affiliate fairs in 81 countries, regions and territories. 2018 Intel ISEF takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)

Meghana Bollimpalli, 17, of Little Rock, Arkansas, received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 on Friday, May 28, 2018, for her novel, low-cost approach for synthesizing materials that could greatly cut the production and energy costs of making electrodes for devices like supercapacitors. The 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)

Dhruvik Parikh, 18, of Bothell, Washington, received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000 on Friday, May 28, 2018, for his development of less expensive, yet more robust ion exchange membranes for use in large industrial-scale batteries for storing solar or wind-generated electricity for later distribution. The 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, takes place in Pittsburgh from May 13-18. (Credit: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public)