Upstate Student Innovators Recognized at the 2026 South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair
Apr 8, 2026 | Special Events | Science
CENTRAL, SC – Southern Wesleyan University proudly hosted the 2026 South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair on March 20, welcoming student competitors from across seven Upstate counties. Students in grades 3–12 presented original research across a wide range of STEM categories, showcasing innovation, curiosity, and scientific excellence.
Top winners earned recognition, scholarships, and opportunities to advance to prestigious competitions, including the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC).
“Each year, we are inspired by the level of thought, discipline, and creativity these students bring to their research,” said Dr. Staci Johnson, Chair of the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics at Southern Wesleyan University and Director of the South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair. “These projects reflect not only academic excellence, but also a deep curiosity about solving real-world problems. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and support their continued growth in STEM.”
The event concluded with the announcement of the Overall Grand Award winners, recognizing the top projects across all categories:
1st Place — Arjun V Jain
Sentinel AI: An LLM-Driven Framework for Real-Time Automated Outbreak Detection using Doctor-Patient Conversations
D.W. Daniel High School
2nd Place — Ritesh J. Babu
Pharmacoperone-Mediated Rescue of MC4R: Evaluating SM-001 in Restoring Intracellular cAMP Signaling
D.W. Daniel High School
3rd Place — Tinisha Singh
Determining the Effect of Salt Stress on Two Diverse Cotton Varieties
D.W. Daniel High School
The success of the 2026 Science Fair was made possible through the generous support of community partners. Ortec served as Title Sponsor, The Budd Group as Gold Sponsor, and Hill Electric as Third Place Sponsor. Their investment helps provide scholarships, awards, and pathways for students to compete at higher levels.
The South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair continues to serve as a launchpad for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators—encouraging students across the Upstate to explore, discover, and lead in STEM fields.
Community Support Needed
Southern Wesleyan University is seeking community support to help send the region’s top two qualifiers to the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Arjun V. Jain and Ritesh J. Babu, both of D.W. Daniel High School, have earned the opportunity to compete on the global stage. ISEF brings together top young scientists from around the world and represents the highest level of pre-college scientific competition.
The University is seeking four Presenting Sponsors at $2,500 each and welcomes donations of any amount to help cover travel, registration, and related expenses.
Those interested in supporting these students can give online at www.swu.edu/give/give-online by selecting “Other” and designating “SC Region 1 Science Fair.”
A complete list of category winners can be found here.
Save the Date – March 21, 2027
Planning is already underway for next year’s competition at Southern Wesleyan University.
For more information about the South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair, contact:
South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair
Southern Wesleyan University
Email:
Phone: (864) 644-5000
AWARD Categories
22 categories
- Animal Sciences (ANIM)
- Behavioral and Social Sciences (BEHA)
- Biochemistry (BCHM)
- Biomedical and Health Sciences (BMED)
- Biomedical Engineering (ENBM)
- Cellular and Molecular Biology (CELL)
- Chemistry (CHEM)
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBIO)
- Earth and Environmental Sciences (EAEV)
- Embedded Systems (EBED)
- Energy: Chemical (EGCH)
- Energy: Physical (EGPH)
- Engineering Mechanics (ENMC)
- Environmental Engineering (ENEV)
- Materials Science (MATS)
- Mathematics (MATH)
- Microbiology (MCRO)
- Physics and Astronomy (PHYS)
- Plant Sciences (PLNT)
- Robotics and Intelligent Machines (ROBO)
- Systems Software (SOFT)
- Translational Medical Science (TMED)
About Southern Wesleyan University
Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused, faith-filled community that offers inventive learning experiences. The university endeavors to prepare its students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ. For details about degree programs, go online to www.swu.edu.