Congratulations to MacArthur Research students Kevin Tierney and Dev Patel for their recent awards.

Kevin Tierney, a senior at MacArthur, was awarded Honorable Mention at the South Asian American Women's Alliance (SAAWA) Senior Science Fair. His research project focused on a critical environmental challenge: the persistence of plastic waste. Kevin's study investigated the efficacy of Rhodamine B as a photocatalyst to accelerate the degradation of polystyrene. By identifying chemical methods to break down one of the most common and stubborn forms of plastic, his work offers promising implications for future waste management and global sustainability efforts.

Dev Patel, a junior, secured 3rd Place in SAAWA's High School AI Writing Challenge. In an era of rapid technological advancement, Dev's paper provided a nuanced examination of "AI replacement anxiety"?the growing concern regarding human displacement by automation. His work went beyond current fears to analyze the foundational shifts AI is likely to trigger across various industries, offering a forward-looking perspective on how society must adapt to a new digital reality.