2026 Fair
The Society assembled a team of judges with expertise in science teaching, ethics, and research, and gave them the difficult task of deciding which students should travel to the international competition.
Sophie Ineson and Jesse Rumball-Smith were selected as our representatives for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the United States of America in May 2026.
Sophiie Ineson and Jesse Rumball-Smith at ISEF 2026
The two students demonstrated their curiosity, creativity, dedication, and investigative skills in outstanding science projects that were judged as the best in Aotearoa New Zealand.
They were nominated by their regional science fairs Aurora Energy Otago Science & Technology Fair, and the NIWA Wellington Regional Science and Technology Fair.
Sophie Ineson, a year 12 student at Southland Girls’ High School, investigated the hidden biochemical effects of microplastics on the digestive health of Antarctica’s iconic seabirds. Sophie’s project, Disrupted Digestion, compared the effects of different microplastics on digestive enzymes, such as the enzymes that break down starch and fats. She tested this by simulating the conditions in the small intestines of king penguins.
Jesse Rumball-Smith, a year 13 student at Wellington College, explored an innovative idea to develop New Zealand wool into a textile that can passively capture carbon dioxide. Jesse’s project, Wool that Breathes, involved growing porous crystalline microstructures on the wool to capture the CO2, with the goal of demonstrating a clear pathway and proof of concept for passive carbon-capturing textiles. The potential of this technology would be to not only reduce emissions, but also lift the value of New Zealand wool.
Members of the Society’s Scientific Review Committee mentored Sophie and Jesse ahead of the international fair.
We are grateful to Committee member and science teacher, Amanda Hood, who travelled with them to Phoenix, Arizona, to support them during the competition.
Main exhibition hall ISEF 2026, photo credit: Society for Science
The judges also awarded a Special Prize (3rd place), for innovation, technical skill, and potential for impact, to Ishaan Badiyani and Siddhesh Kalyanasundaram. Their project Wave Safe investigated whether an AI-powered drone system could rapidly detect and save people at risk of drowning using autonomously deployed flotation aids.
The judges awarded another Special Prize (4th place), for in-depth understanding and demonstration of mathematics and algorithms, to Jenny Petegem-Thach, whose project Sliding Puzzles and Heuristics compared the performance of different algorithms and heuristics for navigating search-trees, with the aim of optimising decisionmaking by artificial intelligence.
The judges also commended:
Jeremy Billing for Fight of the kiwi – a video game designed to advance the goal of Predator Free 2050 (Special Prize for for innovation and excellence in software engineering).
Thomas Bannister for Epipen Locator – a tool to help people locate treatments for severe allergic reactions (Special Prize for outstanding demonstration of science education addressing important issues).
Luka Manley for Wind Tunnel – a model that can be used to explore the principles of fluid dynamics and physics (Special Prize for showing curiosity in science and seeking innovative solutions in science education).
These students were nominated by the Aurora Energy Otago Science & Technology Fair, the South and East Auckland Science and Technology Fair, and Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair.