Los Alamos County Science Fair participants in the junior division gather for a photo. Courtesy/LAPS

Los Alamos High School students Linus Plohr, Lilia Viteva and Tate Plohr are among 52 LAPS students who qualified to participate in the Feb. 28 Northeastern New Mexico Regional Science Fair. Courtesy/LAPS

LAPS News:

More than 122 projects were on display as students from elementary, middle and high school participated in the 2026 Los Alamos County Science Fair last weekend at Piñon Elementary School.

Fifty-two students qualified for the 2026 Northeastern New Mexico Regional Science Fair, which will be hosted on Feb. 28 by New Mexico Highlands University.

In the senior division, Los Alamos High School freshman Linus Plohr received the Life Science Best of Show for his project, “Collective Intelligence: Driving Lessons from Ants,” while LAHS junior Lilia Viteva’s project “Flashed: Waste Reduction Through Household Plastic Glassification” was awarded Physical Science Best of Show.

In the junior division, the Life Science Best of Show award went to Los Alamos Middle School 8th grader Sequoya Ke for her project “Mapping Medication Deserts: Pharmacy Access in New Mexico?”.

Mountain Elementary 6th grader Nejan Liyange received the Physical Science Best of Show for his project, “Geometry in the Real World: Which Shape Holds the Most Weight?”

More than 100 members of the community volunteered to judge this year’s projects. Head judges for the Science Fair were Cathy Snelson and Jonas Kintner. Co-head judges were Ellen Syracuse, Ting Chen and Neala Creasy.

County Science Fair Director Davine Jones played a major role behind the success of the Science Fair, including shifting gears when the event had to be rescheduled to a new date and location.

“Your hard work does not go unnoticed,” said Assistant Superintendent Carter Payne during the elementary and junior/senior award ceremonies held in the new Piñon Elementary gym Saturday evening.

Members of the Science Fair committee included Amy Gilbert and Emily Christensen, Aspen Elementary; Tomas Salas, Candice Kuykendall and Pamela Miller, Barranca Mesa Elementary; Drew Kirian, Chamisa Elementary; Mary Alice Hawkins, Mountain Elementary; Jennifer Naes, Piñon Elementary; Maria Musgrave, Los Alamos Middle School; and Dr. Michela Ombelli, Los Alamos High School.

Thirty-nine students received special awards provided by community sponsors:

• American Association of University Women (AAUW);
• Bradbury Science Museum;
• PEEC;
• Los Alamos Garden Club;
• Los Alamos Master Gardeners;
• Oppenheimer Memorial Committee;
• Cheryl Pongratz; and
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Several community organizations made generous donations in support of the Science Fair: 

• Los Alamos Elks Lodge 2083;
• Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos;
• Barranca Mesa PTO;
• LAMS PTO;
• Pinon PTO; and
• Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation.

2026 Los Alamos County Science Fair Awards

Best of Show for Elementary Division
Class Project: Mrs. Hartman’s 3rd grade class, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Earth Science: Fan Guo and Ifraz Mokim, Mountain Elementary
Life Science: Lydia Marshall, Mountain Elementary
Physical Science: Gracie Nichols, Piñon Elementary

Best of Show for Junior Division
Life Science: Sequoya Ke, Los Alamos Middle School
Physical Science: Nejan Liyange, Mountain Elementary

Best of Show for Senior Division
Life Science: Linus Plohr, Los Alamos High School
Physical Science: Lilia Viteva, Los Alamos High School

Elementary Division Awards

Earth Science
1st: Fan Guo and Ifraz Mokin, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Charles Andrews, Barranca Mesa Elementary
3rd: Leo Brelsford-Coon, Mountain Elementary
Honorable Mention: Henry Junghans, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Life Science
1st: Lydia Marshall, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Alexander Yampolsky, Barranca Mesa Elementary
3rd: Mrs. Hartman’s 3rd grade class, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Eleanor Minko, Mountain Elementary

Physical Science
1st: Reece Garcia, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Astrid Fobes, Mountain Elementary
Honorable Mention: Nathan Nguyen, Mountain Elementary
Honorable Mention: Gracie Nichols, Piñon Elementary

Junior Division Awards

Animal Science
1st: Aurora Roberts-Voss, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Behavioral & Social Science
1st: Matilde Ribiero, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Julian Trent, Mountain Elementary
3rd: Sam Willard, Mountain Elementary

Cellular and Molecular Biology
1st: Evelyn Fobes, Los Alamos Middle School

Chemistry
1st: Graylan Lloyd, Barranca Mesa Elementary
2nd: Johanna Burrows and Alexa Melaschenko, Mountain Elementary
3rd: Paul Work, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Sebastian Johnson, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Noah Mendez, Chamisa Elementary

Computer Science
1st: Eisley Connell, Chamisa Elementary
2nd: Emma Bittner and Viviana Daly, Chamisa Elementary

Energy and Transportation
1st: Brandon Keller, Los Alamos Middle School

Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical
1st: Daniel Yampolsky, Los Alamos Middle School
2nd: Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary
3rd: Sydney Chen, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Engineering: Materials & Bioengineering
1st: Brennan Apperson, Barranca Mesa Elementary
2nd: Hendrix Deschamp, Chamisa Elementary

Environmental Science
1st: Walter Evans, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Rishabh Nandy, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Andres Sandoval, Chamisa Elementary

Environmental Management
1st: James Junghans, Los Alamos Middle School
2nd: Jase Blaylock, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Mathematical Sciences
1st: Nejan Liyange, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Henry Rodarte, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Medicine and Health Sciences
1st: Sequoya Ke, Los Alamos Middle School
2nd: Annabel Tucker, Barranca Mesa Elementary
3rd: Rowan Waidmann, Mountain Elementary

Microbiology
Honorable Mention: Lily Neale, Barranca Mesa Elementary

Plant Sciences
1st: Glyn Lo, Mountain Elementary
2nd: Pierce Davis, Mountain Elementary
3rd: Anna Moss, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Quinn Calabaza and Lily Mockler-Wood, Mountain Elementary

Physics & Astronomy
1st: Mason Garcia, Los Alamos Middle School
2nd: Aditya Nag, Piñon Elementary
3rd: Mary Beth Kelsey, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Corbin Wakeford and Matthew Martinez, Barranca Mesa Elementary
Honorable Mention: Andrew Gilbertson, Los Alamos Middle School

Senior Division Awards

Behavioral and Social Sciences
1st: Linus Plohr, Los Alamos High School

Biochemistry
1st: Chelsea Nguyen

Cellular and Molecular Biology
Julia Neale, Los Alamos High School

Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering
1st: Lilia Viteva, Los Alamos High School

Mathematical Sciences
1st: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch, Homeschool

Physics and Astronomy
1st: Tate Plohr, Los Alamos High School

Students answer questions from the judges during the 2026 Los Alamos County Science Fair. Courtesy/LAPS

Students answer questions from the judges during the 2026 Los Alamos County Science Fair. Courtesy/LAPS

Students answer questions from the judges during the 2026 Los Alamos County Science Fair. Courtesy/LAPS