Elwood-John H. Glenn High School senior Rithika Narayan was awarded first place in the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair for her project, “Harnessing Deep Learning to Assess Coral Reef Health through Crowd-sourced Efforts.”

In addition to winning the Grand Award for her outstanding science research project, Rithika also received three special awards, including an award from the Association for Women Geoscientists that acknowledges young women for their work in earth and environmental sciences, an award from the Environmental Protection Agency which recognizes students for projects in environmental science and engineering, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet award recognizing research that emphasizes the NOAA’s mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal resources.

“I greatly appreciate the incredible support I receive from all levels of the district,” Rithika said. “Their continued support has made my participation in science research possible.”

Following her first-place finish in the LISEF competition, Rithika now advances to compete against the top science research students from around the world in the International Science and Engineering Fair.

“The amount of pride Rithika brings to both her family and the Elwood community is beyond measure,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kenneth Bossert said. “On behalf of myself and the Board of Education, congratulations once again on a tremendous accomplishment.”