Directors:

Sarah Guo, Statistics and Health Sciences ’26

I joined SOAA because Science Olympiad was a formative part of my high school experience. I loved competing in tournaments, exploring new topics within STEM, and building memories with all of my teammates. Through SOAA, I hope to give back to this important community by organizing Rice’s Regional Tournament and mentoring other students interested in science and problem-solving!

 

 

 

 

Jack Krause, Biosciences ’26

I’m in Rice SOAA because I did SciOly from 6th to 12th grade, and I enjoyed competing in events like disease detectives, cell biology, and microbe mission. Now that I’m on the organizational side of things, I have really enjoyed putting together a regional tournament each year to bring a high quality science competition to high schools from across Texas every year.

 

 

 

 

Outreach Coordinator and Website Manager:

Vikram Shah, Computational and Applied Math ’26

I joined Rice SOAA because I competed in Texas Science Olympiad in high school. I competed in geologic mapping, dynamic planet, and water quality. I’ve really enjoyed delivering a positive tournament experience for all competitors at Rice’s regional over the last 3 years.

 

 

 

 

Sponsor:

Dr. Richard Gordon, Keck Professor of Geophysics, Earth Science Department

Richard Gordon headshot

Chem & Lab Managers:

Chetan Yenigalla, Neuroscience ’29

What’s up yall! I’m Chetan Yenigalla and I’m a first-year from Duncan studying Neuroscience with a concentration in Computational Neuroscience on the pre-med track. I joined science Olympiad my sophomore year of high school, and I truly enjoyed all the events I’ve participated in. I love working in a team, and I want to continue that at Rice!

Daniel Ren, Chemistry ’29

Hey y’all! I’m Daniel Ren, a freshman currently majoring in Chemistry. I’ve done Science Olympiad for three years in high school, focusing on the chemistry-related events (Forensics, Chemistry Lab, Materials Science). Scioly was the most rewarding extracurricular I ever took part in high school, so I look forward to seeing y’all at our invitational!

 Laylee Taghizadeh, Biosciences and Health Science ’29

I joined Rice Science Olympiad To give back to the next generation of Science Olympians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Study Event Managers:

Rahul Kishore, Electrical and Computer Engineering ’28

I joined the Rice SOAA because my high school Science Olympiad team gave me some of the best memories of my high school years. Science Olympiad was a community where I met passionate, curious people who inspired me to push my limits and fall in love with learning. Most of all, the excitement of competition days left a lasting impact on me, and I want to give that same experience to the younger generation of students to help them discover the same excitement for science and problem-solving that shaped my own journey.

 

 

 

 

Audrey Wang, Material Science and Nanoengineering ’29

My name is Audrey. I am a freshman planning to major in Material Science and Nanoengineering. Some of my favorite memories from high school come from late nights studying for Science Olympiad exams and bonding with my teammates before competitions. I joined SOAA to give back to the organization that shaped so many of my best experiences and inspired my love for learning. My favorite events include Ornithology, WIDI, and Trajectory!

 

 

Anna Zamastsyanina, Bioengineering ’29

My name is Anna Zamastsyanina, and I am a freshman studying Bioengineering. I joined Rice Science Olympiad after competing for 6 years in school. My favorite events were Ornithology and Astronomy, and I’m excited to continue being a part of Science Olympiad!

Build Event Managers:

Connor Jin, Electrical Engineering ’29

Hi! I’m Connor, and I competed in Science Olympiad throughout high school in various physics and build events. Through Rice Scioly, I’m hoping to give back to the community that fostered my interest in STEM. Outside of nerd stuff, I also enjoy tennis, watching movies, and rock climbing (debatably another form of nerd stuff).

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Whitworth, Mechanical Engineering ’29

Hi! My name is Matthew and I am a freshman at Rice studying Mechanical Engineering. I have competed at Science Olympiad in Missouri since 7th grade going to both regionals and state. My favorite events were Robot Tour and Electric Vehicle. I enjoyed Science Olympiad and want high school students to have the same STEM opportunities through Rice SOAA

 

 

 

 

 

Hari Muhunthan, Neuroscience ’29

Hi! My name is Hari, and I’m a freshman majoring in Neuroscience. I participated in Science Olympiad in high school, and while I did a little bit of everything, I mainly focused on builds. I joined SOAA because I had so much fun at SciOly competitions, and I hope to pass that on. In my free time, you can find me in the lab, jogging in Hermann Park, and playing my guitar.