Oklahoma student mentored by OSU professor does well at International Science and Engineering Fair
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Media Contact: Dakota Keith | OSSEF Marketing Coordinator | 405-744-5432 | dakota.keith@okstate.edu
Two Oklahoma students came home with awards after advancing to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair from the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair in March.
Oklahoma State University has hosted OSSEF since 2019, providing a pathway for top students to advance to the ISEF competition that was held in May in Columbus, Ohio, this year. At ISEF, students Andrew Zhang from Norman North High School and Alex Kidangathazhe from Stillwater High School rose to the top among 1,657 finalists, presenting 1,334 projects and representing 63 countries, regions and territories.
Zhang received a YM American Academy special award, given to projects that display outstanding creativity and ingenuity in science and engineering with a focus on all areas in chemistry sciences. Kidangathazhe placed third in the grand awards ceremony in the microbiology division, with his project entitled “Understanding the Synergy Between Antibiotics and Phenolic Acids.”
According to Dr. Rachael Eaton, OSU College of Arts and Sciences research engagement program director and co-director of OSSEF, this has been the best showing for Team Oklahoma and qualifiers from OSSEF in the last several years.
Kidangathazhe was mentored throughout his research by OSU visiting assistant professor in veterinary pathobiology, Dr. Phurt Harnvoravongchai, and he also worked closely with graduate student Tanim Islam to perform experimentation.
Kidangathazhe’s project focused on developing alternatives for antibiotic resistance by exploring how phenolic acids can interact with antibiotics to possibly extend their lifespan.
“The mechanism behind my study shows how this interaction is happening,” Kidangathazhe said. “That is important because if you don’t know how the interaction is happening, you couldn’t give a proper treatment.”
Kidangathazhe said he has always been interested in microbiology, with his first science fair project focused on assessing the global state of antimicrobial resistance. The recent passing of Kidangathazhe’s grandmother to an antibiotic-resistant infection influenced his project topic this year.
Kidangathazhe has volunteered at Dr. Joy Scaria’s microbiomics lab in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at OSU for the past two years. At the lab, Scaria’s team, including Harnvoravongchai, focuses on the association between gut microbiome and health.
“I mentored Alex for two to three months during his school breaks,” Harnvoravongchai said. “During that time, he conducted experiments in the lab and performed computational analysis.”
Harnvorvongchai’s research interests cover the development and mechanisms associated with the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. He is also interested in discovering non-antibiotic treatments to combat emerging antibiotic resistance.
“Given my expertise, Alex’s research aligns well with mine, as his study focused on the breakdown of molecules produced by gut microbiota and their activity to inhibit pathogenic [or disease-causing] bacteria,” Harnvoravongchai said.
Additionally, Alex’s work expands into using those broken-down molecules to increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, improving drug efficiency while minimizing gut microbiome imbalances, Harnvoravongchai added.
Kidangathazhe’s placing at ISEF earned him a $1,200 prize.
“This is the highest placement I have ever received,” Kidangathazhe said. “It means so much not only because I [placed highly], but because it also shows that world-class research can be done anywhere and by anyone.”
“Alex is truly deserving of [his ISEF award],” Harnvoravongchai said. “He has not only shown his intelligence to understand and critically analyze complex scientific questions, but also he has shown good time management and work organization skills, which represent the qualities of a researcher and have allowed him to deliver meaningful results.”
Just because the science fair is behind him doesn’t mean Kidangathazhe plans on slowing down. He said that he plans to continue his current research and try to publish his work, with a plan to compete at OSSEF 2026.
“I think Alex is a perfect example of how having an OSU mentor can be a transformative experience for OSSEF students and others who compete at the regional level across the state,” Eaton said. “The faculty are often ‘celebrities’ in the eyes of these students. They are often sitting in a place where the students would like to be one day; a practicing scientist, an engineering expert, a social scientist. These individuals are making a real difference, and it is invaluable to a student to have a role model, supporter and technical guide in an OSU leader.”
Eaton said that in return, mentors to students participating in science and engineering fairs often get an enthusiastic team member and the satisfaction of seeing a future STEM leader develop, while sometimes finding opportunities to move their research in new directions.
The OSSEF steering committee is always looking for more volunteers and support so that participating students who are passionate about researching can also be connected with possible mentors.
“Seeing our students recognized at the international level means that Oklahoma’s bright young scientists and engineers are getting the acknowledgment that they deserve, and it makes us proud of the program network that we are building statewide to find ways for these curious students to develop skills and find a way to dive into their passions,” Eaton said. “OSSEF and our statewide science fair system are fantastic and having the opportunity at OSU to host and support these programs is exciting and illustrative of our land grant mission. We cannot wait to keep working and see all the possibilities that the future holds.”