By Mallika Vellore | Posted July 24, 2025
From pH-powered diapers to firefighting robots, Montgomery’s Science Expo 2025 was filled with innovations and a contagious excitement for science.
Hannah Change and Delisha Gandhi presented on a distillation process that neutralizes harmful chemicals.
Science Inc, a club based in Montgomery Upper Middle School (UMS), sponsored the expo. It was founded five years ago by Anshu Cherukumilli, Devraj Dutta, Anish Dhal, and Leela Sondhi, as 8th graders at UMS. Their goal was to create a club where students could explore various areas of science and apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
Dutta, now a graduated senior, said, “We wanted to promote science and exploration among younger kids so they could develop an interest in innovation and a passion for learning through the science expo,” adding “it’s an opportunity for kids of all ages to explore applicational science, beyond what they learn in class.”
The Curious Experimenters team. Left to Right: Revansh Raj Kollu, Noah Civico, Dhruv Iyer, and Jasit Singh (3rd Graders at VES) Focused their tri-fold on Apollo 13’s spacecraft and their free-return trajectory. They wanted to focus on the problem-solution story of how this trajectory helped the crew safely return after a critical spacecraft failure.
The event has undergone significant changes over the years, most notably in its expansion to include students from across the district. It has also featured clubs from Montgomery High School, like the Girls Wrestling Club, Environmental Club, and Science Olympiad, helping create a lively, collaborative atmosphere for students and families.
This year’s expo was judged by Kavita Sastry, Mayukh Sen, Anuji Abraham, Siju Paul, Smruti Dhal, and Sonia Batra, all with strong backgrounds in science.
With more than 60 projects and nearly 300 attendees, nine teams were awarded across the junior, intermediate, and senior divisions.
Standout entries included the intermediate first-place team’s wildfire prediction software, the second-place team’s robot that finds and puts out fire hotspots, and the junior third-place team’s biodegradable plastic innovations.
Advertisement
