Revealed: Winners of the Youth STEM Matters Author Awards

Youth STEM Matters
Written By Mhairi McCann

Our Youth STEM Matters Author Awards recognise some of the most interesting and impactful articles written by youth globally for Youth STEM Matters.

From a shortlist of 35 authors and articles, our judges had the challenge of selecting each of the category winners, which were revealed in our Awards Ceremony at the Youth STEM Matters Research Conference. Congratulations to our winners!

Article Awards

The following awards are in recognition of a specific article…

Best SDG Focus

Winner - The Interdependence of Human Health and the Health of Planet Earth, by Laura Maisvoreva (with artwork by Kiera McCabe)

Awarded in recognition of an article that shows excellent consideration of the SDGs. This may include considering the topic from the angle of multiple SDGs, including the benefits and trade-offs associated with a problem or solution.

Shortlisted:

Speak Up Award

Winner - The Science of the Sanitary Pad, by Jahnavi Giridhar

Awarded in recognition of an article which explores and raises awareness of an issue or topic which is rarely spoken about or is often considered taboo. The author will have approached the topic well, and has raised awareness of it amongst our audience.

Shortlisted:

Local Spotlight Award

Winner - Hostile Architecture: From Canada to Peru, by Kavina Uthayakumaran and Valeria Cerpa Salas

Awarded in recognition of an article which has shone the spotlight on an issue that is local to the author and relevant to the people in their local area/region/country.

Shortlisted:

Inclusion Champion

Winner - Will Artificial Intelligence Take Its Bias To Space?, by Artash Nath

Awarded in recognition of an article or author(s) that championed inclusion through their writing or the approach they took towards writing their article.

Shortlisted:

Investigator Award

Winner - In Conversation with John Sutor and Carlos Mercado-Lara of SciTeens, by Louise Robertson and Tashinga Mutemachani

Awarded in recognition of an author(s) who took an investigative approach towards their article, actively seeking out the best and most relevant information to include. This may be through asking insightful interview questions, proactively contacting organisations to provide input, seeking the truth on a topic where misinformation is prevalent, or something else.

Shortlisted:

 

Author Awards

The following awards are in recognition of the author(s), who may have written (or be in the process of writing) one or several articles…

Exceptional Communication Award

Winner - Kavya Venkatesan

Awarded in recognition of an author who has shown exceptional communication to write an article(s) that is highly engaging.

Shortlisted:

  • Lily Tierney

  • Meg Ardis

  • Shalini Sellam

Outstanding Dedication Award

Winner - Katie Molyneux

Winner - Kiran Bashir

Awarded in recognition of an author(s) who has demonstrated an excellent attitude and has worked notably hard to make their article the best it can be.

Shortlisted:

  • Reemal Shahbaz, Katherine Chen, Alex Ganotakis and Umaima Usman

  • Zuzana Hudáčová

Bright Ideas Award

Winner - Ava Garside

Awarded in recognition of an idea that has the potential to make a real difference. While the idea may not yet have been put into action at a large scale, it is a concept which shows promise to make meaningful change if implemented/created.

Shortlisted:

  • Laura Maisvoreva

  • Simran Adnani

World Changing Innovation

Winner - Neha Shukla

Awarded in recognition of an innovation or technology that has been shown to make a real difference. The innovation needs not have been produced at scale, but some sort of testing/prototyping/development has taken place, taking it beyond the realms of an idea, and into a tangible solution for which there is evidence of efficacy.

Shortlisted:

  • Diana Virgovicova

  • Miriam Turk and Ruth Turk

  • Timothy McGrath

Research Award

Winner - Jacqueline Prawira

Winner - Lela DeVine

In recognition of a high quality project (Original Research or Review Article) which makes a substantial contribution to the SDGs. It truly demonstrates that there's no age limit to making a meaningful contribution to STEM research.

Shortlisted:

  • Katie Molyneux

  • Zuzana Hudáčová

Congratulations to all of the winners and shortlistees on your achievements!

Mhairi McCann

Mhairi (she/her) is Youth STEM 2030’s Founder & CEO, and her work here is fuelled by a deep drive to create possibility for other young changemakers in STEM. Based in Inverclyde, Scotland, her expertise lies in creating meaningful, inclusive and participatory youth inclusion in decision-making. A generalist, Mhairi brings a strategic approach to the pursuit of our mission, and enjoys thinking of the bigger picture and ‘joining the dots’. She has a strong focus on equity & inclusion, is especially passionate about ocean conservation and, in her free time, enjoys volunteering and spending time in nature on long walks with Gordon the dog. Mhairi is a 776 Foundation Climate Fellow, and a 2021 National Geographic Young Explorer, and for her work at Youth STEM 2030, she was named Winner of the 2022 Young Scot Environment Award.

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