Lancaster Students Make History at World’s Largest Science Competition
(LANCASTER)—For the first time in North Museum Science and Engineering Fair’s 73-year history, a trifecta: three finalists in the local competition traveled to Phoenix, Arizona last week to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and each returned home with awards, honors and accolades.
Lancaster Country Day School senior Benedikt Kienle earned 1st in the ISEF’s Chemistry category, as well as receiving a full tuition scholarship to Westlake University, an all-expense paid trip to Sweden during Nobel week, and auxiliary awards Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS and 2nd award by the American Chemical Society. Kienle’s winning project, “New Green Chemistry Iridium Catalysts,” had won Senior Champion at the North Museum Science & Engineering Fair (NMSEF) in March 2026. Kienle is a German exchange student.
NMSEF Grand Champion Ethan Albright, a Hempfield High School senior, was awarded 4th place in the ISEF’s Materials Science category for his “Bugged Out: A Novel Approach to Reforestation” project. Warwick High School senior Emily Stauffer competed in the ISEF as the NMSEF’s Senior Division Reserve Champion and captured ISEF’s 4th place in the Animal Sciences category with her project “Rats on Roughage: The Effects of Dietary Fiber on Rattus norvegicus.”
ISEF is the world’s largest international science competition for pre-college students. The three Lancaster County students traveled to Phoenix to compete among 1,725 other students from 65 countries from May 9 to May 15. “Accompanying our NMSEF winners to ISEF was an unforgettable experience,” said Todd Trout, Kienle’s science teacher at Lancaster Country Day School. “Seeing all three receive awards for their outstanding work made me very proud of them. I am appreciative of all who support the NMSEF.”
More than $7 million in awards and prizes were distributed at the 75-year-old event, which is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students. “Participating in ISEF allowed me to expand my professional network and gain inspiration from industry leaders like Dr. George Yancopoulos,” said Emily Stauffer. “More importantly, it provided a platform to channel my own health struggles into meaningful research, transforming a personal challenge into a drive for scientific discovery.” Stauffer plans to attend McDaniel College to major in Biochemistry as the first step toward medical school and a career as a gastroenterologist.
Warwick High School Chemistry teacher Doug Balmer, who also accompanied the three students to ISEF, noted the support of local educational resources in the students’ preparations: “Over 30 local businesses and individuals donated close to $11,000 to make this life-changing trip possible for the students.”
The 2027 North Museum Science & Engineering Fair will be held at Millersville University on Thursday, March 11, and is one of just six fairs in Pennsylvania associated with ISEF. Students from every public school district in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, as well as all private, charter, online and home schools are invited to enter the competition. Next year’s competition will begin with registration in early Fall 2026 and is free of charge to all participating students. For additional information, please email sciencefair@northmuseum.org. “ISEF offers a unique opportunity for our students to connect with other young scientists, engineers, inventors and global STEM leaders,” said Dan Daneker, NMSEF Coordinator. “These impressive results are inspiring to our local sponsors, volunteers, judges and leadership.”
Support the Future of Student Science
The North Museum Science & Engineering Fair has inspired young researchers for more than 73 years and remains completely free for participating students. Community support helps make opportunities like ISEF possible—opening doors for local students to explore, discover, and compete on a global stage. Learn more about supporting NMSEF and helping keep the program accessible for all at North Museum Science & Engineering Fair.