Vikas Bhetanabhotla, who starts Gr. 9 in the fall, won first place in the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics category at the California State Science Fair (CSSF) in May. Vikas’ project, “A Study of Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion and Dimensionless Numbers,” earned him a medal and a $250 prize.

Vikas’ trip to the fair was assured in March at the Synopsys Championship, where he also won a first place award. He made adjustments to his projects during the time between the Synopsys event and the CSSF. At the fair Vikas was interviewed for four hours by 14 judges. His mother, Padmasri Behtanabhotla, said,“Every one of them was very appreciative of the amount of work he had done, his analysis and in-depth understanding of the subject.”