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The IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship, initially awarded in 1999 and celebrating its 25th Anniversary, recognizes a deserving student for an outstanding project that demonstrates an understanding of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer science, or other IEEE fields of interest. The winner is selected annually by a group of IEEE member judges from students presenting projects at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Meet the 2024 winners: 

Angelina Kim, a senior at the Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA, USA won this year’s IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship, a US$10,000 scholarship payable over four years of undergraduate university study. Kim was recognized for her Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System for Ocean Hazard Recognition and Rescue: Scout and Rescue UAV Prototype. The autonomous UAV lifeguard system consists of two types of drones: a scout craft and a rescue craft. The scout drone surveys approximately 1 kilometer of shoreline, taking photographs and analyzing them for rip currents, which can be deadly to swimmers. If the scout drone detects a swimmer in distress, it then summons the rescue drone to drop a flotation device outfitted with a heaving rope to help pull the swimmer to shore. Kim plans to study electrical or mechanical engineering in college.

The second-place prize of US$600 went to Sahiti Busulu, a senior at Basis Independent High School in Fremont, CA, USA. Busulu’s project, Carbonflux Network, a sensor node designed to get more data in the transfer of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the physical environment, the ecosystem carbon exchange. Bulusu plans to pursue a degree in computer science or environmental science. Whatever field she choses, she says, she wants to improve the environment with the technology she creates.

The third place prize of US$400 went to Xiangzhou “Jonas” Sun, a senior at the Webb School of California, in Claremont, CA, USA. Sun’s project is a mobile application called Gaze Link. The low-cost smartphone app uses eye-gesture recognition, AI sentence generation, and text-to-speech capabilities to allow people with disabilities linked to ALS to use their phone’s front-end camera to communicate. Gaze Link now works with three languages: English, Mandarin, and Spanish and is available through Google Play. Sun says he plans to use his engineering know-how to help people with disabilities. 

The 25th anniversary award, in the amount of US$1,000, was given to Abishek Shah, a senior at Green Level High School in Cary, NC, USA, for his AuralStudio development environment. Shah’s AuralStudio allows programmers with a visual disability to write, build, run, and test prototypes by eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse in favor of a custom control pad. It includes a voice-only option for those who cannot use their hands.

The IEEE Foundation has partnered with IEEE Educational Activities to present this prestigious Scholarship since 1999. Donations to the IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship Fund of the IEEE Foundation ensure the continuity of support for the IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship. 

Learn more about the IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship. Motivated to help increase the prizes for the IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship? Contact Eileen R. Heltzer, CFRE at e.heltzer@ieee.org, call her at +1.732.799.4431

This article is an edited excerpt of the “Meet the Teens Whose Tech Reduces Drownings and Fights Air Pollution” article published in The Institute on 11 September, 2024.

Photo from left: IEEE Educational Activities staffer Lynn Bowlby, competition judge Sri Priya Sundararajan, and scholarship recipients Abhishek Shah, Xiangzhou Sun, Angelina Kim and Sahiti Bulusu, along with IEEE President Tom Coughlin.