2016-2017
f ox c hapel a rea s chool d istrict s tate of the s choolsthe s chools
• High school senior Mihir Garimella was named one of
Fortune’s 18 Under 18, a listing of teens considered to be
the “most innovative and ambitious teens under 18 years
old.” According to Fortune, these are “young innovators
who are changing the world.” Mihir was also named to
the 2016 Guardian Teen Power List, a list that featured 25
young activists, scientists, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs,
and big thinkers shaping the future from around the world
that says “It’s not about your age, it’s about your ideas.”
Additionally, Mihir was also named to The Science 7 by
the Society for Science & the Public. Mihir was chosen
for his creation of a low-cost, intelligent drone that can
be used by first responders to enable them to explore
dangerous environments to find people who are trapped.
• High school junior Shania Khatri was
chosen to present her breast cancer research
at the American Medical Informatics
Association 2016 Annual Symposium
in Chicago. The symposium included a
dedicated presentation session, educational
activities, and networking events for high
school students and high school teachers
participating in educational research
partnerships with biomedical informatics
researchers from across the United States.
• Alison Francis, the facilitator of the district’s
Creativity and Literacy Program, was one of
10 first-place winners in The Henry Ford’s
Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards
for her work inspiring creativity, innovation,
and problem solving. Mrs. Francis was the only
teacher from Pennsylvania to be recognized
as part of The Henry Ford Awards. Judges
selected the winners based on their original and
creative approach to teaching, their demonstrated
resourcefulness, and the positive impact they
made. Student engagement, learning goals, and
evidence of achieving those goals were also taken
into consideration.
• Fourteen high school seniors
were named National Merit ®
Finalists in the 2017 National Merit
Scholarship Program including
Rohan Chalasani, Mihir Garimella,
David Han, Elizabeth Heidenreich,
Yelim Lee, Darwin Leuba, William
“Tim” Marsh, Tanvi Meringenti,
Suvir Mirchandani, Grace Mueller,
Hannah Mueller, Mary Clare
O’Connor, Ellen Pil, and
Kai Shaikh. Additionally,
18 seniors were named
Commended Students.
•Senior Bryanna Urso and sophomore
Sofia Porter Bacon won gold medals in the
National Scholastic Art Awards program.
Additionally, senior Elaina Graca and
sophomore Paige Johnson won silver
medals. Bryanna and Sofia were invited,
along with their art teachers, to a ceremony
at Carnegie Hall in New York City. A
total of 30 Fox Chapel Area High School
students qualified for national judging.
•High school senior Yelim Lee was named
a recipient of the President’s Volunteer
Service Award. The award recognizes
people of all ages who have volunteered
significant amounts of time to serve
their communities and their country.
Additionally, she was named a winner
in the Princeton Prize in Race Relations
awards. Winners of the Prize have stood
up to intolerance, worked toward greater
inclusivity, and encouraged understanding
and harmony in their communities.
•Dorseyville Middle School eighth graders
Amulya Garimella and Sanjay Seshan
were named two of only 300 MASTERS
from across the nation in the Broadcom
MASTERS competition for middle school
students. In order to qualify, both first won
awards at the Covestro Pittsburgh
Regional Science & Engineering Fair.
•The high school’s literary arts magazine
“Tapestry” received a “Superior” ranking
in the 2016 National Council of Teachers
of English Program to Recognize
Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
Additionally, the magazine was also named
a first-place winner in the 2016 American
Scholastic Press Association’s Annual
Contest/Review for Scholastic Magazines.
•For the sixth year in a row, Fox Chapel Area
School District was named among the Best
Communities for Music Education.
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