Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) students excelling in recent math and science competitions were recognized by Superintendent of Schools Peter Light and School Committee chair Adam Klein in brief ceremonies at the February 27 School Committee meeting.
Math Olympiad
Acton-Boxborough students Maxwell Du, Bryan Li, Raymond Gao, Eric Xiang, Daniel Cai, Christopher Zhang, Yicheng Zhang, Eric Li, Gyan Sreejith and Jinke Wu were recognized by Superintendent of Schools, Peter Light and School Committee Chair, Adam Klein at the February 27 School Committee meeting for their outstanding performance in round one of the state’s Math Olympiad. Seven hundred students from forty schools competed in round one.
Du, who tied for first place, and Li, Gao, Xiang, Cai, and Zhang, will receive certificates from the Massachusetts Association of Math Leagues and were invited to proceed to the second level of the competition. The top 20 scorers in level two receive cash prizes.
Olympiad semi-finalists Yicheng Zhang, Eric Li, Gyan Sreejith and Jinke Wu were recognized for placing in the top 30 percent statewide.
Competitors are tested on their ability to quickly solve challenging math problems requiring deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Test questions are drawn from all areas of high school mathematics including arithmetic, number theory, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, probability, and logic.
The Mathematics Olympiad is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Mathematics League (MAML) and the Actuaries Club of Boston. Retired Acton-Boxborough math department leader Bill Noeth serves as MAML’s contest coordinator and attended the award recognition ceremony at the February 27 School Committee meeting.
Regeneron Talent Search
ABRHS seniors Anushri Pal, Ram Sivaraman, and Siddarth Nirgudkar were recognized at the February 27 School Committee meeting for their outstanding accomplishments in the 2025 Regeneron Talent Search program, a national competition that recognizes high school seniors across the nation seeking to drive meaningful change in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Both Anushri Pal and Ram Sivaraman were named “scholars” in the competition, a status awarded to the top 300 students out of 2,500 entries. Scholars are awarded $2,000. Their schools also receive $2,000 to support math and science programs.
Sid Nirgudkar is among 40 finalists representing 39 high schools across 16 states who will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to participate in a week-long competition, where they will have opportunities to interact with leading scientists, share their research with the public, and compete for monetary awards ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. The top ten winners for 2025 will be announced at an awards ceremony live streamed from Washington, D.C. on March 11.
Nirgudkar developed an AI model that can more accurately diagnose medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s, using publicly sourced data to capture patterns in outcomes, predictors, and cases in more heterogeneous populations.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search, now in its 84th year, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The program seeks to acknowledge and reward the best and brightest young minds and encourage STEM career pathways that positively impact the world. Prior award recipients have gone on to win 13 Nobel Prizes, 23 MacArthur Fellowships, and have founded numerous companies including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Diane Baum is the School Committee beat reporter for the Acton Exchange. She served on the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee from 2015 to 2021.