Tipperary students named winners of 59th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition

Two Tipperary students have been announced as winners of the 59th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE).

Hane O’Connor and Liam Carew, both 19 and in sixth form at Abbey School, Co. Tipperary, won with their project examining the impact of secondary education on key aspects of adolescent life and development.

The coveted award was presented to the winners tonight at the RDS in Dublin by Education Minister Norma Foley and BT Ireland Managing Director Shay Walsh.

The chair of the jury for the social and behavioral sciences group said the student project was a “very impressive” survey.

Professor Joe Barry said: “Conducted in three waves over 24 months with more than 2,000 responses examining how secondary school students perceived the impact of school on their social, physical and mental well-being.

“One of the key findings of the research was that while inequality is rife in DEIS schools, exponential improvements in pastoral care and physical health are rapidly closing this gap.

“To quote directly from student research, ‘Secondary school is an important social outlet for students and this is evident in our interviews, focus groups and especially in our survey.’

The winners of the BT Young Scientist & Technology 2023 received the BTYSTE Perpetual Trophy and the main prize of €7,500.

Winners will also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists taking place in Brussels, Belgium in September 2023.

They will attend the 64th annual London International Youth Science Forum this summer.

“We feel wonderful,” says Shane. “We won two awards so it was a very productive evening for us.”

At tonight’s awards ceremony, Ms Foley extended her “sincere congratulations” to Shane and Liam on winning this “truly prestigious trophy and award”.

“As the BTYSTE has returned in person for the first time since the pre-pandemic era, I have had the pleasure of witnessing first-hand the level of innovation and creativity shown by this year’s attendees across a range of important and relevant topics,” she said.

“To each participant – you have been an outstanding representative of yourself, your family and your school and you should be incredibly proud of your achievements.

“The caliber of each entry is a testament to the tenacity and talent of the students behind them and it is this consistently high standard that makes BT Young Scientist one of the longest-running and most successful STEM events in Europe.

“From my time in the classroom, I am aware of the tremendous amount of work and support that goes into competing in competitions like this, and I want to acknowledge your teachers and school communities who have also generously donated their time and expertise to help to support you on your way.

“A special thanks also goes to the parents and families of the students for their constant encouragement and excellent support.”

Ayush Tambde (17) and a sixth year at Stratford College Dublin won the best person award with his project analyzing single cell proteomic data to understand the mechanisms of oncogenic transformation and how to control it.

Adrian Drogomir (19), a sixth year student at Adamstown Community College in Dublin, won the individual second place award with his AL-energy project.

Olivia O’Shea, Erica O’Brien Murray and Abigail O’Brien Murray, aged 17 and in their fifth year at Loreto College, Balbriggan, won with their project Can we save the common ash? ‘

BT Ireland chief executive Shay Walsh congratulated the winners, who he said “join a special group of some of Ireland’s brightest minds”.

“On behalf of the whole BT Ireland team I would like to thank all the students who took part in this year’s exhibition for sharing their ideas with us,” he said.

“After three long years, it was my pleasure to personally welcome you all back to the event. The past week has been truly inspiring and I am in awe of your unique and individual talents.

“The level of creativity, innovation and research displayed over the last few days has been nothing short of remarkable and I am humbled and grateful to be a part of it.

“I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of all the brilliant work you are about to do. I extend my sincere thanks to all teachers, parents, guardians and everyone who supported the students on their journey.

“We are also very grateful to our valued judges, our sponsors and partners and of course our own BT team, without whom this great exhibition would not be possible.”

Dublin students took home 55 prizes from the 2023 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

The exhibition aims to encourage school engagement in the crucial science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and encourages pupils aged 12-19 from across the island of Ireland to showcase innovative science and technology projects.