Mary Kay Inc., a global advocate for furthering young women’s education and encouraging youth to follow their STEM dreams, returned for a second year as a Special Awards Organization at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio. Ten grants totaling nearly $10,000 were awarded to standout high school-aged students excelling in innovative projects spanning topics from finding cures for cancers affecting women to sustainable packaging innovation and protecting our planet’s most valuable resources.
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Kristin Dasaro, Director, Package Engineering and Sustainability at Mary Kay, greets Brazilian cancer researcher, Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva, who received back-to-back awards from Mary Kay for innovative findings in the malignancy of tumors. (Photo Credit: Mary Kay Inc.)
Each year, the event convenes nearly 2,000 participants representing more than 60 countries, with a total award pool offering over $9 million in awards and scholarships and invitations to corporate and academic events with elite global leaders in STEM.
Celebrating its 75th year, ISEF, a program of Society for Science, is the world’s largest pre-college global STEM competition. Through a global network of local, regional, and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately $9 million in awards and scholarships at the annual Regeneron ISEF.
“The ingenuity, passion, and innovation demonstrated by these young STEM leaders are awe-inspiring,” said Carrissa Dowdy, Manager of Product Formulation at Mary Kay. “Their work has the potential to transform industries, drive sustainable advancements, and accelerate major breakthroughs in fields like cancer research, material science, and environmental engineering. Mary Kay is proud to stand behind them as they shape the future of STEM.”
MEET THE STUDENT STEM LEADERS | ||
1. | Pragathi Kasani-Akula (GA, USA) | |
| Multi-Color Magneto-Fluorescent Nanoarchitectures for the Targeted Identification of Exosomes of Triple Negative Breast Cancer | |
2. | Grace Liu (NY, USA) | |
| Evaluating Gender Disparities Due to Decision-Making Under Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship: A Panel Data Analysis | |
3. | Alina Albeik (VA, USA) | |
| Implications of Resveratrol on Memory Retention in Dugesia tigrina | |
4. | Kaili Tseng and Leila Gheysar (CA, USA) | |
| Bombyx mori Antimicrobial Peptides: A Novel and Sustainable Catalyst for Cancer Cell Growth Inhibition and Death | |
5. | Elisabeth Fischermann and Tom Kressbach (Bavaria, Germany) | |
| On the Hunt for Free Radicals With a Blue Light Reaction | |
6. | Ela Doruk Korkmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) | |
| Investigation of Potential Anti-Cancer Impacts of Coffee Bean-Derived Exosomes Through Anti-Proliferative and Apoptosis Inducing Effects on Melanoma Skin Cancer Cells via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway | |
7. | Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva* (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) | |
| Salinomycin as a Molecular Trojan Horse for Targeting Mn-Induced Malignancy in Aggressive Tumors | |
8. | Sofia Nunes (Maranhao, Brazil) | |
| Formulation of Low-Cost Artificial Skin for Cellular Regeneration and Severe Burns Treatment | |
9. | Margareth Ac-ac (Negros Oriental, Philippines) | |
| SKIMP: Artificial Intelligence- Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Portable Skin Cancer Detection Device With Skin Cancer Notifier Python-Based Program | |
10. | Kamila Rotger-Costas and Miranda Sanz-Alvarez (Guaynabo and Caguas, Puerto Rico) | |
| EcoReishiFlex: An Innovative Sustainable Biodegradable Plastic Alternative Made From Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi Fungi) Polysaccharides | |
*Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva is a two-time Mary Kay Young Women in STEM grant recipient for her outstanding contributions to the cancer research field. Her 2024 prize money was utilized toward furthering her presented project - Rock the Metals! Investigating Manganese as a Trigger of Malignancy and Metal Transporters as Targets in Cancer Treatment which elevated her 2025 award-winning submission.
About Mary Kay
One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a global company with millions of independent sales force members in more than 40 markets. For over 60 years, the Mary Kay opportunity has empowered women to define their own futures through education, mentorship, advocacy, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in preserving our planet for future generations, protecting women impacted by cancer and domestic abuse, and encouraging youth to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.
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Contact details:
Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
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