March 2026 News

Academy Senior Awarded Second Place at Indiana Academy of Science Annual Meeting

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Congratulations to Academy senior Vivana Bhagat who presented her research at the Indiana Academy of Science’s 141st Annual Academy Meeting held in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 21.

Vivana’s poster, “Identification of Candida albicans Mutants that can Filament in the Presence of Hygromycin B” was awarded second place in the Emerging Scientists Research Competition for Baccalaureate and Post-Baccalaureate investigators in the Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Medicine category. This distinction is also accompanied by a cash prize. “We’re all so proud of Vivana and this gargantuan feat,” remarks Dr. Joel Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs. “We continue to leverage the power of original research as a signature differentiator of the Academy experience. Students like Vivana seek out these opportunities to gain early exposure to the scientific process, research design, and the dissemination of original findings. As a highschooler, walking away recognized as a top scholar in a post-secondary environment, and beyond, is a testament to Vivana’s hard work and a reflection of the committed faculty and staff invested in her success.”