News Detail

Senior finishes sixth at International Research Olympiad

Ethan Sullivan ’25 finished sixth in the first annual International Research Olympiad, an event that featured three intense examinations and included more than 1,000 participants from 45 countries. Finishing in the top 1 percent of competitors, he displayed the ability to think critically and interpret research, and shared the awards podium with students from Phillips Exeter Academy, Bergen County Academies, Shri Ram Global School (India), Lakeside School and Raffles Institution (Singapore).
Sullivan also won the Public Science Team Award with two other students. The competition commenced in March 2024, concluding with an in-person event in Cambridge, Mass., May 31 to June 2.

In other news, Sullivan was featured in the Miami Herald for his 60-day, 1,000-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail, a trip that was part of his 2024 Dan Leslie Bowden Fellowship in the Humanities. Sullivan pursued summer study on "The People of the Trail: Tracing Motivations Through Time on the Appalachian Trail" under the direction of faculty advisors John Ermer and Matthew Helmers, and he will present his work to peers and the RE community this fall.

The International Research Olympiad is dedicated to honing analytical and critical thinking skills for student researchers that are essential in scientific exploration. It calls itself the world's first olympiad-style competition for high school students dedicated solely to scientific research. 

"We believe that the International Research Olympiad will not only encourage and recognize exceptional research talent but also inspire students from all backgrounds to develop their scientific curiosity and explore the world around them," President of the International Research Olympiad Rishab Jain said.

The Winners
1st: Jaansi Patel from Edison, New Jersey, of Phillips Exeter Academy
2nd: Edward Kang from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, of Bergen County Academies
3rd: Antara Chhabra from Bengaluru, India, of Shri Ram Global School
4th: Vishnu Mangipudi from Seattle, Washington, of Lakeside School
5th: Ruuhan Anand from Singapore, of Raffles Institution
6th: Ethan Sullivan '25 from Miami, Florida, of Ransom Everglades School 

IRO Team Award
Ethan Sullivan of Ransom Everglades School; Antara Chhabra of Shri Ram Global School; Amit Bhatt from Iowa City, Iowa, of Iowa City West High School.
Back
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.