Granbury High School students delivered an outstanding performance at the 75th Fort Worth Science & Engineering Fair (FWSEF), hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington on February 23.
Competing against top student researchers from across the region, five Granbury students earned major awards and recognition for innovative projects spanning environmental science, engineering, genetics, and cellular biology.
Laney Matthews (12th Grade)
Laney earned:
- 1st Place – Environmental Management
- 2nd Place – Fort Worth Audubon Society Conservation Award
- 1st Place – Ricoh Sustainable Development Award
Her project developed a low-cost autonomous soil monitoring system that combines environmental sensors and machine learning to predict ecosystem recovery after wildfires. The system helps land managers determine which areas will recover naturally and which require intervention — enabling faster, data-driven restoration decisions while reducing unnecessary treatment.
Shanice Gibson (12th Grade)
Shanice earned:
- 3rd Place – Engineering (Electrical & Mechanical)
- 1st Place – Ellen and Delbert E. Lawry Award
- 2nd Place – Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Award
She designed and validated a low-cost sensor platform that measures hydration retention and barrier function in biomimetic skin membranes. Using environmental sensing and machine learning analysis, her work demonstrates how accessible engineering tools can serve as reliable alternatives to expensive commercial systems — with implications for researching skin health conditions such as eczema.
Santiago Lumbreras (11th Grade)
Santiago earned:
- 1st Place – Animal Science
He built a custom 3D-printed treadmill system to measure movement in fruit flies while studying how antioxidant supplements may improve recovery after stroke-like injury. His research showed improvements in motor function, survival rates, and cellular stress markers, contributing valuable insight into neurological recovery.
Jamie Atcheson (10th Grade)
Jamie participated in the Animal Science category with a project inspired by her younger sister’s rare chromosome 14 disorder. Using fruit flies as a model, she studied whether natural compounds could lessen the effects of reduced gene activity. Her findings suggest dietary molecules may help support cellular health when genes are missing or underactive.
Paola Lumbreras (9th Grade)
Paola earned:
- 1st Place – Cellular Biology & Biochemistry
- 8th Place – Best of Fair
- 2nd Alternate – International Science and Engineering Fair
Her project examined how reduced mechanical stimulation disrupts early neuromuscular development using zebrafish embryos. By combining cellular physiology with machine-learning analysis, she identified functional biomarkers capable of detecting muscle dysfunction before structural damage appears — with potential applications in early diagnosis of muscle atrophy in both clinical and spaceflight settings.
Advancing to State Competition
Laney, Shanice, Santiago, and Paola will represent Granbury High School and the Fort Worth region at the Texas Science and Engineering Fair, held March 27–28 at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Granbury ISD congratulates these students and their teachers for their dedication to research, innovation, and academic excellence. Their work reflects the depth of talent and commitment found in our classrooms and laboratories every day.
We wish them the best as they advance to state competition.