ASHS 11-Wright Team wins Silver and Honorable Mention at 2025 Genius Olympiad in New York

The Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) team behind "ASIN: Alternative Salt Innovation for Efficient and Sustainable Production," from class 11-Wright, earned a Silver Award in the Science Category and an Honorable Mention in the Business Category at the 2025 Genius Olympiad, held from 9-13 June 2025 at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York, USA.

"ASIN" is a hybrid mechanical hot air dryer designed for improved parameter control, faster drying time, and ease of use for salt farmers. Capable of drying salt brines under 25 kilograms in just two hours, the device is also 30% more energy-efficient and 95% more cost-effective than existing commercial alternatives.

The team—composed of Miel Nabuab (principal investigator), AJ Alarcon, LJ Edrozo, and Andy Santos—developed the project through their ASHS Practical Research course, under the mentorship of their research adviser, Mx Gabe Eslava.

In recognition of their achievements, each student received a renewable scholarship applicable at RIT and its partner institutions. In addition to receiving silver medals in the Science Category, Nabuab and Santos were each awarded a renewable study grant valued between $18,000 and $20,000. This distinction places their project within the top 2% of finalists in the category. Representing ASINNOVATION in the Business Category on behalf of himself and Alarcon (in absentia), Edrozo received an Honorable Mention and a renewable study grant worth $14,000, recognizing their work as among the top 15% of finalists in that category.

The 2025 Genius Olympiad received 2,723 project applications from participants across 69 countries and 34 U.S. states. Only 832 projects were accepted, resulting in a competitive acceptance rate of 30.1%, with individual category rates ranging from 24.3% to 44.5%.

Founded in 2011 by Terra Science and Education, the Genius Olympiad is an annual international competition hosted at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York. Its mission is to engage high school students from around the world in environmentally focused projects that promote sustainability, creativity, and global problem-solving. In 2025, the event welcomed over 975 students from 34 U.S. states and 70 countries. Participants competed in eight environmental disciplines—Science, Business, Engineering, Robotics, Coding, Art, Music, and Short Film—along with a newly introduced Speech category. The project exhibition and judging took place in RIT’s Polisseni Center, and the event also featured an International Culture Fair as part of its program. 

The group extends their heartfelt gratitude to ASHS, its esteemed administration, and its dedicated faculty—particularly Mx Gabe Eslava, Mr Ross Policarpio (Business Adviser), Ms Analyn Esteban (Class Adviser/Moderator), Mrs Melinda Cobar (Subject Area Coordinator for Research), and Mrs Sansan Borja (Principal) — for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the course of their research journey.