Hauppauge Middle School student Mihir Sathish Kumar has once again earned national recognition, being selected to the Top 300 in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), the nation’s premier STEM competition for middle school students. Remarkably, this marks the third consecutive year that Mihir has achieved this honor.
The Thermo Fisher JIC, organized by the Society for Science and Thermo Fisher Scientific, seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers, and innovators to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. This year, the Top 300 Junior Innovators were selected from nearly 1,900 entrants representing 34 states and Puerto Rico.
Mihir is pictured with his current Science Research teacher, Mrs. Handley-Pendleton, as well as the dedicated middle school science research teachers who have supported him since 6th grade: Mr. Lichter, Mr. Pernice, Mrs. O’Callaghan, and Mrs. Caffrey. Their continued guidance and mentorship highlight the strength of Hauppauge’s Science Research program and the passion of its students.
Congratulations to Mihir on this outstanding achievement and for representing Hauppauge with innovation and excellence!