Fox Chapel area student achievements for the week of July 15, 2025

Shady Side Academy student Evan Xiang competed in the 2025 USA Biolympiad National Finals at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., from June 22 to July 4.

“CEE’s USA Biolympiad program encourages excellence in biology education and challenges students and their teachers to reach the gold standard in science,” said Joann DiGennaro, President of the Center for Excellence in Education, which runs the USABO program.

Finalists participated for 10 days in high-level biology instruction inclusive of laboratory training and conceptual understanding followed by two days of testing. Ultimately, four students will earn the honor to represent the United States at the 36th International Biology Olympiad, a worldwide competition involving student teams from more than 80 countries. It will be hosted July 20-27 in Quezon City, Philippines.

Xiang, a junior, has grown to appreciate a world full of biology. He enjoys learning about the intricacies of our world, from the math behind ecological dynamics to the microscale pathways that govern life, leading him to conduct research. He is also a United States Earth Science Organization Finalist, a 5-time SciOly National Medalist, and International Science and Engineering Fair Grand Prize Winner. Xiang enjoys giving back to his beloved SciOly community, writing more than 30 tests for invitational, regional and state tournaments.

“This is an incredible journey USABO students take, and it demonstrates the passion these students have for biological sciences,” said Kathy Frame, director of the USA Biolympiad.

Twenty-seven Fox Chapel Area High School rising seniors are among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants on the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and have met the requirements to enter the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are: Marin Airik, Arman Alborzi, Tobias Conklin, Michael Costello, Greta Erdner, Laila Golla, Charles Hahl, Riley Hemingray, Alan Jiang, Eloise Johnson, Nora Kelley, Ulyana Kubini, Joanna Li, Steven Li, Gavin Lynch, James Manges, Max Melocchi, August Mierwald, Dayna Mullan, Zehra Ozkaya, Zachary Rubin, Joshua Shah, Joseph Shin, Rodrigo Silva, Yash Tahiliani, Ian Wellman and Helen Xu. More than 1.3 million students took the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT and these Fox Chapel Area students are among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants on that test from across the nation and have shown outstanding academic potential.

Approximately 16,000 of these highest scoring students will be named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists in September 2025, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 of the students will be named Commended Students for their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. The Semifinalists will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,870 Merit Scholarship awards to be offered in 2026.

Haylee Stringer graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Saint Francis University in May.

Olivia Roenker has been named to the University at Buffalo’s spring 2025 dean’s list.

Tricia Luett was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2025 term at University of Maryland Global Campus.

Jacob McWilliams made the dean’s list at the University of Pittsburgh’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences for the spring 2025 term.

Ariya Tayal was named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the winter semester ending in April 2025. Tayal is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in Chinese.