Three BASIS Charter Schools students were recognized by the Arizona Technology Council and Arizona Commerce Authority as some of the state’s brightest young minds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics during the 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation (GCOI), held at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix.
Recognizing Arizona’s Brightest Young Innovators
The Future Innovator of the Year awards honor outstanding participants from the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair (grades 9–12). Recipients are selected by a committee of scientific and industry leaders from the Arizona Council of Engineering and Scientific Associations (ACESA) and receive scholarships in recognition of their work.
2025 Future Innovator of the Year Award Winners and Honorees from BASIS Charter Schools:
- Shireen A., Grade 9, BASIS Chandler
Project: “The Efficacy of Consumption of Ashwagandha on Mitigation of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology: A Drosophila melanogaster Model”
- Elias C., Grade 12, BASIS Mesa
Project: “From 2D to 3D: Enhancing Lung Nodule Segmentation in Computed Tomography Scans with Anatomy-Based Self-Supervised Learning”
- Ganeshsai T., Grade 11, BASIS Peoria — Honorable Mention
Project: “A Novel Multi-Omics Deep Learning Framework for Spatiotemporal Cerebral Cortex Localization and Expression”
“Arizona’s future depends on cultivating young innovators and celebrating the teachers who spark their passion for STEM,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Council and SciTech Institute. “The Future Innovators and Teacher of the Year represent the next wave of leaders shaping our innovation ecosystem, and it’s a privilege to recognize their achievements.”
For more details about the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation and the full list of awardees, read the Arizona Technology Council press release.
Ahead of the celebration, the Future Innovator honorees, including BASIS students Shireen, Elias, and Ganeshsai, joined AZ TechCast, the official podcast of the Arizona Technology Council, for a special episode highlighting their projects, passions, and perspectives on the future of STEM.
Listen to the episode: AZ TechCast – Future Innovators of the Year
Hosted by Steve Zylstra and Eric Miller, the episode features conversations with these young innovators, as well as Teacher of the Year Amber Struthers and Kevin Kilzer, past president of ACESA, who discussed the importance of STEM education and workforce development in Arizona.
Congratulations to all the 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation awardees!
To learn more about BASIS Charter Schools and our commitment to world-class, tuition-free STEM education, find a school near you and schedule a tour.
