Upper School Student is Awarded for Revolutionary STEM Research

“In the summer of 2024 and '25, I worked in Mount Wilson Observatory, California, where we conducted research on binary stars using an advanced viewing method called Speckle Interferometry,” Anisha said. “This project consisted of capturing images with a powerful telescope of objects deep in space. Since there are atmospheric disturbances between the telescope and the objects that can cause images to be blurry,  Speckle Interferometry mitigates that distortion, making the images clearer.”

After a series of trial and error, she successfully reduced the amount of noise in the images using software called Speckle Toolbox, and even mapped out orbital locations of several binary stars. In March of 2025, Anisha and a classmate presented their findings at the WSSEF and earned a spot in the top twenty competitors in the entire state. This accomplishment granted her $80,000 scholarship to attend Ohio Wesleyan University upon graduation.

“We added new orbital locations of several binary stars, which provide more data for astronomers in the future,” Anisha shared. “But the most important contribution we made was proving that the Speckle Interferometric software worked and now could be used as a ‘gold standard’ moving forward.”

In addition to her accolades at the WSSEF, Anisha also participated in a NASA research paper internship at George Mason University in the summer of 2025.

“I used the George Mason Observatory to further confirm the presence of an exoplanet,” Anisha said. “And I found that the planet was a Hot Jupiter planet, meaning it’s close to its star, large, and extremely hot. I presented my findings in a science poster and won a finalist award, another $1,000 George Mason Scholarship. I also wrote a paper that’s currently being reviewed and will soon be published on the George Mason University website and in a journal.”

Now that she’s back from her eventful summer, Anisha plans to share her knowledge with fellow classmates and science enthusiasts, hoping to generate more interest in astronomy. She is one of the founders and current president of the Youth Astronomers Society of Seattle (YASS) and was featured in a KING 5 News interview to highlight her work in the community. She aims to start an Astronomy Club at Bush and has begun planning with Upper School Science Faculty Sam Esbin, who has supported her along the way.

“YASS’ main goal is to generate curiosity and interest around astronomy,” Anisha said. “We partner with middle and elementary schools to spark student curiosity in STEM and science. We have also assisted with scientific research papers, science fair projects, and collaborated with the Girl Scouts. It’s awesome to see them excited about astronomy.”

Anisha hopes to continue inspiring others to pursue their passions and find the courage to make a difference. 

“There are three things I really enjoy doing, and that’s learning, teaching, and making an impact,” Anisha shared. “That’s why I love researching, because it’s a lot of trial and error and overcoming doubts, but if you keep pushing, you have an opportunity to achieve something great.”