Eureka Program
Best Paper Awards
Recognizing outstanding student research and academic excellence
About
Best Paper Award
Each year, the Eureka Program recognizes outstanding student research that demonstrates depth, originality, and clarity of thought. Best Paper Award recipients complete original, mentor-guided research projects that meet college-level academic standards.
The Eureka Best Paper Award is a competitive honor awarded to approximately the top 15% of student research projects, selected by the Eureka team based on research quality, academic performance, and the student’s ability to apply feedback and communicate their work clearly.
Selection Process
Best Paper Award
Selection Criteria
Depth of research and critical thinking
Originality of ideas and analysis
Quality and clarity of academic writing
Effectiveness of the final presentation
Consistent engagement and academic discipline throughout the program
Overall academic performance and faculty feedback across the research process
2025 Best Paper Awards
Moral Economies of Sacrifice: Kinship, Labor, and Embodied Ethics in Shanxi’s Coal Mining Communities
Rella W.
The Chaote Rosemary Hall
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Anthropology
Language Hierarchies and Nationalism: A Comparative Analysis of the USA and Senegal
Andrew H.
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Political Science
Asymmetric Receiver Cost in Game-Theoretic Modelling of Horn’s Rule
Eureka Student Researcher
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Game Theory
Industrialization Impacts on Soils in Urban and Peri-Urban Environments: A Case Study in Xiangcheng, Suzhou
Joanna Z.
Suzhou High School of Jiangsu Province
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Environmental Science
Wearable Biosensors for Lactate Detection in Sweat: A Review of Recent Advances (2020–2025)
Eureka Student Researcher
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Aerospace Engineering
Tolerance… or worse? External Differences, Internal Similarities: Horace and Cicero on Friendship
Yijun W.
Tonbridge School
Eureka Workshop
2025 Independent Research in Classics
2024 Best Paper Awards
The Impact of Racial Microaggressions on Chinese Immigrant Students
Bella (Qingcheng) Shao
Spence School
Eureka Workshop
2024 Independent Research in Anthropology
Predicting California’s Seismic Hazards Based on the Effect of Crustal Elastic Response to Seasonal Alternation of Shear Stress Change in Regional Fault Line
Mumu (Ruomu) Liu
International School of Beijing
Eureka Workshop
2023 Independent Research in Earth Science
Design of Long Range UAVs using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Jeremy (Jianming) Chen
Kent School
Eureka Workshop
2024 Independent Research in Aerospace Engineering
Relationship Between Effort Spent on a Difficult Learning Task and JOL Accuracy
Henry (Rongxuan) Dai
YK Pao School
Eureka Workshop
004 Cognitive Psychology Self-Regulated Learning
Ionic Liquids as Working Fluid in Fluid Loops
Sally (Shaokun) Wang
Appleby School
Eureka Workshop
104 Aerospace Engineering: The Use of a Thermal Protection System
2023 Best Paper Awards
Game Theory in Poker: An Analysis of Simple Strategies
Ethan Nan
Cupertino High School
Eureka Workshop
026 Game Theory and Strategic Behavior
An Evolutionary Glimpse at the Dynamic Structure of the Parkinson’s Protein alpha-Synuclein
Joe L.
The Awty International School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Neuroscience
Radical Feminism in China: Transphobic and Misogynistic Behaviors Online
Katherina (Kaizhe) Cui
No.2 High School of East China Normal University
Eureka Workshop
2023 Gender Studies Program - Gender, Health, and Reproductive Politics
How Emotion Affect Risk-taking
Gary (Yujui) Chen
Holderness School
Eureka Workshop
003 Behavioral Economics Belief-Based Utility
How Does Vibroacoustic Music Stimulation Affect Individuals’ Experiences of Flow and Aesthetic Appreciation?
Rachel (Rui Qi) Fan
Choate Rosemary Hall
Eureka Workshop
2023 Psychology Program - Cognitive Psychology
Case Study on Breast Cancer
Vivian Lu
American High School
Eureka Workshop
2023 Biology and Chemistry Program - Medicine
The Immitigable Tree: Virginia Woolf’s Inclusive Theory of Trauma in The Waves
Tiffany Wang
Suzhou North America High School
Eureka Workshop
2023 Comparative Literature Program
Feminism in Chinese Pop Songs: Analysis of Lyrics in Tan Weiwei’s Album “3811”
Emma (Yuhan) Zhang
Beijing No.80 High School
Eureka Workshop
2023 Gender Studies Program - Gender, Health, and Reproductive Politics
The Effect of Weekly Time Spent Learning and Practicing Musical Instruments on the Intensity of Jitteriness Among High School Teenagers in Mainland China
Yinfu Lyu
Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School
Eureka Workshop
2023 Independent Research in Health, Behavior, and Society
2022 Best Paper Awards
Remember To Breathe
Caroline (Zirui) Zeng
Beijing City International School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Anthropology
Review for Category of Nudges and Proposals on Hypothetical Researches
Hanson (He) Pan
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Game Theory
Vineyard Association, Its Comparison With Mainline Christianity, and Qualification of Relating theories
Kevin (Haoyuan) Tu
St. Andrew's School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Anthropology
The Effect of the Anticipation of Holidays on Stocks’ Turnover Rate
Martin (Chengrui) Ma
St. Mark‘s School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Statistical Analysis of Economic Data
How Does Self-Perception Affect Level of Self-Handicapping
Selena (Ka Pui) Chan
The Chinese Foundation Secondary School
Eureka Workshop
003 Behavioral Economics Belief-Based Utility
Non-Binary Identity and Sexuality: Bringing the Popular Non-Binary Imaginary in Conversation With Queer, Trans, and Gender Studies
Willie Hu
The Thacher School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Gender Studies
An Analysis of Solar Distillation Technology for Mars Colonization
Catherine (Jixuan) Li
St. Paul's School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Aerospace Engineering
African Leaders’ Role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Jack (Hanyuan) Zhong
The Webb School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Atlantic History
The Effect of Education on Men and Women When Responding to Low-Promotability Tasks
Lucy Zheng
Westtown School
Eureka Workshop
003 Behavioral Economics Belief-Based Utility
Comparing Performance of Machine Translation Models Between English and Chinese
Nancy Liu
Newport High School
Eureka Workshop
108 Artificial Intelligence: Theory, Methods, and Application
Ranking of Data-Area’s FDI Prospects for China, South Korea, and Germany
Shawn (ZiXuan) Wang
Shanghai World Foreign Language School
Eureka Workshop
023 Financial Crises, Causes and Cures
The Use of Gendered Pronouns By Mandarin Speakers Studying English
Bella (Xiaoyu) Cui
Princeton High School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Linguistics
Basketball, The Winning Formula: A Game-theoretic Analysis of End-of-Game Strategic Coaching Decisions
Derrick (Derui) Chu
Phillips Exeter Academy
Eureka Workshop
026 Game Theory & Strategic Behavior
Performances of Object Detection Models in Identifying Abstract Art Indicate Different Features of Salience Considered in Object Detection Models
Johnson Zhong
Yew Chung International School
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Artificial Intelligence
An Analysis of the Place of Feminism in Online Discussions of the Tangshan Attack
Maggie (Haiyi) Sun
United World College Changshu
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Anthropology
The Effect of Familial Bonds on Risk Tolerance Among East Asians
Scott (Tianyuan) Jiao
St. Paul's School
Eureka Workshop
003 Behavioral Economics Belief-Based Utility
The Effect of Cytosol-Exposed Lysine Residues on the Cytosol-Membrane Distribution and Serine-129 Phosphorylation of Alpha-Synuclein
Betty (Shiqing) Lu
United World College Changshu
Eureka Workshop
2022 Independent Research in Biochemistry