Young female researchers of USUST among the prize winners of the ‘GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine – 2026’

Female students from Dnipro lyceums who participate in scientific clubs at the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies worthily represented the university at the National Final of the All-Ukrainian competition ‘GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine – 2026’ and won prize distinctions in the ‘Science’ category.
 
The final of the competition took place on February 20–23, 2026, in Irshava (Zakarpattia region) and brought together 373 projects from across Ukraine. In the ‘Science’ category, 95 studies were presented, all aimed at finding solutions to current environmental problems through the use of scientific approaches and technologies.

Among the prize winners was Yelyzaveta Vlasenko, a 10th-grade student of the Scientific Medical Lyceum, who works in the ‘BioTech’ scientific club of the Department of Biotechnology and Life Safety at the SEI ‘USUCT’, under the supervision of Associate Professor Olha Kuznetsova. Her study, ‘The use of leonardite as an environmentally safe additive to substrates in industrial mushroom cultivation’, was highly praised by the jury and awarded a bronze medal.

Another significant distinction was awarded to Oryna Bahniuk, a 10th-grade student at the Chemical and Environmental Lyceum and a member of the ‘PRO Safety’ club, who conducted her research under the supervision of Associate Professor Svitlana Harmash. Her project, ‘Prospects for producing biofuel from large-volume soybean processing waste’, is directly related to the efficient use of resources and the development of alternative energy. Based on the jury’s evaluation, the study received a diploma with distinction.

Both projects were presented in the “Resources and Energy” subcategory, which includes research aimed at the efficient use of natural resources, the development of renewable energy sources, and the reduction of environmental impact. Participants in this category are expected not only to identify a problem, but also to propose a scientifically grounded solution.
 
The ‘GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine’ is the national selection round for the international GENIUS Olympiad competition, which has been held in the United States since 2011 and is considered one of the world’s largest environmental competitions for school students. In Ukraine, the organizer is the National Center ‘Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’, which builds a community of young researchers and promotes the development of science education and environmental awareness.
The ‘BioTech’ and ‘PRO Safety’ scientific clubs are an important part of the career guidance and research activities of the Department of Biotechnology and Life Safety. They bring together school students interested in modern fields of biotechnology, ecology, energy, and safety, and give them an opportunity to engage in real scientific research even before entering university, work on relevant topics, and take part in national and international competitions.
 
The achievements of Yelyzaveta Vlasenko and Oryna Bahniuk are the result of systematic work, professional mentorship, and a genuine interest in science. They show that the university creates an environment in which a new generation of researchers is being formed, those who can think in modern way and work to address global challenges.
 
We congratulate the young researchers and their academic supervisors on these outstanding results and wish them new scientific achievements!