Canada’s Top Youth Scientists Awarded $1.3 Million at the 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 5, 2025--

From groundbreaking schizophrenia treatment research to innovative sea turtle robots, Canada's top young scientists showcased world-class research and innovation this week at the 63rd Canada-Wide Science Fair. At an awards ceremony this evening at the University of New Brunswick, 219 finalists were recognized with nearly $1.3 million in scholarships and awards at the country's premier youth science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) event. The fair’s Best Project Award in Discovery went to Sara Waqas from Calgary for her project, "Neurobiologically Informed Targeted Schizophrenia Treatment: A Multi-Omic, fMRI Approach", while the Best Project in Innovation went to Evan Budz from Burlington, Ontario, for his project "Development of an Autonomous Bionic Sea Turtle Robot for Ecological Monitoring using AI".

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"This week, we’ve witnessed the power of youth curiosity in action," said Reni Barlow, Executive Director at Youth Science Canada, organizers of the event. "Every student who undertakes a STEM project deserves to be celebrated for their dedication and creativity. Tonight's winners are a powerful example of the impact youth can make through STEM."

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Top winners, selected by over 200 judges, include:

Best Project Awards
Best Project: Discovery
Sara Waqas from Calgary, Alberta, for Neurobiologically Informed Targeted Schizophrenia Treatment: A Multi-Omic, fMRI Approach.
Link to project

Best Project: Innovation
Evan Budz from Burlington, Ontario, for Development of an Autonomous Bionic Sea Turtle Robot for Ecological Monitoring using AI.
Link to project

Platinum Awards - Discovery
Best Junior (Grade 7/8)
Claire Sehn from Peterborough, Ontario, for Beat the Blaze: Preventing Wildfires and Drought With a Novel, Biodegradable Treatment.
Link to project

Best Senior (Grade 11/12/Cégep)
Hejin Wang from Saint John, New Brunswick, for Controlling Humongous Fungus: Cyanobacteria as a Biocontrol Agent for Root Rot Fungus.
Link to project

Platinum Awards - Innovation
Best Junior (Grade 7/8)
Trisha Haldar from Windsor, Ontario, for Visual Drug Interaction Checker.
Link to project

Best Senior (Grade 11/12/Cégep)
Chloe Rae Filion and Sophie Rose Filion from Fenwick, Ontario, for The Home Smog Alarm: How clean is your home's air?
Link to project

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The 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair featured 390 student finalists, from Grade 7 through Cégep, showcasing 339 projects. The event drew more than 5,000 visitors and more than 30,000 online viewers. The Canada-Wide Science Fair and STEM Expo continue in person at the University of New Brunswick tomorrow, Friday, June 6, until 2:30 p.m. ADT, with projects remaining online for public viewing afterward.

The 64 th edition of the Canada-Wide Science Fair will be held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre and the University of Alberta from May 23 to 30, 2026.

Members of the public are invited to meet the best project and platinum award winners on Friday, June 6, at 8:30 a.m. ADT in the Richard J. Currie Center at the University of New Brunswick. The panel discussion will also be broadcast live.
https://cwsf-espc.link/2025-meet-the-winners
Media members are encouraged to participate.

Winners will be available for media interviews throughout the week of June 9, 2025, by contacting Mary Moniz at mary@torchiacom.com.

Photos and videos, as well as the complete list of Canada-Wide Science Fair award recipients, are available here: CWSF 2025 Media Kit

About Youth Science Canada

Youth Science Canada empowers all Canadian youth to engage their curiosity in discovering and innovating through STEM projects. A registered charity incorporated in 1966, YSC delivers on its mission through national programs, including mySTEMspace, the National STEM Fair Network, Canada-Wide Science Fair, STEM Expo, Team Canada representation at international fairs and Smarter Science professional development for teachers. Through these programs, YSC directly supports the more than 500,000 students who do STEM projects in any given year. For more information, visit youthscience.ca.

Best Project Award winners on stage at the Canada-Wide Science Fair awards ceremony, June 5, 2025, in Fredericton. Pictured (left to right): Pat Trottier, President of the Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation, Sara Waqas, Evan Budz, and Reni Barlow, Executive Director of Youth Science Canada. PHOTO: Youth Science Canada.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The ex-husband of an Ohio woman charged this weekend with the murders of her and her husband waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday in Illinois.

Michael David McKee, 39, a doctor from Chicago, has been charged with premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old Monique Tepe, whom he divorced in 2017, and dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, in their Columbus home on Dec. 30.

McKee appeared in court in Winnebago County, Illinois, where he has been jailed since his arrest on Saturday. He appeared expressionless while he walked into the courtroom wearing a yellow jumpsuit with shackles around his wrists.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate McKee’s return to Franklin County, where the trial will take place, according to Tom Jakeway, trial court administrator for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois.

His arrest caps off nearly two weeks of speculation surrounding the mysterious killings that attracted national attention. No obvious signs of forced entry were found at the Tepes' home. Police also said no weapon was found there, and murder-suicide was not suspected. Further, nothing was stolen, and the couple's two young children and their dog were left unharmed in the home.

In a statement, their family said the arrest was “an important step toward justice” and that they trusted the justice system to hold the person accountable.

“Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind," it said. "We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.”

Dispatchers first received calls of concern when Spencer Tepe didn’t show up on Dec. 30 at the dental practice where he worked in Athens, a college town about 75 miles (120.70 kilometers) southeast of Columbus. His manager told police his tardiness was “out of character.” It was when Columbus police conducted a wellness check at the home later that day that they discovered the couple's bullet-stricken bodies on the second floor.

Official reports from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office won’t be completed for several weeks, but a spokesperson said last week that they died in an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds.”

Police had released security footage on Tuesday of a person of interest dressed in a dark hoodie and light colored pants walking in an alley near the couple’s home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. — the window of time in which investigators believed the two were attacked. The release generated dozens of tips and took the manhunt across multiple state lines to McKee's apartment.

McKee and Monique Tepe, then-Monique Sabaturski, married in 2015, according to Franklin County court records. They filed for divorce two years later.

According to the Tepes' obituaries, Monique married Spencer Tepe in 2020. Family members described the couple as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”

Spencer Tepe was a graduate of the Ohio State University. He was a member of the American Dental Association and had been involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Monique Tepe was described as a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner.”

AP reporter Mark Scolforo contributed to this report from Harrisburg, Pa.

Flowers and other items sit on the front porch of Spencer and Monique Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)

This photo made from security footage shows a person of interest walking on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (Columbus Police Department via AP)

Spencer and Monique Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)