Belleview High School Junior One of Eight Florida Students to be Named Grand Award Ying Scholar

BELLEVIEW, FL (352today.com) – For the first time in Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) history, a student has been named a Grand Award Ying Scholar, one of only eight students statewide to receive the distinction.

Briana Stephens, a Belleview High School (BHS) junior, earned the top honor at the 71st Florida State Science and Engineering Fair.

Stephens earned the prestigious recognition for her project, “Revolutionizing Tympanoplasty: A Personalized Surgical Process.” Her research focused on tympanic membrane perforations, a condition affecting more than 320 million people worldwide, and a leading cause of preventable hearing loss.

Stephens developed a personalized tympanoplasty procedure using three-dimensional high-resolution scanning and modeling, bio-printed tympanic grafts, and an automated autonomous robotic surgical process with reinforcement learning. Her innovative approach aimed to improve outcomes and reduce the high failure rates associated with current procedures.

As a Ying Scholar, Stephens received a $1,000 cash award and a traveling trophy. She will also attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) with all expenses paid, where she will compete against top young scientists from around the world. The Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center matched the $1,000 award and presented the additional funds to BHS in support of its science program.

“This is a historic moment for Marion County Public Schools and Big Springs STEM,” said Erin Benavides, resource teacher and Big Springs Fair director. “Briana’s research is not only scientifically impressive, it has the potential to change lives. We could not be prouder of her achievement and the future she represents.”

Big Springs STEM students collectively earned 25 place awards and more than $100,000 in cash, prizes and scholarships, demonstrating the program’s depth of talent and commitment to scientific excellence.

For more information about the Big Springs STEM program, contact Erin Benavides at Erin.Benavides@marion.k12.fl.us or visit marionschools.net/bigsprings