Arkansas Students Shine in 2025 Soybean Challenge
Fourteen-year-old Vishak Meenachi, a freshman at Little Rock Central High School, claimed first place in the 2025 Soybean Science Challenge at the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair for his innovative project on soy-based biodiesel.
Titled “Environmental Sustainability of Soybean Derived Biodiesel compared to Standard Diesel,” the project examined the environmental benefits of soybean-derived fuel using a 196cc, 3.5 horsepower diesel engine, which Meenachi plans to install in a go-kart of his own design.
Alongside winning the Soybean Science Challenge, Meenachi secured second place in the Energy and Transportation Division at the Central Arkansas Regional Science and Engineering Fair, first in chemistry at the state fair, and earned the U.S. Naval Science Excellence Award.
“I am extremely honored to be the 2025 Soybean Science Challenge first place winner,” Meenachi said. “The opportunity to showcase my project on a state level is a thrilling experience and I am honored to be a part of it.” Meenachi received a $1,000 cash prize, and his teacher, April Owen, won the $300 top Teacher-Mentor Award.
The Challenge, held April 4 at the University of Central Arkansas, is part of a statewide competition supported by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. It encourages high school students to explore science through soybean-focused research.
Sixteen-year-old Bennett Chen from the same school won second place for his project, “SoyCast: A Climate-Driven Deep Neural Network to Forecast County-Level Soybean Yields and Identify Environmentally Optimal Planting Regions.”
Chen work also earned him a $500 prize, the Arkansas Energy and Environmental Quest Award, and an ISEF finalist spot. Chen teacher, Lee Conrad, won a $200 Teacher-Mentor Award.
Regional winners included students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Pinnacle View Middle School, and schools in Fayetteville, Jonesboro, and Texarkana.
“Soybean Science Challenge student researchers learn about this important commodity crop and its many uses, including feeding the world, development of biofuels and sustainable products,” said Julie Robinson, director of the Soybean Science Challenge. “It helps students develop an understanding of the challenges and complexities of modern farming.”
Gary Sitzer, a former member of the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board said, “The program also rewards scientific inquiry and discovery that supports the Arkansas Soybean Industry."
Photo Credit: vishak-meenachi-winner