Dulles High School - Texas A&M Regional High School Science Bowl
Coach Neil Maredia teaches pre-AP biology at Dulles High School. He graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in biology and obtained his teaching certification through the teachHOUSTON capstone program. Coach Maredia is the biology team lead and also serves as a sponsor for the Red Cross Club. His interests include scientific discovery, innovations in technology, and travel.
Naveen Mukkatt is a senior at Dulles whose favorite subjects include math (particularly 3-D geometry), computer science, and physics. His teammates and his parents agree that Naveen has too much time on his hands, which he tries to fill by competing and volunteering in math and science clubs and competitions. He is instantly recognizable in a game of Ultimate Frisbee for his great vertical jump, which he refers to as “mad hops”. His mental skills include running circles around his comrades in card and memorization games, while simultaneously interrupting on math questions too early. In his free time, he obsesses over throwing cards while yelling “destiny”, which is an obscure reference that only a particular member understands but does not bother to explain to the rest of his team. One day, Naveen hopes that he will be able to positively influence the world and help spread the education of science.
Rushil Shah is a brilliant, enthusiastic sophomore from Dulles High School. Rushil enjoys reading physics textbooks like HRK, Morin, and Purcell. He hasn't told anyone, but he also secretly reads Clayden's Organic Chemistry at night when nobody's around. Rushil is also a 2x AIME qualifier that hopes to qualify for USAMO next year, and a 1x USAPHO qualifier. Outside of school, Rushil can be found tearing it up at the tennis court and playing the piano. He also tutors up and coming mathematicians in algebra and runs a burgeoning YouTube channel.
Akul Saxena is a junior at Dulles High School who enjoys studying biology and chemistry but also takes interest in many other subjects like math, physics, and computer science. Having taken a slice in every biology and chemistry textbook known to exist, his knowledge is superior in every way over all others. Ever since he discovered Science Bowl, he has improved his buzzing skills to better than the best, so that interrupts don't scare him because he will get the next. With the memory of an elephant, he can easily get all the stock in any packet. To calm himself down from the fast paced buzzer rounds, Akul plays Hindustani Classical Music as well as violin in his school's orchestra and biking outside with his friends.
Jay Pratap is a senior at Dulles High School who is loved by both upper and underclassmen alike. Some of his interests include biology and chemistry although he loves to dabble in other subjects as well. At a young age, Jay had figured out how to unlock the secrets of the elusive Campbell’s Biology through his constant listening of JuiceWRLD. With lysosomes built to digest textbooks, Jay is always on the hunt for more knowledge and doesn’t let any escape his grasp. At school he loves to find time to have an enlightening discussion with many of his teachers, especially his AP chemistry instructor. He is involved in a bunch of activities, ranging from science clubs to playing the cello in the school orchestra. In the future, Jay wants to study biomedical engineering and become a physician-scientist.
Om Patel is a junior at Dulles High School, and some of his favorite subjects are biology and geology. He is a "quiet" young lad, but is "quite" the genius when it comes to cracking jokes at the right moment. At school, he is popular with many of his classmates, and participates in a diverse array of activities. He used to play the viola in orchestra, but quit to have more time for Science National Honor Society, where he serves as an officer. He is a veteran of National Science Bowl and attended in middle school, where he has had such a positive experience with the ice cream machine that he inspired Jay Pratap to join the Science Bowl team, so he could come to NSB and taste the frozen glory for himself.
