When Ansh Dwivedi says he wants to change the world, he means both figuratively and literally, both physically and theoretically.

Now, you can doubt him if you like. But do so at your own peril.

"I love learning why things work or how things work, and then replicating them," said Dwivedi. "I'm always asking myself how things work. It goes back to problem-solving. I love math. I want to change the world in the ways I'm interested in. That general discovery of how the world works is why I love science so much."

Four months ago, Dwivedi, a recent graduate of Warwick High School, expertly applied his knowledge, problem-solving skills and curiosity to take the top prize at a prestigious local science and engineering competition. On March 13 at Millersville University, Dwivedi was crowned the grand champion at the annual North Museum Science and Engineering Fair (NMSEF).

Dwivedi's project "HEA You, Stop That Radiation - Polyimide-Taped High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) vs. Ionizing Radiation Shielding" also earned him a trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, from May 10 to 16. There, his entry in the chemistry, energy and materials science category was one of 1,657 entries from students from 63 countries.

"The entire experience for this project was rewarding," said Dwivedi. "I loved the problem-solving for this project. There were some minor problems. At the start, I didn't know anything about these alloys. I just enjoyed learning about different aspects of materials science. I loved learning from this project."

"Another rewarding part was going to the international competition," continued Dwivedi. "It was easily the most fun I've ever had in a week. It made me think about problems in a new way, through a different process. When I went to the International Science and Engineering Fair, I got to see cool ways people solve problems. I love to see how people think about solving problems and how they come up with their own individual solutions. I also got better at my soft skills, like talking to people and presenting."

Dwivedi spent more than 200 hours formulating his project. A large portion of that time was spent doing research in a laboratory, and another chunk was spent revising and changing written drafts of methods, discussions, results and conclusions.

"It is a quite a bit of time," said Dwivedi. "It was kind of a back-and-forth project until it got as good as it could be. One of the biggest challenges was finding a safe way to melt the metals. I had to figure out how to do it in my high school chemistry lab. I think I tried seven or eight different melting setups, and I spent nearly a month trying to melt those metals. Eventually, I did figure it out."

Two years earlier, when he was a sophomore at Warwick, Dwivedi successfully competed in a different category at the NMSEF.

"I definitely think it helped me," said Dwivedi. "In 10th grade, there were a lot of mistakes I made in my research. I was able to time things better this time. Having had that experience before definitely helped me."

In June, Dwivedi graduated as Warwick's Class of 2025's salutatorian.

"I loved my time at Warwick," said Dwivedi. "I wouldn't be the same person if I hadn't gone to Warwick. It was a lot of hard work because I had a lot of tough classes. It provided me with many opportunities to excel. Warwick is just a family to me. All the teachers there are so supportive."

This fall, Dwivedi plans to attend Cornell University, where he will major in chemical engineering.

"I'd love to continue doing research," said Dwivedi. "I'd love to look into batteries and fuel cells. There are professors there already doing that research, and I'd love to work with them. After college, I might get a master's or a Ph.D. I love research, and I'd love to lead a research team. That might entail working at a university or somewhere else. Research gives me another opportunity to solve problems."