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Dunlap High School senior Mohammed Mubarak Ali earned national recognition this summer in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition for his freshwater research project.
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WIU Research Opportunity Helps High School Student Reach National Competition

September 16, 2026

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MACOMB, IL – Through the Bellott Research Group in Western Illinois University's School of Natural Sciences, high school students are gaining hands-on research experience and developing real-world laboratory skills alongside WIU students and faculty.

High school students from the Macomb and Peoria areas have been paired with Brian Bellott, Professor of Chemistry, as a mentor through the Science Coach Research program. Students also work with Emily Dawson, a WIU Chemistry graduate student, Science Coach instructor and Peoria Public Schools science teacher.

Under Bellott and Dawson's guidance, students develop independent or team-based research projects, working from an initial research question through laboratory experiments, a final paper and a competition poster.

One of those students, Mohammed Mubarak Ali, a senior at Dunlap High School, achieved national recognition this summer in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) national competition for his project, "Comparative Analysis of Field Methods for Detecting Cyanobacteria in Freshwater."
The project examined whether UV-Visible spectrophotometry could reliably detect cyanobacteria, with the long-term goal of developing a deployable, field-based product that could replicate UV-Visible laboratory results.

Mohammed conducted his laboratory experiments in Bellott's WIU research labs alongside undergraduate and graduate students through the Science Coach Student Research program.

His research received Gold Level Recognition at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Region 1 competition at WIU, where he also received a nomination for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and advanced to the IJAS State Fair.
At the Illinois Junior Academy of Science State Science Exposition at Southern Illinois University, Mohammed again received Gold Level Recognition, along with the President Grant Award of $250 and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Illinois Grand Prize.

His project then advanced to the national Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition. In the first virtual round, Mohammed was selected as one of the top 20 students from 43 state finalists. He traveled to Chicago in June for the U.S. National Stockholm Junior Water Prize Finals, where he finished as a top-tier finalist.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is an international competition recognizing student research focused on water and environmental challenges. In the United States, students advance through state-level competitions to the national competition, with the national winner representing the United States at the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden.

"Being able to conduct the research at Western Illinois University was a major part of making this project possible," Mohammed said. "Dr. Bellott's access to the laboratory, equipment and resources allowed me to take an idea I had and turn it into an experimental research project. At the same time, Mrs. Dawson's mentorship helped guide me throughout the research and competition process. Their support played a major role in helping the project grow into the work that I was eventually able to present at both the state and national levels. I am also very grateful to Western Illinois University for its support throughout the research and competition process."

The Science Coach Research program provides high school students with opportunities to engage in authentic research while working alongside WIU faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students. Through the program, students gain experience with laboratory techniques, research methodology, scientific communication and the process of presenting their work through competitions.

For more information on WIU's programs, visit wiu.edu/academics.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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