Innovative Minds: Ahmed Abdelsalam

Darby Vassall Upper School | 6th grade | 12 years old

VERDA: Nature-Inspired Energy Harvesters for a Sustainable Future

About the Idea

Meet Ahmed. Ahmed developed VERDA, an innovative technology that harvests energy from movement like walking, wind, and waves to support more sustainable power solutions.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

I entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge because I really enjoy coming up with ideas and using science to solve problems. I wanted to share my project and show that even a student can create an invention that could help people and the environment. Since my project focuses on clean energy, this challenge felt like the right place to share it. I also wanted to push myself, learn from the experience, and grow as a young scientist. For me, this competition is not just about winning, but also about believing that my ideas can make a difference.

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

One of my favorite scientific achievements of the last 100 years is Ahmed Zewail's work in femtochemistry. I like it because he helped create new ways to study chemical reactions at a super fast speed. This matters because it helped scientists understand chemistry better and opened the door for more discoveries. I also like it because Ahmed Zewail is a scientist I really admire, and his success inspires me to work hard in science too.

In 15 years I hope to be...

In 15 years, I hope to be an inventor or engineer because I really enjoy coming up with ideas and testing how things work. I want to make inventions that help people and protect the environment, especially by creating new clean energy technology. I hope I will still be curious, creative, and not afraid to try new things, because that is how big ideas can grow into something real.