COMPETITION:
Whiz Kids: Intel Science Fair
The Intel International Science Fair is the world’s largest high school science competition with participants selected from 443 affiliate fairs in 65 countries, regions and territories. A Siliconeer report.
(Above): Top winners at The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2011 in Los Angeles, May 13. A team from Lafayette, Calif. received the Gordon E. Moore Award, a $75,000 prize. Additionally, one team from Thailand and an individual from Reno, Nevada were named Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winners and each received prizes of $50,000. [Photo: CHRIS AYERS | INTEL]
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science research competition and a program of Society for Science & the Public, announced its top winners in Los Angeles, May 13.
Matthew Feddersen and Blake Marggraff from Lafayette, Calif. were awarded the top prize of $75,000 and the Gordon E. Moore Award, in honor of the Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO, for developing a potentially more effective and less expensive cancer treatment that places tin metal near a tumor before radiation therapy.
Taylor Wilson from Reno, Nevada was named an Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winner and received $50,000. Taylor developed one of the lowest dose and highest sensitivity interrogation systems for countering nuclear terrorism.
The team of Pornwasu Pongtheerawan, Arada Sungkanit and Tanpitcha Phongchaipaiboon from Thailand also received an Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award. This team determined that a gelatin found in fish scales could be successfully used in modern day fish packaging – an invention that could have positive, long-term effects for the environment.
“We champion the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we believe that math and science are imperative for innovation,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group. “This global competition features youth trying to solve the world’s most pressing challenges through science.”
The participants are ninth through twelfth graders who earn the right to compete at the Intel ISEF by winning top laurels at local or national science fairs.
More than 1,500 young entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists competed. Indian Americans had an impressive tally of awards at the competition.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is the world’s largest high school science research competition. Participants were selected from 443 affiliate fairs in 65 countries, regions and territories, including for the first time, France, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Macao SAR of the People’s Republic of China.
In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists received awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Awards included 17 “Best of Category” winners who each received a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair-affiliated fair they represent.
Winning in three of the 17 “Best of Category” awards and $5,000 were Nithin Tumma of Fort Gratiot, Mich., for cellular and molecular biology research; Raghavendra Ramachanderan of Chennai in chemistry; and Nathan Kondamuri of Dyer, Ind., in energy and transportation.
All Best of category winners also received $3,000 first place prizes and had an asteroid named in their honor.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists are evaluated onsite by hundreds of judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. A full listing of finalists is available at www.societyforscience.org/intelisef2011.
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