58th Annual STS (1998–1999)
Finalists
Constance JoAnne Wang

Constance JoAnne Wang, 17, of Richland, studied how serotonin, a neurotransmitter, affects crayfish behavior for her Intel Science Talent Search psychology project. Behavior modification drugs may either stimulate or inhibit serotonin uptake. Connie submerged groups of dominant or submissive crayfish in different serotonin concentrations for a week and monitored their behavior before, during and after exposure. The serotonin enhanced the aggressive or passive behavior in the creatures, with a strong correlation between the degree of behavior with the serotonin concentration. Connie's project suggests that behavior disorder treatment may be improved by determining the patient's predisposed social behavior. At Hanford High School, Connie is active in the Key Club and science and mathematics clubs and school publications. She plays varsity tennis and is a ranked junior tennis player. Her list of awards include a Distinguished Award in the International Technical Writing Contest and a third-place award in the 1997 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The daughter of Dr. Oliver and Maron Wang, Connie plans to study information technology at Harvard.

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