59th Annual STS (1999–2000)
Finalists
Patrick Laughlin Kelly

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Patrick Laughlin Kelly, 17, of Washington, submitted an earth and space sciences project to the Intel Science Talent Search, reflecting his interest in the evolution of clusters of galaxies. To explore his ideas, Patrick used existing data that had been obtained at Las Campanas Observatory, and performed all data and image analysis at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. His investigation of the colors and magnitudes of galaxies in the intermediate-density environment of galaxy groups found that member galaxies fall along a color-magnitude relation similar to that in high-density cluster environments. Patrick believes this similarity has important implications for galaxy evolution and is a significant step toward understanding the nature of the group environment. At Sidwell Friends School, Patrick plays varsity basketball and baseball, and is a leader-and founder-of the astronomy club. His many awards include a major prize in a Duracell/NSTA Competition for the invention of a centrifugal-force measuring device to warn drivers at risk of overturning their vehicles. The son of William and Cynthia Kelly, Patrick plans a career in astrophysics and hopes to study at Harvard.