63rd Annual STS (2003-2004)
Finalists
Qilei Hang

MARYLAND
Qilei Hang, 18, of Cumberland, was named a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search for her engineering project in materials handling. On a quarry tour, she had been intrigued by the materials stacking and reclamation process, in which stored material is drawn from cone-shaped stockpiles by tunnel conveyors. Qilei wondered how to best locate the drawpoints to reclaim the maximum amount of material and how to calculate it. To find design solutions, she used mathematical modeling to develop new equations and built miniature stockpiles to test their validity. Her equations, increasing efficiency by about 20%, are already being used in the field, and her work has been recognized by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. Qilei is first in her class of 200 at Allegany High School, where she competes in tennis and track, and on the math and debate teams. She is principal cellist in the senior all-county and community orchestras, and her numerous awards include a first place in her category at the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Qilei was born in China and is the daughter of Youhong Hang and Weixing Han. She plans to study physics and biochemistry at Harvard.