66th Annual STS (2006-2007)
Finalists
Mary Masterman

OKLAHOMA
Mary Masterman, 17, of Oklahoma City, submitted a physics project to the Intel Science Talent Search describing the spectrograph system she built for $300 at home (commercial units can cost $20,000 to $100,000). Mary found that machining the parts and aligning the optics (lenses from a microscope and a camera) were particularly challenging. Her Littrow spectrograph splits light, like a prism, and uses a camera to record the resulting Raman spectra - a specific vibrational fingerprint of the molecular compound being investigated. Using a laser as her light source, Mary tested several household objects and solvents and compared her results to published wave numbers. Despite the shortcomings of the inexpensive laser, she found she could make relatively accurate wavelength measurements with her homemade device. Author of a poster presentation about the Raman Effect at an American Astronomical Society conference and winner of numerous science honors, Mary is ranked first of 658 at Westmoore High School. She plays the piano, harp and flute, and she enjoys birdwatching and painting. The daughter of John and Patti Masterman, Mary is hoping to enroll at MIT or CalTech.