For Use: Tuesday, January 27, 1998

Contact: Ann Korando 202.785.2255

FINALISTS NAMED IN
57^TH ANNUAL SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH

Washington, D.C., January 27^th – Forty high school seniors were named today as national Finalists in the 57^th Annual Science Talent Search. Administered by Society for Science & the Public in cooperation with the Westinghouse Foundation, the Science Talent Search is the nation’s oldest and most respected high school science scholarship competition.

Each Finalist has been invited to spend an all-expense-paid week in Washington, D.C. at the Science Talent Institute. There they will compete for $205,000 in scholarships, including the top prize of $40,000. In addition, the second-place winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship and the third-place winner a $20,000 scholarship. Fourth through sixth-place winners will receive $15,000 scholarships, and seventh through tenth-place winners will receive $10,000 scholarships. All other Finalists will receive $1,000 awards.

A total of 1,581 entries were submitted to the 57^th Science Talent Search. The entries consisted of papers on independent research projects that had been prepared by each student. In the first round of judging, 300 Semifinalists were selected and announced earlier this month. The 40 Finalists were selected from that group and will now compete for the $40,000 grand prize during the six-day Science Talent Institute. During this final round of judging, a panel of nine distinguished scientists who will evaluate each student’s scientific aspirations, creativity, and versatility will interview the prospective young scientists. The 57^th Science Talent Search Judging Committee is chaired by J. Richard Gott, Ph.D., professor of astrophysical science at Princeton University. Dudley R. Herschbach, Ph.D., the 1986 Chemistry Nobel Laureate and chair of the Board of Trustees, is also in attendance to meet and discuss their research.

This year’s Finalists represent high schools from across the United States. Once again, New York leads all other states in the number of Finalists with 15, California and Maryland are tied for second with four Finalists. Florida and Virginia have three Finalists each.

In New York, Ward Melville High School in Setauket has four students named as Finalists in this year’s Science Talent Search, Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst has two students, and in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria has three students.

Society for Science & the Public, a Washington, D.C. -based not for profit international science education and news organization, administers the Science Talent Search. Society for Science & the Public’s mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages through publications and educational programs.

"The Science Talent Search entrants have once again astounded me with the level and sophistication of their scientific research as demonstrated in their written reports," said Dr. Thomas Peter Bennett, president of Society for Science & the Public. "It is a positive statement about the quality of young Americans interested in science today and the academic opportunities being provided to them by the American educational system. And ultimately, it is a testament to the devotion of the parents, the teachers, and the researchers in the scientific community who have taken the extra time and energy necessary to mentor and encourage these students in their academic extra-curricular activities."

Among this year’s Finalists ecology, biology, and mathematics were the most popular fields of study with five projects each. Biophysics and physical chemistry are tied in second with four projects each. The field of physiology has three projects. Projects entered in biochemistry, engineering, geology, medicine, physics, and psychology fields has two finalists each while astronomy and electronics each has one project in each field.

Participation in the Science Talent Search has often served as a precursor to impressive professional accomplishments in a field of science. Five of the Search’s former Finalists have won the Nobel Prize, two have earned Fields Medals – the highest mathematics award. Others have earned the nation’s highest honors including Sloan Research Fellowships and MacArthur Foundation Fellowships. Many have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and are members of the National Academy of Engineering.

1998 Finalists