Bay-Area Team Wins the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
- The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science research competition and a program of Society for Science & the Public, announced its top winners in Los Angeles.
- A team from Lafayette, Calif. received the Gordon E. Moore Award, a $75,000 prize in honor of the Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO.
- One team from Thailand and one individual from Reno, Nevada were named Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winners and each received prizes of $50,000.
Matthew Feddersen and Blake Marggraff from Lafayette, Calif. were awarded the top prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public. They received $75,000 and the Gordon E. Moore Award, in honor of the Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO, for developing a potentially more effective and less expensive cancer treatment that placestin metal near a tumor before radiation therapy.
Taylor Wilson from Reno, Nevada was named an Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winner and received $50,000. Taylor developed one of the lowest dose and highest sensitivity interrogation systems for countering nuclear terrorism.
The team of Pornwasu Pongtheerawan, Arada Sungkanit and Tanpitcha Phongchaipaiboon from Thailand also received an Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award. This team determined that a gelatin found in fish scales could be successfully used in modern day fish packaging – an invention that could have positive, long-term effects for the environment.
“We champion the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we believe that math and science are imperative for innovation,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group. “This global competition features youth trying to solve the world’s most pressing challenges through science.”
This year, more than 1,500 young entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists were selected to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science research competition. They were selected from 443 affiliate fairs in 65 countries, regions and territories, including for the first time France, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Macao SAR of the People’s Republic of China.
In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists received awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Awards included 17 “Best of Category” winners who each received a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair-affiliated fair they represent.
The following lists the 17 Best of Category winners, from which the top three were chosen:
CategoryNameCityState/Country
Animal Sciences
Adrienne McColl, San Pedro, California
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Andrew Kim, Athens Georgia
Biochemistry
Dianna Hu, Dix Hills, New York
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Nithin Tumma, Fort Gratiot, Michigan
Chemistry
Raghavendra Ramachanderan, Chennai, India
Computer Science
Lai Xue, Chengdu, China
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Jane Cox, Provo, Utah
Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical
Demitri Hopkins, Forrest Betton
Eric Thomas, Beaverton, Oregon
Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering
Samantha Marquez, Midlothian, Virginia
Energy and Transportation
Nathan Kondamuri, Dyer, Indiana
Environmental Management
Pornwasu Pongtheerawan, Meung, Thailand
Tanpitcha Phongchaipaiboon, Meung, Thailand
Arada Sungkanit, Meung, Thailand
Environmental Sciences
Jinyoung Seo, Go-Yang City, Seoul, South Korea
Dongju Shin, Go-Yang City, Seoul, South Korea
Mathematical Sciences
Matthew Bauerle, Fenton, Michigan
Medicine and Health
Matthew Feddersen, Lafayette, California
Blake Marggraff, Lafayette, California
Microbiology
Erica Portnoy, Dix Hills, New York
Physics and Astronomy
Taylor Wilson, Reno, Nevada
Plant Sciences
Kira Powell, Odessa, Washington
Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, owns and has administered the International Science and Engineering Fair since its inception in 1950.
“We congratulate the top winners for having the drive and curiosity to tackle these significant scientific questions,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Society for Science & the Public. “Their work, and the work of all of the finalists at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, demonstrates what students can accomplish when they are inspired to pursue inquiry-based research.”
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists are evaluated onsite by hundreds of judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. A full listing of finalists is available at www.societyforscience.org. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2011 is funded jointly by Intel and the Intel Foundation with additional awards and support from dozens of other corporate, academic, governmental and sciencefocused organizations.
To get the latest Intel International Science and Engineering Fair news, visit www.intel.com/newsroom/education, join the Facebook group at http://intel.ly/intel-edu and follow Twitter updates at http://twitter.com/intel_education. To join Intel’s community of people sharing their stories with the hope of becoming a catalyst for action and a voice for change in global education, visit www.inspiredbyeducation.com.
To learn more about SSP, visit www.societyforscience.org, follow SSP on Twitter at www.twitter.com/society4science, or visit SSP’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/societyforscience.
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CONTACTS
Gail Dundas
Intel Corporation
503-816-2382
Caitlin Jennings
SSP
202-785-2255, ext. 158
cjennings@societyforscience.org
Allison Kubota
Burson-Marsteller, for Intel
646-525-6718