Broadcom MASTERS™ 2011 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Competition Winners Announced in Washington DC

 

Daniel Feeny, 15, of Woodside, Calif. Wins Top Education Award for Study of Wave Force Diversity in Tidal Pools

  • Broadcom Foundation created the Broadcom MASTERS™ competition to support middle school STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
  • First place winner Daniel Feeny (age 15) of Woodside, Calif. receives $25,000; second place and $10,000 is awarded to Benjamin Hylak (age 14) of West Grove, Penn; third place and $5,000 is awarded to I-Chun Lin (age 14) of Plano, Texas.
  • The Broadcom MASTERS 2011 is a partnership with Society for Science & the Public.
 
The Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) today announced the 2011 winners of the Broadcom MASTERS™ national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Broadcom and SSP also announced top winners in the categories of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Rising Stars. Learn more and congratulate the winners of the 2011 Broadcom MASTERS competition at www.facebook.com/broadcommasters.
 
In total, Broadcom Foundation and classroom partner Elmer’s® Products, Inc. offered more than $500,000 in prizes, awards and rebates to nominees, entrants, semifinalists, finalists, and their teachers and schools. Funding for the top award comes from the Samueli Foundation, which strives to create societal value by investing in innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable ideas. Winners were chosen from a pool of 30 top finalists (17 girls and 13 boys from 14 states and Puerto Rico, representing 29 schools) culled from more than 1,475 applications received from 45 states. Winners were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from across the country.

Winners Include:

First Place: $25,000 
Winner: Daniel Feeny, 15, Woodside, Calif.
Project: Are Waves the Dominant Force Driving Diversity in the Intertidal Zone?
Through his research, first place winner Daniel Feeny noticed that some sections of the intertidal zone at Pescadero Beach were rich in species, while other sections of the beach were bare. The difference intrigued him, and he wondered if the force of waves striking the shore affects the diversity and number of organisms living there. He designed an experiment to quantify wave forces in different sections of the intertidal zone and correlate this data with the diversity of organisms in each location.
 
Second Place: $10,000 
Winner: Benjamin Hylak, 14, West Grove, Penn.
Project: Practical Application of a Telepresence Robot
Second place honors and $10,000 goesto Benjamin Hylak, 14, of West Grove, Penn., for his project on the practical application of a telepresence robot. Benjamin’s grandmother lives in a senior residence facility, and he noticed that some of her fellow residents had few or no visitors. He wanted to find a new way for residents to connect with family and friends and decided to build an interactive robot, through which people could virtually visit their loved ones at the facility.
 
Third Place: $5,000
Winner: I-Chun Lin, 14, of Plano, Texas
Project: A Study of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Efficiency and Lifespan
Third place honors and $5,000 goesto I-Chun Lin, 14, of Plano, Texasfor her project on dyesensitized solar cell efficiency and lifespan.As an active member of her school’s recycling club, I-Chun wanted to find an inexpensive, eco-friendly way to harness solar power. She learned that dye-sensitized solar cells are cheaper to manufacture than solar panels, but are not nearly as efficient. She hypothesized that a mixture of dyes would be most efficient, helping the cell to 
increase its voltage output.

STEM Award Winners:

  • Science Award: Samantha Rowland of Tipp City, Ohio, wins a Celestron Telescope and an iPad2 for her project on the impact of light type on pine needles.
  • Technology Award: Robert Heckman of Kailua, Hawaii, wins a STEM summer camp experience and an iPad2 for his project on coral tumors, parrotfish predation and bacteria.
  • Engineering Award: Katherine Landoni of Sequim, Wash., wins a VIZIO Home Theatre System and an iPad2 for her project on genetic variation and salinity in New Zealand mud snails.
  • Mathematics Award: Crystal Poole of San Diego, Calif. wins a STEM summer camp experience and an iPad2 for her project on buttercream frosting.

Rising Stars Award:

  • Carolyn Jons of Eden Prairie, Minn., and Chad Campbell of Hampstead, N.C., win a trip to the May 2012 Intel ISEF high school competition in Pittsburgh as official observers of the Broadcom MASTERS in recognition of their projects on soap bubbles, and the presence of antibiotics in meat, respectively.
The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) program helps children build a personal passion for science, engineering, and innovation, and stay with science and math through high school. Sponsored by Broadcom Foundation, a nonprofit public benefit organization funded by Broadcom Corporation, the Broadcom MASTERS is a program of Society for Science & the Public. SSP has run some of the world’s most prestigious science competitions for more than seven decades.

Quotes:

Scott McGregor
President, Broadcom Foundation
Chief Executive Officer and President, Broadcom Corporation 
“Our future rests with how we educate and inspire the next generation of innovators. The Broadcom MASTERS creates unique opportunities for middle students to experience hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, and math.”
 
Elizabeth Marincola, President of Society for Science & the Public
“Society for Science & the Public is proud to join Broadcom Foundation in congratulating Daniel Feeny and all of the Broadcom MASTERS 2011 finalists. It is inspiring to see students so young with a dedication and passion forscience. I hope they will pursue that passion and continue to explore their interests.”
 
For more information on the Broadcom MASTERS program please visit 
www.societyforscience.org/masters and www.broadcomfoundation.org/masters. To follow SSP and the MASTERS on Twitter go to www.twitter.com/society4science, or visit the SSP Broadcom Masters Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/societyforscience and www.facebook.com/broadcommasters.
About Broadcom Foundation
Broadcom Foundation was founded to inspire and enable young people throughout the world to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through partnerships with local schools, colleges, universities and non-profit organizations. The Foundation’s mission is to advance education in STEM by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing 
opportunity. Learn more at www.broadcomfoundation.org.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-achip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.
About Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public (SSP) is one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in the U.S. dedicated to public engagement in science and science education. Established in 1921, SSP is a membership organization dedicated to building understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement.
 
Through its acclaimed education competitions and its award-winning publications, Science News and Science News for Kids, SSP is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. For 70 years, SSP education programs have inspired generations of science enthusiasts, including Nobel Laureates, National Medal of Science recipients, and nearly 100,000 other distinguished program alumni. The Society believesthat educating and inspiring the young scientists of tomorrow, whose vision will usher in new solutions to global challenges, is vital to the common future. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org.
 
Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Broadcom Foundation™ and Broadcom MASTERS™ are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, the EU and/or certain other countries. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
MEDIA CONTACTS 
Caitlin Jennings
Society for Science & the Public
202.872.5158
 
Jennifer Baumgartner
Broadcom Corporation
949.784.9574