White House Photo Gallery
Beginning in 1942, the White House has welcomed finalists from the Society for Science’s renowned science research competitions. These finalists have had the opportunity to meet with presidents, vice presidents and first ladies who were eager to promote STEM education and honor our nation’s young talent for developing solutions to society’s most urgent challenges.
This gallery was created to tell the story of the extraordinary relationship the Society has with the White House and their shared commitment to STEM research and scholarship in America.
We hope you draw inspiration as you explore these extraordinary photos. If you would like to share a photo of your visit to the White House as a finalist, please email alumni@societyforscience.org with “White House Gallery” in the subject line.
Please visit our Regeneron ISEF, Regeneron Science Talent Search and Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC) pages to learn more about the Society’s world-class science research competitions.
President Barack Obama shakes hands with Broadcom MASTERS finalist Smita Mohindra. Mohindra’s project, “Novel Strategies in the Treatment of Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency Using Sensors,” earned her a spot as a finalist in the 2013 competition.
![President Obama greets Broadcom MASTERS finalist Smita Mohindra](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_Smita_Mohindra_1000.jpg)
![President Obama greets Broadcom MASTERS finalist Smita Mohindra](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_Smita_Mohindra.jpg)
While meeting the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS finalists, President Barack Obama stresses the importance of their work in the STEM field. The president took time to introduce himself to each finalist and learn more about them.
![President Obama speaks to the Broadcom MASTERS finalists in the White House Rose Garden](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_RoseGarden_1000.jpg)
![President Obama speaks to the Broadcom MASTERS finalists in the White House Rose Garden](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_RoseGarden.jpg)
President Barack Obama welcomes finalists of the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS competition to the White House. Eitan Acks (back row, second from right) was the recipient of the Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation for his project to improve speech therapy devices.
![President Obama poses with Broadcom MASTERS finalists](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_finalists_1000.jpg)
![President Obama poses with Broadcom MASTERS finalists](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2013_BCM_PresObama_finalists01.jpg)
President Barack Obama addresses students at the 2014 White House Science Fair. Eight Society alumni were invited to attend, and several presented their projects to the president. Brenna Wallin (middle row, second from left), a 2013 Broadcom MASTERS finalist, went on to compete in the 2016 ISEF.
![President Obama speaks to Society alumni at the White House Science Fair](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_WHSF_Obama_1000.jpg)
![President Obama speaks to Society alumni at the White House Science Fair](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_WHSF_Obama.jpg)
President Barack Obama addresses the 40 STS finalists in the White House State Dining Room in 2014. After their visit, the students watched the president and first lady take off in Marine One.
![President Obama welcomes STS finalists to the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_Pres-Obama_1000.jpg)
![President Obama welcomes STS finalists to the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_Pres-Obama.jpg)
2014 STS finalist Esha Maiti introduces herself to President Barack Obama during a visit to the White House. For her project, Maiti developed a mathematical simulator that predicts the spread of cancer cells.
![STS finalist Esha Maiti meets President Obama at the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0035_1000.jpg)
![STS finalist Esha Maiti meets President Obama at the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0035.jpg)
President Barack Obama poses with Society for Science and Intel staff members during the STS finalists’ visit to the White House in 2014. After their meeting with the president, a Secret Service agent gave the group a tour of the White House.
![Society staff members meet President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_Caitlin_Obama_1000.jpg)
![Society staff members meet President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_Caitlin_Obama.jpg)
President Barack Obama shakes hands with 2014 STS finalist Shaun Datta. After their meeting, Datta recalled that the president “told us that he had read our information [about the finalists and their projects], some of which he understood, and some of which he didn’t. And then we all laughed.”
![STS finalist Shaun Datta introduces himself to President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0039_1000.jpg)
![STS finalist Shaun Datta introduces himself to President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0039.jpg)
2014 STS finalist Zarin Ibnat Rahman meets President Barack Obama at the White House. Rahman’s STS project examined the effects of electronic screen exposure on adolescent sleep patterns, stress, and academic performance.
![STS finalist Zarin Ibnat Rahman shakes hands with President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0042_1000.jpg)
![STS finalist Zarin Ibnat Rahman shakes hands with President Obama](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_STS_P030714CK-0042.jpg)
President Barack Obama greets Broadcom MASTERS finalists at the White House in 2014. The top winner that year, Holly Jackson, combined her love of sewing and science in her project, which analyzed the strength of various types of sewing stitches.
![President Obama welcomes Broadcom MASTERS finalists to the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_BCM_PresidentObama_1000-1.jpg)
![President Obama welcomes Broadcom MASTERS finalists to the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2014_BCM_PresidentObama_2048.jpg)
President Barack Obama meets with Society Executive Maya Ajmera (third from left), and Broadcom Executive Henry Samueli (third from right), along with other Society and Broadcom staff during the Broadcom MASTERS finalists’ visit to the White House in 2014.
![Society staff and CEO meet President Obama at the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20141028_BCM_Obama_1000.jpg)
![Society staff and CEO meet President Obama at the White House](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20141028_BCM_Obama.jpg)
President Barack Obama smiles with participants at the 2015 White House Science Fair. Eleven Society alumni attended, including Natalie Ng and Nathan Han, pictured standing directly behind the president. Obama reflected on the event by saying that “[w]hen we invest in our young people, we invest in our future.”
![President Obama poses with White House Science Fair participants](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2015-WHSF_0080_1000.jpg)
![President Obama poses with White House Science Fair participants](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2015_WHSF_0080.jpg)
The cover of the March 17, 1962, edition of Science News shows President John F. Kennedy greeting STS finalists at the White House. Kennedy met the students in the Roosevelt Room (called the “Fish Room” during his presidency because a large fish Kennedy had caught was mounted on the wall).
![STS finalists meeting President Kennedy featured on Science News](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1962_ScienceNews_Kennedy_1000.jpg)
![STS finalists meeting President Kennedy featured on Science News](https://www.societyforscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1962_ScienceNews_Kennedy_1200.jpg)