By Ben Harder
Original scientific research has earned each of 40 high school students a coveted slot in the final round of the 2005 Intel Science Talent Search. These teens emerged from a field of 1,600 competitors throughout the United States. Collectively, the finalists will receive more than $500,000 in scholarships.
Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., and Science Service, publisher of Science News, announced the 40 names on Jan. 26. Science Service has administered the annual competition for 64 continuous years, and Intel has sponsored it since 1998.
Fifteen of this year’s finalists are female, and 19 fluently speak at least two languages. Five were born in China, one in Russia, and one in India.
“What’s most encouraging is that these young people are just beginning their scientific journeys,” says Intel chief executive Craig Barrett. “This group will be responsible for future discoveries that . . . keep America at the center of innovation.”
Past finalists have gone on to capture prestigious scientific awards. Last October, physicist Frank Wilczek of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology became the sixth former finalist to win a Nobel prize.
About a third of the 2005 finalists hail from New York. One Maryland high school educated four finalists, and an Illinois school trained three others.
Each of the finalists will receive a notebook computer and a scholarship of $5,000 to $100,000 after a week of science activities and a final round of judging in March in Washington, D.C.
The finalists are:
Arizona: James Andrew Cahill, Flagstaff H.S., Flagstaff.
California: June-Ho Kim, Monta Vista H.S., Cupertino; Aaron Sargent Goldin, San Dieguito High School Academy, Encinitas; Amber Irish Hess, Robert Louis Stevenson School, Pebble Beach; Kelley Harris, C.K. McClatchy H.S., Sacramento.
Florida: Sarah Rose Langberg, Canterbury School, Fort Myers; David Qianli Ying, Coral Reef Senior H.S., Miami; Pooja Sunil Jotwani, Charles W. Flanagan H.S., Pembroke Pines.
Georgia: Sisi Monica Chen, Northview H.S., Duluth.
Illinois: Timothy Frank Credo, Abhi Gulati, and Lyra Creamer Haas, all of Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora; Stephen Jacob DeVience, Notre Dame High School for Boys, Niles.
Massachusetts: Albert Tsao, Brookline H.S., Brookline.
Maryland: Ryan Marques Harrison, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore; Michael Andrew Forbes, Abigail Ann Fraeman, Sherri Yifan Geng, and Justin Alexander Kovac, all of Montgomery Blair H.S., Silver Spring.
Michigan: Samuel Mohun Bhagwat, Winston Churchill H.S., Livonia.
Minnesota: Michael Jeremy Barany, Roseville Area H.S., Roseville.
New Mexico: Robert Thomas Cordwell, Manzano H.S., Albuquerque.
New York: Stephen Curt Kramer, Byram Hills H.S., Armonk; Neal Wadhwa, Ward Melville H.S., East Setauket; Bruce X. Brewington, Fairport H.S., Fairport; Yingqiuqi Lei, Robert F. Kennedy Community H.S., Flushing; Stanley Shang Chiang, John L. Miller–Great Neck North H.S., Great Neck; Shan Yuan Huang, Longwood H.S., Middle Island; Justin Scott Becker, Hendrick Hudson H.S., Montrose; Karen Lynn Geringer, Plainedge H.S., North Massapequa; Ling Pan, the Brearley School, New York City; David Lawrence Vigliarolo Bauer, Hunter College H.S., New York City; Olga Pikovskaya, Midwood H.S., New York City; Sagar Viplov Mehta, the Wheatley School, Old Westbury; Ailish Elizabeth Bateman, Pierson H.S., Sag Harbor.
Ohio: Joline Marie Fan, Upper Arlington H.S., Upper Arlington.
Texas: Ian Robert Haken, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton; Jimmy Chen Yang, Plano Senior H.S., Plano.
Washington: Karl James Plank, Squalicum H.S., Bellingham.
Wisconsin: Po-Ling Loh, James Madison Memorial H.S., Madison.
