Young Scientists From Around The World Receive Total Of $3 Million In Scholarships And Prizes

LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 17, 2002 - More than $3 million in scholarships and prizes were awarded to high school innovators and scientists from around the world today at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Students from 39 countries, equipped with rockets, robots and ideas for advancements in medicine gathered in Louisville, Ky. for the Intel ISEF, the world's largest pre-college science competition.

The top prizes -- the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Scholarships -- were awarded to Alexander Mittal of Greenwich, Conn., Naveen Sinha of Los Alamos, N.M. and Nina Vasan of Parkersburg, W. Va. These students will each receive a $50,000 scholarship, a high-performance computer and a trip in December to the Nobel Prize ceremonies in Sweden.

"The Intel ISEF students exemplify what our countries and businesses need in tomorrow's workforce: students who excel in science and math," said Intel CEO Craig Barrett. "These young people will go on to become tomorrow's science and technology pioneers delivering ideas and inventions that will fuel the global economy."

Mittal, 17, won a top prize for his computer science project, "Nanoconstruction with Self-Assembling DNA-PNA Complexes." The project has the potential to change the way computer chips are developed, resulting in smaller, faster and cheaper electronic devices.

Sinha, 17, won a top prize for his physics project, "Bubble-based Resonance-Doppler Sensor for Liquid Characterization." The project monitors the stages of an air bubble's evolution, which has applications as a sensor in the chemical, environmental, food and medical industries.

Vasan, 18, won a top prize for her behavioral and social sciences project, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: The Timing of Guidance in Visual Search." The project investigated the speed and effectiveness with which people learn using pictures versus words.

Awards to Teachers, Affiliated Fairs and Schools
The Intel Excellence in Teaching Award grand prize of a $20,000 teaching grant, $5,000 cash and a high-performance computer was awarded to Josette Biyo of the Philippines. Biyo teaches Science Research at Philippine Science High School. The teaching grant will enable Biyo to expose teachers and students to a wide array of research topics through intensive science research workshops in the Western Visayas.

Student Awards by Region
More than 500 students received scholarships and prizes at the Intel ISEF. The following is a list of Best of Category awards by region:

United States:

East

• Connecticut: Jacob Licht, 17, William H. Hall High School, West Hartford; Alexander Mittal, 17, Greenwich High, Greenwich.
• District of Columbia: Sabrina Snell, 16, School Without Walls.
• New Jersey: Maria Elena De Obaldia, 15, Moorestown High, Moorestown.
• New York: Mordechai Bronner, 18, Rambam Mesiveta, Lawrence; Ezra Rapoport, 18, Horace Mann School, Bronx.
• West Virginia: Nina Vasan, 18, Parkersburg High, Parkersburg.

Midwest

• Illinois: Debarshi Mustafi, 17, Kenwood Academy, Chicago.
• Nebraska: Swalpa Udit, 16, Humboldt High, Humboldt.

Southwest

• Texas: Kevin Gao, 17, John Connally High, Austin.
• New Mexico: Naveen Neil Sinha, 17, Los Alamos High, Los Alamos.

West

• California: Vijay Yanamadala, 15, Palos Verdes Peninsula High, Rolling Hills Estates.

Canada:

• Ontario: Eva Lilly Vertes, 17, Highland Secondary School, Dundas.

China:

• Mingzhi Qu, 16, high school affiliated with Fudan University, Shanghai.

Northern Ireland:

• Brendan Joseph Quinn, 19, and Enda Young, 19, St. Patrick's College, Maghera, County Derry.

Major international awards went to Laurie-Anne Daniele Haller, 17, and Upton Au, 16, Manhasset Junior-Senior High School, who won the European Union Contest for Young Scientists. The MILSET-Expo-Sciences Europe award went to Brendan Joseph Quinn, 19, and Enda Young, 19, St. Patrick's College, Maghera, County Derry.

For a complete list of all award recipients, visit www.sciserv.org/isef.

Background
The Intel ISEF brings together students from approximately 40 countries. Student finalists in grades nine through 12 emerge from a field of 1 million students who vied in more than 500 regional and affiliated science fairs during the past academic year. Intel and the Intel Foundation, formed in 1989, contribute more than $100 million annually toward the improvement of science and math education.

For more than a half-century, ISEF has been coordinated by Science Service, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science through educational programs and publications. Visit www.sciserv.org for more information.

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