Nine from SSHS enter Intel Science Talent Search

Nine South Side High school research students have submitted papers to the Intel Science Talent Search this year. A program of Science for Society and the Public, the Intel search is America’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. The event brings together 40of the best and brightest young scientific minds in America to compete for $1.25 million in awards and scholarships.

Every year, roughly 1,600 U.S. high school seniors enter the Intel Science Talent Search with original science projects spanning a wide range of mathematics and science disciplines. Seeking to increase the spotlight on the need to improve math and science education in the United States, Intel assumed the title sponsorship of the search in 1998.

Finalists receive scholarship prizes ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 as well as opportunities to meet leading scientists and government officials. Over the past 66 years, former Science Talent Search finalists have achieved some of the world's most prestigious academic honors. Seven former finalists have gone on to win the Nobel Prize; others have been awarded the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science and the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

This prestigious competition has spotlighted the talents of many South Side students over the years. Since 2000, the South Side research program has produced six Intel semi-finalists.

The 2009 South Side High School Intel contributors are pictured above. The students and their project titles are, from left in the first row, Mr. Todd Russo, Research teacher; Greg Rizzo: "The Provenance of Quartz Pebbles Pertaining to Lead-Lead Dating"; Cathy Mackey: "Developing More Accessible and Cost Effective Microbial Fuel Cells"; Alyssa Ehrlich: "Effects of Starvation on Wild Type and adipose60 Mutant Drosophila mela- nogaster"; Lori Ying: "Female mating patterns and mate quality in the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypt"; William Riley: "Improving a multitouch padlock through the use of Dynamic Time Warping Algorithms."

In the second row, Kenneth Karaivanov: "The Study of Evolution in Genetic Resistance in the mya arenaria clam under harmful algal blooms"; Kevin Yim: "Flame Retardant Formulation of ABS"; Brett Cohen: "An Evolutionary Study of Genetic Resistance to Saxitoxin in Mya Arenaria"; Kyle O’Neil: "The Synthesis and Characterization of a Nanocomposite Blend with Ideal Mechanical and Biodegradable Properties," and Mr. Herb Weiss, Research teacher and facilitator. Competition semifinalists will be announced next month.