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ANDOVER, Mass. — Katherine Chen '06 won $1,000 for herself and a matching $1,000 for Andover by being named a semifinalist in one of the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science competitions, the Intel Science Talent Search (STS).
To become one of just 300 students nationwide to earn the semifinalist designation, Chen competed against 1,558 entrants from 486 high schools in forty-four states. Only seven other students in Massachusetts and just one student in New Hampshire were also named as semifinalists. The research projects of the entrants covered all disciplines of science including biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, behavioral science, medicine, and health. Students range in age from fifteen to eighteen with females representing 53 percent of the total entrants.
Commenting on the significance of the students’ achievements, Brenda Musilli, Intel director of education said, “Becoming an Intel STS semifinalist shows the world that this teen has exceptional promise and has the potential to become one of tomorrow's great scientists.”
To enter the competition, Chen, who is the daughter of Tze Chiang and Sheng Hui Chen of Yorktown Heights, New York, submitted a paper titled “Effect of Electrical Stress on Gate Current in Metal-Insulator-Silicon Structures.” According to Chen, the paper reflects her study of the tunneling of electrons through different types of semiconductors commonly used in such electronic equipment as CD players and computers. The goal of her project is to develop a greater understanding of why electronics break after constant or frequent usage.
As a semifinalist, Chen receives a $1,000 college scholarship, while Phillips Academy receives $1,000, which it can put toward enhancements in science education.
The Science Talent Search During is a sixty-five-year-old competition administered by Science Service, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Over the last six decades, the competition has served as a valued vehicle for promoting excellence in science while spotlighting some of America’s brightest young scientists. Alumni of the program hold more than 100 of the world’s most coveted science and math honors, including six Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science, ten MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, and two Fields Medals.
Intel became a sponsor of the competition in 1998, and it implemented the matching school award in 2000. Since then, it has contributed more than $2 million to help improve math and science education in U.S. high schools.
On January 25, Intel announced it had selected forty finalists from among the 300 semifinalists. The finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Intel Science Talent Institute. There they will participate in final judging and compete for college scholarships totaling more than $500,000, with the top prize-winner receiving a $100,000 scholarship. Winners will be announced at a black-tie banquet on March 14.
More information about the science competition can be found at www.sciserv.org.
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