Eric Larson of South Eugene High School in Eugene, Oregon, wins first prize at Intel
STS and a $100,000 scholarship.
Intel Science Talent SearchA program of Society for Science & the Public
Intel Science Talent Search 2009 Winners
On March 10, 2009, Intel announced the top ten winners of the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) at a black-tie gala in Washington, D.C. Selected from 40 finalists, these high school seniors presented original research projects to esteemed judges and showcased their work at the National Academy of Sciences.
Eric Larson, First Place, $100,000
Eric Larson enjoys tackling the tough questions, the kind that nobody else can answer.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that Eric’s mathematical investigations
led him to develop a complete description of fusion categories never before described.
These fusion categories exhibit new types of behaviors and could have applications
in theoretical physics and computer science.
Eric, a senior at South Eugene High School in Eugene, Oregon, is the recipient of several mathematics awards, including the silver medal at the 2007 International Math Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam. Additionally, the seventeen-year-old is an accomplished classical pianist and a four-time gold medalist at the Oregon Junior Bach Festival. Eric hopes to attend Harvard or MIT and pursue a career as a mathematical researcher or professor.
William Sun, Second Place, $75,000
William Sun of Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, is awarded
second prize and a $75,000 scholarship.
In his biochemistry project, William Sun, 17, examined a recently discovered molecule,
Golgicide A (GCA), as a potential drug to inhibit intracellular transport of disease.
Specifically, William’s research demonstrates that, although GCA affects a
specific gene which regulates intracellular transport, it has no effect on canine
cells. Through cloning and genetic sequencing, William was able to identify a single
amino acid difference in the canine gene versus other mammalian genes. When this
canine gene was substituted for the corresponding human gene, intracellular pathways
were interrupted. This discovery could lead to new approaches for preventing neurodegenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
First in his class at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, William enjoys debate and piano, and is the general assembly president of the St. Louis area Model UN. He hopes to further his studies at Harvard or Yale.
Philip Streich, Third Place $50,000
Philip Streich, a home-schooler from Platteville, Wisconsin, earns third prize and
a $50,000 scholarship.
Though nanotubes are known to be extremely strong and conductive, scientists have
generally believed them to be insoluble and therefore impractical for real-world
applications. Until, that is, Philip Streich, an 18-year-old from Platteville, Wisconsin,
used light scattering theory and chemical solvents to prove otherwise. Philip’s
research provides the first quantifiable evidence that nanotubes are thermodynamically
soluble. Additionally, Philip was able to improve not only the thermodynamic solubility
of carbon nanotubes, but also of graphene and cellulose nanocrystals. This work
may lead to the development of revolutionary, ultra-strong materials and ultra-fast
nanoelectronics.
Philip, who is home-schooled, was a member of the 2007 U.S. Physics Olympiad team and has won the National Physics Bowl twice. He is active in politics and has served as the elected Treasurer of the Grant County Democratic Party for the past two years. Philip plans to attend Harvard and pursue a career in research.
Rounding out the top 10 winners:
- Narendra Tallapragada - Fourth Place, $25,000 Scholarship
Narendra Tallapragada, 17, of Burke, Virginia, found ways to simplify complex mathematical models so that “mini computers” can one day interact on a molecular level. Applications could include the creation of internal, automatic insulin pumps for diabetics or intelligent clothing with automatic temperature regulation. - Chelsea Jurman - Fifth Place, $25,000 Scholarship
Chelsea Jurman, 17, of Roslyn, New York, studied underage drinking behaviors and how it is tied to teen perceptions of parental drinking and parenting behaviors. - Noah Arbesfeld - Sixth Place, $25,000 Scholarship
Noah Arbesfeld, 17, of Lexington, Massachusetts, probed understanding of a fundamental structure underlying all of algebra, with potential impact for string theory. - Alexander Kim - Seventh Place, $25,000 Scholarship
Alexander Kim, 17, of Fairfax, Virginia, conducted morphological and genetic analyses of the giant American river prawn, enriching understanding of species evolution and potential strategies to preserve ecosystem balance. - Preya Shah - Eighth Place, $20,000 Scholarship
Preya Shah, 17, of Setauket, New York, designed and synthesized a tumor-targeting drug that may offer a new delivery approach for chemotherapy agents and treatment of multi-drug resistant cancer without causing side effects. - Nilesh Tripuraneni - Ninth Place, $20,000 Scholarship
Nilesh Tripuraneni, 18, of Fresno, California, formulated a set of hydrodynamic equations investigating quark-gluon plasma. This work may shed light on the origin of the universe and aid in the development of a quantum theory of gravity. - Gabriela Farfan - Tenth Place, $20,000 Scholarship
Gabriela Farfan, 18, of Madison, Wisconsin, investigated Oregon sunstones, a type of feldspar, and found that perceptual color differences were due to aligned micro-inclusions. This discovery could have applications in thermal shock resistance.
Each of the remaining 30 finalists received a $5,000 scholarships and a new laptop powered by an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor.
Past STS Winners
Intel STS
2008 (PDF;2 pages)
Intel STS
2007 (PDF;3 pages)
Intel STS 2006
(PDF;20 pages)
Intel STS 2005
(PDF;25 pages)
Intel STS 2004
(PDF;45 pages)
Intel STS 2003
(PDF;7 pages)
Intel STS 2002
(PDF;3 pages)
Past STS Finalists
Intel STS
2009 (PDF;2 pages)
Intel STS
2008 (PDF;2 pages)
