Stony Brook University faculty have mentored four of the 40 high school students chosen as finalists in the prestigious 2013 Intel Science Talent Search, which accounts for 10 percent of the 40 finalists announced by Intel. All four finalists participated in the Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University where they worked in University labs with Stony Brook faculty members and graduate students. Two finalists are from Long Island, one is from California and another is from Oregon.
“Stony Brook University consistently mentors and develops some of the top high school research talent in the nation,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD. “I congratulate the four finalists on this great accomplishment; and I tip my hat to the faculty and graduate students who selflessly give of their time to take these young researchers under their wings teaching them how to do research properly. This continued success is a testament to the vast opportunities provided by Stony Brook and the quality of research, education and discovery that happens here every day.”
The four students and their Stony Brook University mentors are:
• Kevin Chen, Mission San Jose HS, Fremont, California, who worked with Matthew Dawber in the Department of Physics and Astronomy on the Development of a Low-Cost Analyzer for Ferroelectric Characterization.
• Mayuri Sridhar, Kings Park HS, Kings Park, New York, who worked with Carlos Simmerling in the Department of Chemistry on Computational Analysis of the DNA-Binding Mechanism of the p53 Tumor Suppressor and its Inactivation through the R249S Mutation.
• Raghav Tripathi, Westview HS, Portland, Oregon, who worked with Iwao Ojima in the Department of Chemistry, who is also director of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, on Design and Synthesis of Novel Fatty Acid Binding Protein Inhibitors for Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects through Increases in Endogenous Anandamide Concentrations. (Tripathi also placed sixth overall in the 2012 Siemens competition finals.)
• Michael Zhang, Smithtown HS East, St. James, New York, who worked with Gregory Zelinsky in the Department of Psychology on Role-Inducted Perspective Visual Behavior during Scene Free-Viewing.
“I am especially proud that, year after year, Stony Brook University continues to be an incubator for developing young scientists, especially in the nationally critical STEM disciplines,” said Provost Dennis N. Assanis. “I would also like to thank the faculty mentors in our Simons Summer Research Program who worked with four out of 40, or 10 percent, of this year’s Intel finalists.”
In early January it was announced that 35 of the 300 Intel semifinalists nationwide (27 of 53 from Long Island) were mentored at Stony Brook University, bringing the total to 393 semifinalists mentored by Stony Brook faculty members since 1997. Additionally, 47 Intel finalists have been mentored at Stony Brook since 1997.
These four finalists will head to Washington, D.C., on March 7 for a week-long event where they will have an opportunity to compete for a share of $630,000 in awards, with the top winner receiving $100,000 from the Intel Foundation. Students will undergo a rigorous judging process and meet with national leaders. Top winners will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 12.
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