Top Young Scientists From Around the World Awarded $4 Million in Scholarships; Female Students Sweep Top Awards at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Madhavi Gavini of Starkville, Miss.; Meredith MacGregor ofBoulder, Colo.; and Hannah Wolf of Allentown, Pa., excelled among arecord-setting, worldwide pool of 1,482 competitors from 47 countries,regions and territories, setting the bar for future scientificresearch in three disciplines.

Gavini, 16, discovered a novel method to destroy a common anddeadly infectious bacterium -- pseudomonas aeruginosa -- that causessecondary infections that often lead to death in patients withcompromised immune systems, such as those with cancer, AIDS andserious burns.

MacGregor, 17, studied the so-called "Brazil-Nut Effect": when acontainer of granular material is shaken, particles separate by size,with the largest rising to the top, like Brazil nuts in a can of mixednuts. One of the most significant implications of understanding thiseffect is in the mixing of compound pharmaceuticals to ensureparticles of different densities are evenly combined as they arepackaged for human consumption. The effect also becomes relevant innatural phenomena such as rock slides.

Wolf, 16, studied formations caused by ancient earthquakes in theGrand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to try to determine theepicenters of the quakes and assess the impact. She mapped,photographed and measured the formations within the study area, thenanalyzed characteristics of the formations to determine the intensityof the quake and the direction and distance it moved. Understandingwhere the most damage has occurred can lead scientists to moreaccurate assessment and prediction of seismic hazards.

"It is a privilege to meet these outstanding young people and beinspired by their curiosity, enthusiasm and dedication," said CraigBarrett, Intel chairman. "This generation of young scientists andinventors will surely find solutions to global issues and change theworld for the better."

"Best of Category" Award Winners Span 33 Countries

Each year, tens of thousands of students participate in regionalaffiliated fairs to earn the opportunity to compete at Intel ISEF.They present their projects in one of 14 scientific disciplines:Behavioral and Social Science, Biochemistry, Botany, Chemistry,Computer Science, Earth Science, Engineering, Environmental Science,Mathematics, Medicine and Health, Microbiology, Physics, Space Scienceand Zoology.

More than 585 students received scholarships and prizes at thisyear's Intel ISEF. The top-scoring student in each project categoryreceives a $5,000 scholarship and a high-performance computer from theIntel Foundation. These students' schools and their affiliated fairsdirectors also receive $1,000 to benefit science and math educationand to encourage more student involvement in science. Following arethe Best of Category award winners by country:

Canada
Quebec: Adrian Veres, 16, College Jean-de-Brebeuf, Montreal,
for Biochemistry.

Chinese Taipei
Kaohsiung: Yi-Chi Chao, 18, the Affiliated Senior High School of
NKNU, for Zoology. Chen Wei Tsai, 16, the Affiliated
Senior High School of NKNU, for Chemistry.
Mexico
Guanajuato: Maria Estela Godinez, 16, CBTis No. 139, San
Francisco, for Computer Science.

United States
California: Terik Daly, 16, Oak Grove High School, San Jose, for
Space Science. Michael Viscardi, 17, Josan Academy,
San Diego for Mathematics.

Colorado: Meredith MacGregor, 17, Fairview High School,
Boulder, for Physics.

Florida: Andrew Warren, 16, Lake Highland Preparatory School,
Orlando, for Microbiology.

Mississippi: Madhavi Gavini, 16, The Mississippi School for
Mathematics and Science, Columbus, for Medicine and
Health.

New York: Mary Martha Douglas, 17, and Alison Liu, 16,
Manhasset High School, Manhasset, for Behavioral and
Social Sciences in the Team category.

Ohio: John Moore, 18, Dayton Christian High School,
Miamisburg, for Engineering. Maya Wolpert, 18,
Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights for Behavioral
and Social Science.

Pennsylvania: Caroline Lang, 14, Independence Home School, Yardley,
for Botany. Hannah Wolf, 16, Parkland High School,
Allentown for Earth Science.

Wyoming: Erica David, 16, Pinedale High School, Pinedale, for
Environmental Science.

Other Major Awards

-- John Moore, 18, of Miamisburg, Ohio; Shannon Babb, 18, of American Fork, Utah; and Yi-Chi Chao, 18, of Taipei, Taiwan won the Seaborg Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar (SIYSS) Award trip to attend the SIYSS event and the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in December.

-- Mary Douglas, 17, and Alison Liu, 16, of Manhasset, N.Y. won the European Union Contest for Young Scientists award, which is an all-expense paid trip to attend the EU Contest to be held in Stockholm, Sweden in September.

-- Victor Shia, 17, George Chen, 17, and Frank Chuang, 17, all of Cupertino, Calif., won the MILSET (International Movement for Leisure in Science and Technology)-Expo-Sciences International award, which is an all-expense paid trip to the International Youth Science Exhibition in Tarragona, Spain in July.

Grand Awards are given to first ($3,000) second ($1,500), third($1,000) and fourth place ($500) projects in each category. Inaddition, special awards including scholarships, summer internships,scientific field trips and laboratory equipment are provided by Inteland Science Service, as well as 80 other corporate, professional andgovernment sponsors. For a complete list of all award recipients,visit www.sciserv.org/isef.

Background

This is the 10th year of Intel's title sponsorship of theInternational Science and Engineering Fair. Intel ISEF is the world'slargest celebration of science showcasing the world's most promisingyoung scientists and inventors in grades 9-12. The finalists competingin Indianapolis began as part of a worldwide field of several millionscience fair participants during the past academic year. Thesefinalists were among 65,000 students competing at more than 558regional Intel ISEF-affiliated science fairs around the world to winthe right to participate at the Intel ISEF.

The fair has been administered for the past 57 years by ScienceService, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance theunderstanding and appreciation of science around the globe throughpublications and educational programs. For more information aboutScience Service and the Intel ISEF, visit www.sciserv.org.

Through education programs such as the Intel ISEF, Intel works toinspire and educate children in communities around the world in theareas of science, mathematics and engineering. For more information,visit www.intel.com/education.

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, developstechnologies, products and initiatives to continually advance howpeople work and live. Additional information about Intel is availableat www.intel.com/pressroom.

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