Young Scientists Compete for $630,000 in Awards in Washington, D.C.
**Radio Interviews Available**
WHAT: The Intel Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science & the Public, is America’s oldest and most prestigious high school science competition. 40 finalists from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. March 7-13 to display their science research and compete for $630,000 in awards, with the top winner receiving $100,000 from the Intel Foundation. The second-place finalist receives $75,000 and the third-prize winner gets a $50,000 award. In addition to the top 10 awards, each of the 30 remaining finalists receives at least $7,500 in awards after attending the event in D.C.
WHY: The 2013 finalist’s research projects include such topics as breast cancer treatments and therapies; optimizing algae biofuels; indoor air contamination filtration, and many more. The finalists are prepared to discuss how they got to the Intel Science Talent Search, what inspired them and how they are preparing for America’s premier science competition – a capstone of their academic career so far.
Over the past 71 years, Science Talent Search alumni have received some of the world’s most coveted honors including seven Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science, 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, two Fields Medals, and even an Academy Award.
WHO: Lilia Popova, Ann Arbor, MI – She is a 17 yr old from Ann Arbor Huron High School. She examined the effects of magnetic fields on plant cell growth at the molecular level for the plant science project she submitted to the Intel Science Talent Search. In an earlier study, she had determined that weak magnets alter the degree and orientation of plant growth, and now she delved deeper. She studied two related plant species (R. sativus and A. thaliana) to explore the underlying environmental and genetic factors that can be altered by static magnetic fields (SMFs). She discovered that weak SMFs can influence plant nutrient and water absorption, as well as changes in gene expression, and described in detail how they affect plant growth. She believes her findings could have applications in biotechnology, sustainable agriculture and biofuel production. Her passion for research has led to her desire to be a role model for other young female scientists and a feeling of duty to encourage other women to become more involved in the stereotypically male-dominated field. Lilia is president of the Key Club at Ann Arbor Huron High School and has logged more than 150 volunteer hours. She played field hockey for three years and captained the junior varsity team. Active in the choral program for four years, Lilia sings with both the A Capella and Chamber Choirs. Fluent in Bulgarian, her mother tongue, Lillia moved from the country at the age of four.
WHEN: The finalists are available for live, live-to-tape and taped interviews LIVE from the Intel Science Talent Search 2013 in Washington D.C. on Monday, March 11, 2013 between 6:00 am EST and 2:00 pm EST.*
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