A Hillcrest High School senior was one of 300 seniors from 175 schools across the country who earned a spot as a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search 2010.
Albert Lingfeng Cui, a diploma candidate in the International Baccalaureate Program at Hillcrest, was selected based upon his research, “Demonstration of Planar Plasmonic Waveguides Using Structured Metal Films.” He was one of two Utah students to earn semifinalist status.
Phil Talbot, an Advanced Placement/IB biology teacher at Hillcrest, also was named a Teacher of Merit for his mentoring and guidance of Albert’s project.
As America’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition, the Intel Science Talent Search, a program of the Society for Science & the Public, brings together the brightest young scientific minds in America to compete for $1.25 million in awards. Each semifinalist receives a $1,000 award, with an additional $1,000 going to his or her school.
The Intel Science Talent Search encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills to solve the problems of tomorrow. Projects submitted for consideration cover all disciplines of science, including biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, behavioral science, and medicine and health.
The list of semifinalists was selected from 1,736 entrants. They hail from 37 states and the District of Columbia. In March, the 40 finalists will gather in Washington, D.C., to compete for more than $630,000 in awards from the Intel Foundation.
“We believe that fostering a passion for math and science in today’s youth is imperative for America’s future success as a leader in innovation,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group. “The 300 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists recognized exemplify what is possible when young people are encouraged to apply math and science to solving today’s most challenging problems.”
