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LA County Students Win Big at Intel ISEF 2013
Our own David Zimmerman, 18, from the Brentwood School in Los Angeles won FOUR top awards at this year's Intel ISEF at Phoenix, AZ. David is also the Sr. Sweepstakes winner at the 2013 Los Angeles County Science Fair, the Fair's top award. David's project, Site-directed Mutagenesis of the Metal-reducing Bacterium S. oneidensis MR-1: A Novel Strategy for Genetic Engineering in Recalcitrant Microorganisms, first won $2,500 from the American Society for Microbiology.
Founded in 1899, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is the largest single life science membership organization in the world. Members worldwide represent 26 disciplines of microbiological specializations plus a division for microbiology educators. The ASM awards honor the most outstanding microbiology projects.
Next, David won 1st in Microbiology, a $3,000 award. In addition, David won Best in Category (Life Science) and received an additional $5,000. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to the Los Angeles County Science Fair as the affiliated fair that David was representing.
Finally, David won the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award, and all-expense-paid trip awarded to three finalists to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar (SIYSS) (www.fuf.org/siyss/), which includes attendance at the Nobel Prize ceremonies, in Stockholm, Sweden in December. The Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award is a multi-disciplinary seminar highlighting some of the most remarkable achievements by young scientists from around the world. The students have the opportunity to visit scientific institutes, attend the Nobel lectures and press conferences, learn more about Sweden and experience the extravagance of the Nobel festivities.
That’s a trip of a lifetime for his outstanding research and a total of $10,500 to help to pay his way through college. Many congratulations on your difficult and important work, David!!
Easun Arunachalam, a Senior at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, won 2nd place and $1,500 in the Medical & Health Sciences category for his Pharmacology Project is entitled: “An Examination of Quorum Sensing Mechanisms in Glioblastoma Multiforme.” Easun's win was particularly impressive since his category is one of the largest categories at ISEF. Easun’s work on the most common and deadliest of malignant brain tumors in adults has implications on tumor growth.
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Easun, we congratulate you on your excellent achievement!
As 1st or 2nd place Category a
ward winners at Intel ISEF, both students' names will be submitted to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for naming of a minor planet. All minor planets in the Ceres Connection have been discovered by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program, operated by MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, who partnered with SSP and the Intel ISEF to promote science education.
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2013 ISEF winners David Zimmerman, Easun Arunachalam and alternates Manisha Sajnani and Lauren Lee. by Arnold Arst
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The 2013 LA County Science Fair ISEF designees were David Zimmerman and Easun Arunachalam.
Both students had all expenses-paid trips to the Intel ISEF Fair in May, to represent LA County with students from over 70 countries.
David is a Senior at the Brentwood School and his Microbiology project, "Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Metal-Reducing Bacteria Shewanella oneidensis MR-1: a Novel Strategy for Genetic Engineering in Recalcitrant Microorganisms" takes him to Phoenix, Arizona. David was recently interviewed on KPCC where he talked about his research on his special bacteria (with a pet name of "Shewy.") Click here to hear the short interview.
Easun is a Senior at Crescenta Valley High School and his Pharmacology Project is entitled: "An Examination of Quorum Sensing Mechanisms in Glioblastoma Multiforme." Easun's work on the most common and deadliest of malignant brain tumors in adults has implications on tumor growth.
First alternate Lauren Lee, a 9th grader at Palos Verdes Penninsula HS, has been investigating the "Effects of Pressure on the Spawning and Hatching Processes of Haliotis rufescens" (Red Abalone) at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Her results have implications for greater reproduction in the critically endangered White Abalone species, Haliotis sorenseni. Lauren has 3 more years to deepen her research and compete again!
Second alternate Manisha Sajnani, an 11th grader at Bravo Medical Magnet HS, has been investigating "The Mysterious Benefits of Rice Solutions, a Plant Physiology 1st Place Project.
Congratulations to ALL of you!
Phoenix, AZ, May 12-17, 2013
The Intel ISEF is the world's largest international pre-college science competition and was held May 12-17, 2012 in Phoenix, AZ. It is the premier global science competition for students in grades 9–12. This year more than 1,600 high school students from about 70 countries, regions, and territories displayed their independent research and competed for over $3 million in awards. We encourage you to visit the Intel homepage to learn more and you can check out all the latest pictures from the event on Facebook.
“We support the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we know that math and science are imperative to future global growth,” said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation. “This competition encourages millions of students to engage their skills for innovation and develop promising solutions for global challenges.”
This year, more than 1,500 young scientists are being chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. They are selected from 446 affiliate fairs in approximately 70 countries, regions and territories. In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists will receive awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work.
Awards include 17 "Best of Category" winners who will each receive a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also will award a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and to the affiliated fair they represent.
2013 – 2014 INTEL ISEF CALENDAR
The 1st Place winner in each Senior Division category will automatically be considered to represent Los Angeles County at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The Los Angeles County Science Fair will send up to SIX candidates to the 2014 ISEF. As always, the decision of the judges is final.
- Winter 2014 (mid February) Intel ISEF registration materials available online.
- April 7, 2014 Last day to submit paperwork. There will be no exceptions. Click here to access the finalists information page.
- May 11-16, 2014 Intel ISEF 2014 will be held in LOS ANGELES, California!
