ARIZONA

Ravi Vikram Shah, 17, of 1726 E. Knox Rd., Tempe, investigated a problem in medicine for the Westinghouse competition – drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Ravi focused his investigation on changes in the expression of repair genes in DNA from tumors resistant to various concentrations of a drug. His results, he believes, expand our understanding of drug resistance and suggest new directions for cancer therapy. Ravi hopes to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry or biochemistry at MIT and continue his cancer research. First in a class of 622 at Corona del Sol High School, Ravi is in the math club and active on school publications. He has won honors in the National Chemistry Olympiad and American High School Math Exam. He has also placed first in his state and third nationally in the National Spanish Exam. Last summer he attended the Research Science Institute at MIT where his project presentation was ranked among the top 10. Ravi is the son of Vikram and Dr. Rekha Shah.

 

CALIFORNIA

Ann Kromsky, 17, of 1158 Willits Dr., Corona, was named an STS finalist for a psychology project, "A Computational Model of Child Memory: Memory Acquisition Without Biological Constraints." A fluent reader of Russian, Ukranian and French, Ann was born in Baku in the former USSR and has studied English for only four years. She investigated how children learn a language by reducing many millions of children’s utterances to 1.7 million words in her computer memory model. Ann concluded that they contained enough regularities for learning to occur, but did not rule out the presence of an innate concept acquisition method. Ann conducted her research at the University of California, Riverside, where she won the Sigma Xi award for outstanding research. She is co-author of a paper presented at the Psychonomics Society in November. At Corona High School, Ann sings in a Madrigal group. The daughter of Alexander and Marina Kromsky, Ann hopes to study neurology and medicine at UCLA to prepare for a career in research.

James Gregory Marsden, 17, of 7060 Helmsdale Rd., West Hills, studied the environmental effects of the discharge of treated sewage into Santa Monica Bay for his ecology project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Greg’s study measured plankton populations directly over three ocean outfalls of the Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant, which discharges more than 300 million gallons of treated sewage each day. Plankton samples were taken at different depths over each of the outfalls and at corresponding depths at control locations. His data reveal a significant decrease—as much as 60 percent—in plankton populations near the sewage outfalls. He is concerned about the effect this will have on the food chain, and hopes that his work will inspire further research on the effects of sewage on marine life. Greg attends North Hollywood High School, where he is first in a class of 619 and captain of the Science Bowl team, president of the computer club and a 1997 national AP Scholar. The son of Tony and Hiroko Marsden, Greg plays and composes for the piano. He hopes to study at Stanford for a career in research.

Sohini Ramachandran, 15, of 8541 Dominique Ct., Fair Oaks, impressed Westinghouse judges with a biology that connected her interest in population biology with a strong background in mathematics and computer science. She probed geographic molecular variations by mathematically analyzing microsatellites (short DNA sequences) in specific plants and human beings. Sohini believes her research can be used to relate the biological evolution of Homo sapiens with their cultural evolution. She hopes eventually to use population biology and gene therapy to locate hereditary diseases in the human genome, or genetic constitution. First in her class at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, Sohini conducted her Westinghouse research last summer as a science intern at Stanford University. The winner of numerous scientific honors, she is the daughter of Drs. Doraiswamy and Geetha Ramachandran, both university professors. Sohini credits her father with fostering her interest in research, and hopes to attend Harvard to prepare for a career as a research professor or research scientist

Jeremy Walter Shaw, 17, of 3312 East Mandeville Place, Orange, studied depth perception and binocular rivalry—when our eyes compete to provide the image that our brain perceives—for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search physiology project. Inspired by the loss of a contact lens while playing tennis, Jeremy investigated three different ways that the eye receives visual input. In his darkened, home-made lab, 30 subjects judged the distance of tiny lights mounted at various locations on four breadboards. His findings challenge a neuro-physiological theory on how the brain processes central field images. In two unrelated projects, he is applying for a patent on a multi-chambered automobile tire and hopes to develop his concept for a reliable car collision avoidance system. Winner of many awards and tied for first in his class at Villa Park High School, Jeremy plays varsity tennis, volunteers in a hospital and is a published poet. Son of Dr. David and Judy Shaw and brother of 1996 Westinghouse finalist Susan Shaw, Jeremy hopes to become a bio-medical researcher after studying at Harvard.

COLORADO

Heather Margaret Matthews, 17, of 1926 Wood Ave., Colorado Springs, examined four created wetlands and three natural wetlands to determine if the soil characteristics were equivalent as her Westinghouse Science Talent Search biology project. Under federal law, manmade wetlands are created to mitigate the loss of natural wetlands. While Heather’s statistical analyses of soil make-up show negligible differences, she did observe biological variations—including a consistently more basic pH, higher dissolved oxygen, and higher soil density in created wetlands and higher phosphorous levels in natural wetlands. She cautions that while scientists wait to see if mitigation projects will succeed, natural wetlands are being destroyed at an alarming rate of 300,000 acres each year. The winner of numerous academic awards, Heather is chapter president of both the National Honor Society and the National Charity League at William J. Palmer High School. She plays the piano and tennis and works as a swimming instructor and lifeguard. The daughter of Dr. David and Kim Matthews, Heather plans to attend Williams College to study biology.

DELAWARE

Calvin K. Huang, 17, of 5 Larchmont Ct., Hockessin, studied a coal desulfurization process that can help reduce acid rain for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. For his engineering project, inspired by his work with the ecology club at school, he combined ultrasound and hydrogen peroxide to clean coal of sulfur at room temperature. When burned, sulfur-free coal does not produce sulfur-dioxide residue, a major precursor to acid rain. He claims his process, easily installed and operated, is gentle enough to preserve the heat value of the coal while reducing sulfur dioxide emissions. At Salesianum School in Wilmington, Calvin is a member of the wrestling and tennis teams. Fluent in Chinese and Taiwanese, he enjoys roller blading, trombone, piano and paint ball and credits his father as his greatest influence. Winner of awards in science, mathematics, Latin and Spanish, Calvin is a black belt in karate and competitive figure skater. The son of Drs. Chin-pao and Angel Huang, he hopes to become an environmental health scientist after Harvard.

FLORIDA

Carey Marie Tanner, 16, of 12750 Yacht Club Circle, Fort Myers, designed and built a highly efficient photoelectrochemical solar cell—combining the light-harvesting chemical mechanisms of photosynthesis with traditional photovoltaic power generation—for her Westinghouse physical chemistry project. Carey’s translucent cell converts the sun’s energy into electrical energy at efficiencies nearing 50 percent using photosensitive dyes to mimic the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis, the natural chemical process that green plants use to convert sunlight into energy. She believes her cell’s translucent design makes applications more feasible and sets a new direction for solar research. Winner of numerous science fair awards, Carey accepted an invitation while a sophomore to present her research to NASA scientists in California. Daughter of Larry and Grace Tanner, Carey is cellist with the Palm Coast Youth Symphony and a two-year Habitat for Humanity volunteer. The Canterbury School senior is captain and MVP of the varsity tennis team and hopes to study biomedical engineering at MIT.

Kimberly Anne Fitzgerald, 18, of 15215 SW 78 Court, Miami, studied the chromosomal accessibility of different genes in the immune system—focusing on B cells, which are created and mature in the bone marrow—for her Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in biology. Her experiments on the human lambda light chain locus led her to conclude that the choice of enzymes is critical for the digestion of DNA, and her work with the lambda 5 locus indicates that a gene’s transcription may be influenced more by transcription factors than by how open the chromosomes are to transcription itself. Scientists believe that better understanding of how genes can be regulated will help people with autoimmune diseases. Captain of her volleyball team at Gulliver Preparatory School, Kimberly also plays basketball and water polo. She is an American Heart Scholar and received the Lt. Bruce Heart Award for her research. Her fluency in Spanish helps with her work in the community as a migrant camp volunteer and with La Liga Contra El Cancer. The daughter of Dr. John and Karol Fitzgerald, Kimberly hopes to be a pre-med student at Yale.

Aaron M. Seider, 17, of 210 174^th St., Miami Beach, created an entrophy-based hurricane prediction model for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in meteorology. He researched all 76 tropical storms from 1990-96, then randomly selected 10 to test his model. While further testing would require an airplane to collect data, he believes, based on past storms, that his model will predict storm locations with high accuracy and storm intensity with moderate accuracy. At North Miami Beach Senior High School, Aaron has played varsity tennis and is founder and president of the Chess Club. An accomplished guitarist, he has also won recognition as a writer, including first place in essay contests sponsored by the American Psychological Teachers Association and the National Council of English Teachers. After studying experimental physics at Brown University, Aaron plans to become a science writer. His parents are Drs. Maynard and Judith Seider.

ILLINOIS

Travis Jeremy Schedler, 17, of 102 South Parrish Lane, Carbondale, studied and classified set-theoretical solutions of the Quantum Yang-Baxter Equation (QYBE) for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search mathematics project. The QYBE, originally posed in 1992, arises from various fields of physics and is important in the theory of quantum groups. Travis summarized the results of an exhaustive computer search for the smallest solutions for |X| £ 6 and revealed underlying symmetries. He included results from topology, differential equations, combinatorics, group theory, geometry and abstract algebra. A pianist since first grade and a vocalist, Travis has performed in two jazz choirs and says music helps him focus on his mathematical inquiries. At Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Travis participates in the science, math and engineering clubs. A multiple award winner, he chaired the IMSA Junior High Math Contest last year, a student-run contest for a nearby school. The son of Dr. George and Stefanie Schedler, Travis plans to study mathematics and physics at Harvard.

INDIANA

Christopher Colin Mihelich, 16, of 10998 Spring Mill Lane, Carmel, submitted a mathematics project to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He developed a family of operations for studying the structural peculiarities created when assuming that a certain class of expressions, quotient rings, is equivalent to zero. The operations invented by Christopher resemble the derivative studied in intermediate calculus courses. Chris became intrigued with higher mathematics as an eighth grader taking a course in number theory and discrete mathematics at Butler University. A graduating junior and first in his class at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Chris has played on the soccer team and plays flute and piano with the band, pep band and jazz ensemble. A National MathCounts winner, Chris scored first in the state in the National Spanish Exam and includes mathematical problem solving, computer programming, and musical composition among his hobbies. Son of Dr. Edward and Loren Mihelich, Christopher earned perfect SAT scores and hopes to obtain a doctorate in mathematics at Harvard.

MARYLAND

Kirk Doran, 18, of 8544 Brickyard Rd., Potomac, created a computer model to simulate protein folding for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search biophysics project. Kirk’s program predicts the shape a protein will take as it grows from its primary structure, a linear chain of amino acids, by rapidly adding unique folds in its secondary and tertiary structures. A novel feature of his model is a genuine secondary structure formation, something absent from other models and vital to the study of protein folding which largely determines protein biological function. Kirk began his research while at the Research Science Institute at MIT last summer. At Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Kirk had perfect SAT scores and is active in four clubs and academic teams, five musical activities and four civic associations. He is winner of first grand prize in the environmental science division of the International Science and Engineering Fair in addition to many awards in other science competitions. The son of Drs. Charles and Barbara Doran, he hopes to study at Harvard for a career in research.

Joshua Evan Greene, 17, of 7123 Smooth Path, Columbia, investigated the presence of time dilation and redshift in cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) for his astronomy project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Confirming the detection of these factors strengthens the claim that GRB sources lie at cosmological distances. If they do lie at cosmological distances, and are associated with luminous matter, they could be useful in probing early star formation. If they are the results of dark matter processes, they would be essential to the study of fundamental physics and the constituent particles in Grand Unified Theories of physics. For his investigation, Josh used a two-dimensional wavelet transform signal analysis method based on an algorithm he coded. He then applied the program to bursts arranged into six intensity classes to confirm the detection of time dilation. Josh is captain of the math team at Oakland Mills High School. He is captain of a local club hockey team and plays synthesizer and piano. Josh plans to attend Caltech to study mathematics and astrophysics. He is the son of Gary and Joyce Greene.

Sabyasachi Guharay, 17, of 4618 Learned Sage, Ellicott City, entered a biophysics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, a study of structural variations in gene sequences across the three domains of life—Eukaryotes, Prokaryotes and Archaea. The goal of his research was to help understand how evolutionary factors have influenced the composition of structural elements called exons and introns and also to increase understanding of the information contained in genetic sequences. Saby performed a unique, large-scale statistical study of variations in about 8,500 sequences in all three domains of life using several different methods. He observed that both introns and exons have similar correlative structures, contradicting prior studies based on more limited data. He also found correlations in gene sequences of Prokaryotes and Archaea. Born in India, Saby attends Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, where he is active in the science and math clubs, the concert choir and on the debate team. He has won many honors in debate, math and science. The son of Dr. Samar and Karabi Guharay, Saby hopes to study mathematics at MIT.

David Jacob Wildstrom, 17, of 10300 Parkwood Dr., Kensington, studied the Hurwitz Domain for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in mathematics. David studied quaternions, an extension of the complex number system, to define an analog-to-modular arithmetic as developed for the complex number. His study was an extension of earlier research to determine numbers of quadratic residues in an arbitrary modulus. David is a two-year volunteer at a summer seminar helping teachers learn how to integrate calculator-based laboratories into their classes. The senior at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring lists as hobbies origami, bridge, bicycling and music and shares his mother’s passion for hexaflexagons, a recreational mathematical construct made from strips of folded paper. Winner of numerous math and programming awards, including grand prize at the USA Mathematical Talent Search, he has been on the Montgomery County Math Team since seventh grade. The son of Stephen and Susan Schwartz Wildstrom, David earned perfect SAT scores and hopes to teach after MIT.

MICHIGAN

Cheryl Kyung Kim, 16, of 4683 Ravine Dr., Bloomfield Hills, investigated the agents that cause Mandu, a Korean beef and vegetable dumpling, to turn a bright red color during cooking for her biochemistry entry in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. By isolating white colony-forming bacteria (Pseudomonas) in cultures, Cheryl concluded that the bacteria change the nitrate found in vegetable extracts to nitrite, which then reacts, when cooked with certain proteins in beef, producing the distinctive red color. She also found that nitrate-rich vegetable extract is a suitable media for growing nitrite-resistant bacteria. At Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Cheryl enjoys lacrosse, student council, singing and is a gold cup award winner in piano. A published poet and winner of many literary, mathematics and science awards, she was an invited speaker at an international student-scientist forum in London while still a sophomore. Last August, she helped build a house while working in an economically depressed area of Mexico. The daughter of Drs. Joon Kie Kim and Kyesook Kim hopes to study biochemistry at Yale.

MINNESOTA

William J. Greenleaf, 18, of 1068 Plummer Lane, Rochester, worked on a more effective gene transfer method for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in medicine. Gene therapy promises effective treatment of a wide variety of diseases, but it has lacked a dependable form of gene transfer that can be used throughout the body. Use of ultrasound to create holes in mammalian cells through which DNA is delivered has been only 2.5-percent successful in reaching target cells. But BJ’s method, including a commercial ultrasound contrast agent and improvements in procedures, increased transfection—the uptake and expression of foreign DNA by a cell—by more than 20 fold, promising to become a uniquely powerful in vitro or in vivo gene therapy. BJ is lead author on a paper about his work that was accepted for publication in a refereed scientific journal. First in a class of 506 as well as class president and vice president of the National Honor Society at Mayo High School, BJ has won a series of medals for his academic and scientific achievements and has twice lettered in varsity tennis. Son of Dr. James and Suzanne Greenleaf, he plans to study biology at Harvard.

NEW MEXICO

Stephanie Lynn Levine, 18, of 12529 Indian Trail NE, Albuquerque, submitted to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search an environmental engineering project on the use of microbes in the removal of radioactive uranium from contaminated water. She believes that her trio of synergistic microorganisms could be used for efficient remediation, and that the semi-permeable device she designed for the process may be patentable. Stephanie commuted to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to conduct her experiments, logging more than 5,900 miles. Her research was accepted for publication and presentation at the Haz Waste World Super Fund XVIII International Environmental Conference in December. The winner of numerous honors for science achievements and also for jazz dance, Stephanie is the daughter of Joel and Susan Levine, and a senior at Eldorado High School. Fluent in Spanish, she hopes to attend Michigan University or the University of New Mexico, and plans a career in bio-medicine, environmental or chemical engineering.

NEW YORK

Grace Yew-Mih Lee, 17, of 246 Mott Ave., Inwood, submitted biology research to Westinghouse judges covering the final two years of a five-year investigation. Her work covers the effects of aromas on physiological processes in animal cells—specifically, the effectiveness of aromatherapy as an alternative treatment for common body ailments. Among other conclusions, Grace believes she has proved that the human olfactory system recognizes odors on the basis of molecular shape. Working at the New York Institute of Technology’s Islip campus, Grace developed her own experimental design. At Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, Grace is a political cartoonist for the school newspaper and art editor of the literary magazine. She holds two varsity letters for volleyball, plays violin in the chamber orchestra, and is an active member of the Anti-Bias Task Force. She is also active in her church music and youth groups. Fluent in Korean, Grace is the daughter of Suk Jihn and Tong Sun Lee. She hopes to attend Columbia University to prepare for a research career in neuroscience.

Keith Jarred Rotbard, 17, of 742 Vandam St., North Woodmere, completed a two-year study of the localization of certain peptides—combinations of amino acids—in the gastrointestinal tract for his Westinghouse Search project in physiology. His research began at the SUNY Summer Institute of Science and Mathematics at Buffalo when he became fascinated by the blood-vessel relaxing properties of natriuretic peptides—a family of peptides that may be used to regulate fluid fluxes in the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce blood pressure. A summer fellowship at the University of South Florida helped him continue his research, which, he believes, confirms that the ANP and BNP natriuretic peptides are necessary for flux regulation in the intestine. At Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, Keith is editor of the paper and debate team president. An accomplished vocalist, he is a two-time Gold Medalist in the New York State School Music Association Solo Competition. Son of Joseph and Jane Rotbard, he plans a career in biochemical engineering or medicine and hopes to attend the University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Evan Abraham, 18, of 3 Short Rd., Fayetteville, has conducted research on particulate air pollution for the past three years. His keen interest in the threat posed by inhaling ambient fine-particles led to his project in physical chemistry for the Westinghouse Search. Mark developed new analytical ways to study the concentrations, sizes and chemistry of outdoor and indoor aerosols using very high magnifications and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in the scanning electron microscope at the SUNY Syracuse Health Science Center. He believes his methods as well as his findings that most human exposures to submicrometer sulfate and soot particles occur through diffusion of outdoor aerosols into the home have broad applicability to future research. Mark has received many honors in science and math, art and music. At Jamesville-DeWitt High School, he is co-founder of the science and engineering association and the philosophy club. Son of Dr. Jerrold and Harriet Abraham, Mark plans to pursue a Ph.D. in science.

Ameet Shrirang Talwalkar, 17, of 46 Round Tree Dr., Melville, studied the integration of visual and auditory information in the human nervous system for his Westinghouse project in psychology. He devised a mathematical model—the first of its kind—and determined that it accurately describes the nervous system in processing both sights and sounds during a collision, which he simulated for his research subjects. He believes his research, which he completed at Brandeis University, will inspire future researchers. At Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, Ameet plays varsity tennis, a sport he has pursued since elementary school, and is a member of the debate team, law team and Spanish Honor Society, a language he learned during six weeks as an exchange student in Chile two summers ago. The son of Shrirang and Rohini Talwalkar, Ameet credits his father with being most influential in pointing him toward a career in science. He hopes to continue studying biology, math and Spanish at Harvard, and plans to teach at a university or become a physician.

Michael Joseph Smolow, 17, of 8 Imperial Court, Great Neck, searched for predators of a beetle, Galerucella calmariensis, for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search ecology project. Scientists brought the beetle to North America to control purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria (a Eurasian weed invading wetlands here), first making sure it would eat only loosestrife. Left unresolved was whether wetland prey species existed which feed on the beetle enough to subvert the program. After extensive testing, Michael found a native lady beetle, Coleomegilla maculata, that preyed on the introduced beetle enough to reduce noticeably loosestrife defoliation and pose a threat to the entire control program. He did the work last summer in the High School Honors Science Program at Michigan State University and co-authored a poster on it displayed at the Entomological Society of America 1997 annual meeting. At Great Neck North High School, Michael is president of the student governing body and the Model United Nations club. He also serves on the school goals committee. Son of Dr. Craig and Rhoda Smolow, Michael plans to major in computer science at Harvard.

Jeremy C. Hwang, 17, of 51 Beverly Rd., Great Neck, modeled auditory communications in crickets and explored its underlying neural-circuit dynamics for the biophysics project he submitted to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. His computer model--a virtual cricket--closely mimicked the behavior of females in their auditory/neurological tracking of males. Jeremy believes that this success in modeling the behavior of the simple-structured cricket is an important step towards modeling the behavior of more structurally complex, hearing-based animals, and perhaps toward eventually mapping the entire human neural network. At Great Neck South High School, Jeremy is president of the Science Olympiad team and captain of the math team. Also an accomplished musician, he performs as first violinist with the Children's Orchestra Society, and has given a personal piano recital at Carnegie Hall. Jeremy is the son of Dr. Richard and Grace Hwang and a native of Taiwan. He hopes to study at Harvard and pursue a career in biophysics.

Parker Rouse Conrad, 17, of 1120 Fifth Ave., New York, entered the Westinghouse with a physiology project on synapse regeneration which he began as a sophomore. He studied two types of receptors crucial to understanding such functions as learning, memory and recovery following injury. Parker has always been fascinated by the brain, which he describes as "an almost sacred knowledge." As a child, he ate ice cream cones from the bottom up, which he believes illustrates that his thought processes are different from those of others. In third grade, he developed formulas to learn multiplication tables which he still uses. In ninth grade, he started a computer consulting business. As a sophomore, he launched a math, science and technology magazine at Collegiate School. He has been on his school track and cross country teams and once understudied a leading role in a Broadway musical. Son of Winthrop and Ellen Rouse Conrad, Parker intends to study biological sciences at college. He credits his mother with teaching him to always ask "why?"

Jesse Keith Anttila-Hughes, 17, of 2743 Edgehill Ave., New York, submitted to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search a biophysics project focused on myasthenia gravis. This debilitating neuromuscular disease is characterized by extreme muscle weakness and fatigue caused by an immune response to neuro-receptors, rendering them inoperable and reducing muscle sensitivity. Using an already existing mathematical model of the synapse--where nerve impulses are transmitted--Jesse found a way to simulate the effects of the disease and its treatment. He subsequently used his simulation to generate a computer model of the diseased synapse so that chemical changes could be examined in detail. He hopes his work will help lead to a greater understanding of the disease. Jesse is a senior at Stuyvesant High School and winner of a 1997 Mitsui Scholarship to study in Japan. Accomplished in the martial arts, he is an assistant teacher of Aikido martial arts for children. Jesse plans to study theoretical physics at MIT or Caltech. His parents are Stephen Hughes and Kristina Anttila.

Jonathan Adam Kelner, 17, of 11 Windsor Dr., Old Westbury, studied quark behavior using grids of random numbers for his Westinghouse project in mathematics with applications in theoretical physics. His project concerns the Dirac operator, an often unmanageably complex mathematical structure used to understand subatomic particles called quarks. Jonathan’s project expands the limits of universality—a property that allows calculations with the Dirac operator to be approximated using the simpler random matrix theory. He is winner of many awards in math, physics and Latin, and won a SUNY Stony Brook nuclear physics research fellowship last summer. Tied for first in his class at the Wheatley School, Jonathan edits the school paper, plays varsity tennis and tutors other students. Because of an apparent increase in local cancer cases, Jonathan created Long Island Students Against Cancer, a fundraising organization that now includes more than 20 schools. The son of Robert and Gail Kelner, Jonathan scored 1600 on his SATs and plans to become a physics researcher after Harvard.

Grace Ann Lau, 17, of 11 Settlers Way, Setauket, entered the Westinghouse Science Talent Search with a study of protease-antiprotease interactions, specifically the use of green tea to inhibit a major enzyme involved in inflammatory tissue injury. Her biochemistry project successfully demonstrated that aqueous extracts of green tea significantly inhibit the activity of the enzyme, neutrophil elastase, which is implicated in a range of diseases, including arthritis, periodontitis and cystic fibrosis. She also concluded that the tea extracts have no effect on internal inhibitors of neutrophil elastase, but rather augment these existing defenses to reduce further the excessive elastase activity of these inflammatory secretions. Her work was carried out on the campus of SUNY at Stonybrook. Grace attends Ward Melville High School where she plays violin in the symphony orchestra and is active in the student government and the Science Olympiad. The daughter of Dr. Yat Hong and Annette Lau, Grace would like to study biology in college and aspires to be a veterinarian or field scientist.

Thomas Petersen, 16, of 1 Nob Hill Court, Setauket, submitted an engineering project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Tom’s results are believed to be the first experimental verification that thermally induced capillary waves cause spontaneous holes in certain polymer thin films. To study the free-standing films—films not supported by a silicon substrate—Tom designed and assembled a vacuum annealing chamber and created a novel method of transferring the films to silicon for analysis using electrostatic charges. He will present his findings at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society as he did last year. A cellist since the age of four, Tom served as soloist and principal cellist for the Long Island Youth Orchestra during its 1997 tour of the Pacific Rim and 1996 tour of northern Europe. At Ward Melville High School, Tom is active on the science and math clubs and a feature writer for the school newspaper. Winner of numerous science and mathematics awards including the national Science Olympiad gold medal, Tom hopes to pursue a career in engineering. He is the son of William and Dr. Eileen Petersen.

Clyde Law, 17, of 32 College Dr., Stony Brook, entered a physics project—an analysis of the compressibility of nuclear matter—in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Nuclear compressibility must be measured to investigate the "Equation of State" of nuclear matter, which describes its thermodynamic properties and is of fundamental importance in nuclear and astrophysics. Clyde modeled the elliptic flow of protons in "soft" (very compressible) nuclear matter as well as in hard (relatively incompressible) matter and concluded that nuclear matter is relatively incompressible. At Ward Melville High School in Setauket, Clyde has been a member of the Science Olympiad and Academic Teams for three years. His "CHEMystery: An Interactive Guide to Chemistry", was one of three 1997 Gem Award finalists in the ThinkQuest Internet Contest. Born in Hong Kong, he is an active member of his school’s Asian Culture Club, a Chinese tutor and plays trumpet. Son of Peter Chun Sing and Yin Han Leung Law, Clyde hopes to attend MIT to study computer science and engineering and plans to become a computer systems analyst.

Christopher Michael Gerson, 17, of 25 Annandale Rd., Stony Brook, studied colliding continental plates through laboratory modeling for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search geology project. Using a sandbox with a moveable wall to simulate plate motion, plexiglass plates, quartz sand as the overlying sediment and precise marking and photography techniques, Chris demonstrated that quantitative, as opposed to qualitative, studies can be carried out using his modeling techniques. As a sophomore, he invented the Digitalk Thermometer, and last year at the National Science Olympiad he participated in the "naked egg drop" and was first place winner of the Road Scholar event. At Ward Melville High School in Setauket, Chris enjoys science, math and engineering clubs, is sports columnist for the school magazine and has toured with the Junior Professional Golf Association. The son of Jeffrey and Barbara Gerson, he has played in the school marching band for four years and is a published contributor to the National Latin Newsletter Pompeiiana. Chris hopes to study computer science and mathematics at Princeton.

Mark Anthony Grishaj, 17, of 16 Dixwell Rd., New City, attributes a lifelong fascination with growth and its causes to the fact that he is 6’6" tall. He also describes himself as an environmentalist. This combination of interests led him to his Westinghouse project in biology— a genetic engineering study to better understand how plants die. Mark used tobacco plants engineered to overexpress the gene of the plant hormone cytokinine during senescence—when plants begin to die—thus delaying the senescence process. He believes his experiments prove that the gene is autoregulative in nature and is expressed only when the plant recognizes a deficiency of cytokinin during senescence. At Ramapo Senior High School in Spring Valley, Mark has been active in the band and choir and played junior varsity basketball. The son of Pashko and Prena Grishaj, he reads Albanian fluently and hopes to continue his science studies at Manhattanville College.

Steven Mark Tobias, 17, of 6 Winthrop Rd., Plainview, investigated a ferromagnetic compound that promises enhanced sensor response in tunnel junctions for his Westinghouse Search physics project. Tunnel junctions are formed by thin film ferromagnetic layers separated by an insulating barrier and—with enhanced response to magnetic fields—could be used to significantly increase byte density of memory components. Steven reports that his nickel/iron alloy (Ni₄₅Fe₅₅) produced an impressive change in resistance between high and low applied magnetic fields. He believes this means greater application potential for a technology that someday could revolutionize the digital storage industry. The son of Robert and Carol Tobias, Steven plans to study materials science and engineering at MIT. At Syosset High School, he plays on the championship varsity volleyball team and is president of the Science Olympiad. His honors include not only numerous awards for science achievement but also a first-place-in-the-nation in the National American History Olympiad.

OKLAHOMA

Michael Yanche Lee, 17, of 1800 Cedar Hill, Norman, submitted a mathematics project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He studied Gallai’s theorem that solves the problem: "If we color an R² plane with a finite number of colors, and if we are given a polygon, then can we find a similar polygon with all of its vertices the same color?" He generalizes the theorem to algebraic structures called groups. First in his class of 366 at Norman High School, Michael enjoys basketball and ultimate frisbee. Captain of the varsity tennis team and USTA tournament competitor, he has won many awards in mathematics, debate, Latin, creative writing, piano and violin. Last year, Michael contributed to an Algebra I textbook by creating its problem sets and writing solutions. In his free time he tutors other students in science and math, helps raise funds for the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. The son of Dr. Fred and Binro Lee, Michael plans a double college major in mathematics and international relations.

Stephen Alexander Tinnin, 18, of 5625 Baylor Dr., Bartlesville, investigated the impact of pesticides on the process of fertilization for his project in ecology. Working with sea urchins, he observed a number of instances of damage. These included decreased sperm activity, lowered rates of true fertilization and hindrance of development as well as parthenogenesis—reproduction without fertilization. He concluded that, in total, these effects present a severe threat to fertilization. First in his class at Bartlesville High School in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Stephen recently transferred to McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas. Stephen completed his research at the Phillips Petroleum Company Research Center in Bartlesville, Okalahoma. The winner of many state and international science fair prizes, he represented North America in October at the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition, where his water quality project was first in competition among 10 countries. Son of John and Patricia Tinnin, Stephen hopes to major in biomedical engineering at Duke University.

TEXAS

Patrick William Goodwill, 17, of 4120 New Forest Drive, Plano, submitted a physical chemistry project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search—development of a novel silicon/diamond sensor for use in wet chemical baths. His intent was to improve contamination control in semiconductor processing by monitoring metallic contamination levels to parts-per-trillion accuracy. After investigating a number of materials to use as reference electrodes, he found that highly boron-doped diamond films had the best qualities. Patrick further demonstrated that these sensors show enough reference stability for commercial feasibility. Patrick believes his sensors will reduce the cost of detecting contaminants in semiconductor processing to .01 percent of today’s most common method—inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. He recently received a $2,500 grant for individual research from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton, where he is a student. The son of David and Sho Chen Goodwill, Patrick is also a classical pianist. He hopes to attend MIT to study chemistry.

VIRGINIA

David Hayes Marcus, 17, of 5192 Kimscott Ct., Annandale, investigated heat dissipation in ultra-dense computer architecture for his Westinghouse project in electronics. Advanced heat dissipation technology is vital to shrinking the size of computers to improve power and speed. David studied small-scale heat dissipation in quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) and revamped an existing simulation to extrapolate heat dissipation in large-scale QCA architecture. He believes his work provides the first calculations of heat dissipation for large-scale architecture. At Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, David’s SAT scores are a perfect 1600. He has won honors in the National French Exam the past two years, plays tennis and skis. The son of Dr. Robert Marcus and Lois Haves, David hopes to study at Caltech to prepare for a research career.

Mary Ellen Matyskiela, 18, of 11132 Flora Lee Dr., Fairfax Station, focused on problems associated with nuclear waste disposal for her Westinghouse Science Search project in geology. Her research was motivated by concern over a DOE-proposed plan to bury hot nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where, she believed, it could not be safely contained because of mineral redistribution. To illustrate the phenomenon, she designed simple reactors to expose fractured rock surfaces to boiling water. After three weeks, permeability measurements and X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed mineral redistribution. She believes that rock found at the repository would behave similarly, changing future water flow and making waste isolation uncertain. Mary intends to pursue a career in chemistry and hopes to study at Yale or Caltech. A pianist and an athlete, she has earned varsity letters in field hockey (captain, MVP, and All District) and track and field at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria. Her parents are Walter and Sharon Matyskiela.

Paul Julius Bracher, 17, of 7019 Haycock Rd., Falls Church, submitted to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search a physical chemistry project based on controlled experiments with surfactants, surface-active compounds that are found in motor oil, soaps and detergents. Paul's study of five surface-active systems confirmed his hypothesis that structure modification changes surfactant behavior. Practical applications could, he believes, ultimately include control of lubricant concentration in machinery or pharmaceuticals in human blood. A senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Paul has earned two varsity letters in chess. A U.S. Soccer Federation Certified Referee, he has officiated at more than 200 youth games. Since ninth grade he has attended the Northern Virginia Community College and will graduate summa cum laude this May with an associate's degree in computer application design. He plans to continue his studies in chemical engineering and chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. His parents are Donald and Annabel Bracher.