58th Annual STS (1998–1999)
Finalists
Mary Alice Dombrowski

Mary Alice Dombrowski, 17, of Glastonbury, set out to determine the cause of rapid luminosity changes in the cataclysmic variable star, IP Pegasi, for her astronomy entry in the Intel Science Talent Search. Through numerous observations from her home observatory and charge-coupled device imaging performed at the Mt. Holyoke College Observatory, Mary was able to generate light curves of IP Pegasi's behavior. Curve analysis led to the creation of a three-dimensional model of this binary star system and the identification of component interactions responsible for its erratic behavior. Among Mary's numerous honors is the Astronomical League Young Astronomer's Award for Most Outstanding Student Astronomer in the U.S. in 1998. A published author and public speaker, she is fluent in Spanish and Russian and was twice a medalist in the National Russian Essay Contest. On the student council at Glastonbury High School, she is also a violinist and concertmistress of the school's select string orchestra. The daughter of Philip and Carolyn Dombrowski, she hopes to study astrophysics at Harvard in preparation for a career as a NASA mission specialist.

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