65th Annual STS (2005-2006)
Finalists
Genevieve Williams

CALIFORNIA
Genevieve Williams, 17, of Palos Verdes Estates, submitted an Intel Science Talent Search project in zoology that researched the behavioral foraging process and food preferences of Argentine ants - one of the most invasive ant species in the world - that continue to displace native ant species. Genevieve tested the response of the Argentine ants to seven food groups and varied bait dimensions in order to identify food preference and the ability of the ants to communicate bait size. Her research suggests that their preference for meat, coupled with their ability to efficiently monopolize bait, may be a contributing factor to their invasive dominance. A student at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, Genevieve has been active in the 4-H Club for eight years and reads French fluently. Her awards include the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award and the Society of Women Engineers award in math. The daughter of John and Leila Williams, her hobbies include Chinese painting and playing the harp. She plans to study chemistry and biochemistry at Stanford or MIT, and hopes to contribute towards cures for AIDS, Alzheimer's and cancer.