Aditya Rajagopalan (CT), Aniruddha Deshmukh (CA), Narendra  Tallapragada (VA), Nilesh Tripuraneni (CA), Nitish Lakhanpal (CA), Preya Shah (NY), Smitha Ramakrishna (AZ) and Suvai Gunasekaran (WI) were among the forty high school seniors who were named Finalists for the Intel® Science Talent Search 2009, a program of the Society for Science & the Public. The competition is America's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. Finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to compete for $530,000 in scholarships, with the top winner receiving a $100,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. Each Finalist will receive at least $5,000 in scholarships and a new laptop powered by an Intel® Coreâ„¢2 Duo processor.

This year’s Intel Science Talent Search Finalists come from 17 states and represent 35 schools. As in recent years, New York has the most Finalists from any state, with nine, followed by California with five and New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin with three each.

The Intel Science Talent search encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills necessary to solve the problems of tomorrow. The Finalists’ independent research projects include topics such as human-seeking robots, revitalizing ecosystems affected by wildfires, implications of gender on stem cell transplants, climate change, and potential cures for Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Over the past 67 years, the young innovators chosen to participate in the Science Talent Search have gone on to receive some of the world’s most prestigious honors. For example, seven former Finalists have won the Nobel Prize while others have been awarded the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
The Finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for a week-long event in March. While in Washington, D.C. Finalists will undergo a rigorous judging process, meet with national leaders, interact with leading scientists and display their research at the National Academy of Sciences. Top winners will be announced at a black-tie gala award ceremony at the Mellon Auditorium on March 10.

“These amazing young scientists are our country’s greatest hope,” said Craig Barrett, Intel chairman. “They represent the best of our education system and are a timely reminder that investing in the next generation of innovators is critical for the future of America.”

Society for Science & the Public (SSP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the Science Talent Search since its inception in 1942. “Answering the call of critical challenges in medicine, technology and the environment, the 40 Finalists of the Intel STS 2009 are making real impact on our world through their independent research—while serving as inspiration to the next generation of young researchers,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of SSP. “SSP joins with Intel in congratulating these outstanding young innovators and welcoming them into the prestigious fold of the Science Talent Search, now in its 68th year.”

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