The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, or Intel ISEF, the premiere science fair competition in the world exclusively for students grades 9–12, recently named 10 Louisiana students winners in the 2008 Intel ISEF competition, held in Atlanta.
Topping the winners list were Louisiana students Bonnie McLindon of Baton Rouge and Ian Bouligny of New Iberia, who were two of only 18 “Best of Category” winners selected in this year’s competition.
Each Best of Category winner received a $5,000 scholarship, an Intel notebook computer and a near-earth asteroid named after them – courtesy of the Ceres Connection program of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. In addition, $1,000 grants were awarded to each of the students’ schools and to the Intel ISEF affiliated fairs they represent.
More than 1,500 young scientists from 51 countries, regions and territories participated in the annual event, showcasing cutting-edge science and competing for more than four million dollars in awards and scholarships.
2008 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair winners representing Louisiana include:
Bonnie Joyce McLindon, 16, of St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, presented Gulf Hypoxic Zones: Forecasting with Mathematical and Laboratory Simulations. Bonnie won a Best of Category award and a first award in Earth and Planetary Sciences. She received a $5,000 scholarship, a $3,000 first award, and an additional $1,500 special award from the Association of Women Geoscientists.
Ian Michael Bouligny, 17, of Catholic High School in New Iberia, presented Developing Scraps IV: The Self-Contained, Robust, Anthropomorphic, Powered Skeleton–Hybridizing a Prototype for Increased Energy Efficiency. Ian won a Best of Category award and first award in Electrical & Mechanical Engineering. He received a $5,000 scholarship and a $3,000 first award.
Andrew C. Meng, 16, of Louisiana State University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, competed in the Chemistry category with the project Multiple Analyte Imprinting in One Monomer Molecularly Imprinted Polymers vs. Traditional Molecularly Imprinted Polymers. Andrew won a third award in Chemistry, and was recognized with a $1,000 prize.
Candice Fay Schwartzenburg, 15, and Lynne Olivier Chapman, 16, of St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, presented Ozone Pollution: Are Inversions a Factor? in the team projects category. They came away with a fourth award, carrying a $500 prize, and also received an honorable mention from the American Meteorological Society for projects in atmospheric and related science.
Taylor Paige Wood, 15, of Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, won an $8,000 tuition scholarship award from the Office of Naval Research for Natural Mosquito Repellents: The Effectiveness of Botanical Extracts as Repellents Against Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes, Year VI.
Garrett Wade Breaux, 16, and Cassandra C. Okoye, 16, of Ovey Comeaux High School in Lafayette, won a second place team award from the U.S. Air Force for The Effectiveness of Bioremediation and Biostimulation on Oil Spill Recovery. The award carries a $1,000 prize for each team member.
Rebekah Kristine Unsworth, 15, and Mary Rochelle Unsworth, 17, of Kingswood Academy in Sulphur, won a team first award of $500 for each team member, for The Computer Analysis of Digital X-Rays to Identify Oral Cavities.
Anna Rose Johnson, 17, of the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, won second award of $150 from the Association for Women Geoscientists for the project X-Ray Fluorescence of Archeological Samples: How Standard Labeling Techniques Affect Data Interpretation.