2009 Siemens Competition Regional Winners Announced at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Will Move on to National
Finals for Chance at $100,000 Tim Kunisky Wins Top Individual
Prize; Benjamin Song and Quan Chen Win Top Team Prize Research
projects in the areas of mathematics and biochemistry scored top
marks this evening, as Tim Kunisky of Livingston, NJ and the team
of Benjamin Song and Quan (Jack) Chen of Audubon, PA received the
highest honors at the Region Five Finals of the 2009 Siemens
Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's premier
high school science competition.
(http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO )
Tonight's winners will receive thousands of dollars in college
scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in
New York City from December 3-7, where the winners of six regional
competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships
ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000. The Siemens
Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is
administered by the College Board. "These students have just earned
their place among the nation's greatest high school scientists,"
said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in
Iselin, New Jersey. "Each year, the students' work becomes more
impressive, and in a record-setting year such as this one, their
achievements become even more outstanding. We are proud to welcome
them into our family of Siemens Scholars and look forward to their
participation at the national finals in New York City." The
students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (host of the Siemens
Competition Region Five Finals) and Harvard University. Individual
Winner Tim Kunisky, a senior at Livingston High School in
Livingston, NJ, won the individual category and a $3,000 college
scholarship for his mathematics project that brought the full power
of sophisticated methods of analytic number theory to the study of
the "logarithmic number derivative," a certain very natural
arithmetic function. His research, titled Probabilistic Properties
of the Logarithmic Number Derivative, may yield insight into
long-standing problems in the number theory. "Mr. Kunisky's
research shows a professional level of technique and knowledge of
the field, revealing an unexpected and intriguing coincidence,"
said Dr. Haynes Miller, Professor of Mathematics at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "His research demonstrates
the treasures to be found, even today, in simple and easily stated
mathematical problems, and will no doubt stimulate further research
in the area." Among his many academic accomplishments, Mr. Kunisky
is currently a member of the National Honor Society as well as the
French Honor Society, and is recognized as a National Merit
Scholarship Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction and Merck
State Scholar. He also placed second at the West Point Bridge
Design Competition. Mr. Kunisky was born in Moscow, Russia, and
lived there for five years before moving to the United States. His
mother is a former chemist and his father a former physicist. Both
parents strongly encouraged his inclination towards mathematics,
providing an environment conducive to his independent scientific
and mathematical development. His mentor was Dr. Alex Kontorovich,
Professor of Mathematics at Brown University. Team Winners Benjamin
Song and Jack Chen, both seniors at Methacton High School in
Eagleville, PA, won the team category and will share a $6,000
college scholarship for their biochemistry project entitled
Development of a Urine Test for the Early Detection of Cancer. The
team's research explored the potential to develop a urine test for
the early detection of colorectal cancer, identifying a probable
new approach to spot the disease. "For the first time, it has been
demonstrated that it is possible to detect epigenetic markers of
colon cancer in urine through PCR-based assays," said Dr. Igor
Levchenko, Senior Research Scientist, Department of Biology at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute. "The team's research is a first step in developing a
non-invasive screening test for colorectal cancer, which is
essential for early detection and better treatment outcomes. Mr.
Song and Mr. Chen were extremely knowledgeable, and their project
was well-designed and intelligent." As a junior, Mr. Song is
currently a member of the National Honor Society, the Academic
Decathlon, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and Treasurer of his
school's Science Fair Club. Additionally, Mr. Song and his team
placed first in this year's International Science and Engineering
Fair. Aside from his academic pursuits, Mr. Song is an accomplished
piano player, having recently placed third in the World Piano
Competition. He was also selected as a Regional Finalist at the
2008 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Mr.
Chen is a National Merit Semifinalist, President of the National
Honor Society and Member of the Student Council. He also
participates in his school's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Teams, as well as the Cross Country Team. Mr. Chen is a member of
Kids Against Crisis, a school organization that works to spread the
word about international and local crises. The team's mentor was
Dr. Ying-Hsiu Su, Associate Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Regional Finalists
Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional
Finalists in the individual category were: -- Preetam Dutta,
Jonathan Law High School, Milford, CT -- Richard Ebright, North
Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, NJ -- Minhye Kim,
Brookline High School, Brookline, MA -- William Newberry, Greenwich
High School, Greenwich, CT Regional Finalists in the team category
were: -- Roger Curley and Dalton Wu, Montgomery Blair High School,
Silver Spring, MD -- Brittney Joyce and Andrew Walsh, Lexington
High School, Lexington, MA -- Keenan Monks, Hazleton Area High
School, Hazleton, PA; and Benjamin Kraft, Liberty High School,
Bethlehem, PA -- Jennifer Wang, Montgomery Blair High School,
Silver Spring, MD; and Grace Young, The Potomac School, McLean, VA
The Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was launched in
1998 to recognize America's best and brightest math and science
students. A record number of 1,348 projects were received this year
for the Siemens Competition, an increase of 12 percent over 2008
figures. The number of students submitting projects increased by 14
percent while more students than ever, 2,151, registered to enter.
Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at
six leading research universities which host the regional
competitions: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon
University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts
Institute of Technology; University of Notre Dame; and The
University of Texas at Austin. Winners of the regional events are
invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in
New York City, December 3 - December 7, 2009. Visit
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/ on December 7, 2009 at 9:30 am
EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award
Presentation. You can also log into and follow the Siemens
Foundation on Twitter (http://twitter.com/SFoundation) for the
latest information and announcements throughout this year's
competition. About the Siemens Foundation The Siemens Foundation
provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational
initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and
math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens
Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards
for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science,
math and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change
the World Challenge, encourages K-12 students to develop innovative
green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding
students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that
inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow's
scientists and engineers. The Foundation's mission is based on the
culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the
hallmark of Siemens' U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens
AG. For more information, visit http://www.siemens-foundation.org/.
The College Board The College Board is a not-for-profit membership
association whose mission is to connect students to college success
and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of
more than 5,600 schools, colleges, universities and other
educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves
seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and
3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college
readiness, college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid,
enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known
programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement
Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of
excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of
its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further
information, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGODATASOURCE:
Siemens Foundation CONTACT: Valerie Francois, Siemens Foundation,
+1-732-590-5292, ; or Judy Huang, Weber Shandwick, +1-212-445-8346,
Web Site: http://www.siemens-/ foundation.org
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