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kaiser
Mar 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM3/12/96
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> [Community Affairs]
> [List of 1996 Finalists]
>
> 1996 Finalists
>
> 55th Annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search
>
> Designed to discover and develop scientific, mathematical, and
> engineering ability among high school seniors, the Westinghouse
> Annual Science Talent Search is conducted annually by Science
> Service Inc. in partnership with The Westinghouse Foundation.
>
> The forty finalists of the 55th Annual Science Talent Search, among
> whom $205,000 in Westinghouse Science Scholarships will be
> distributed, represent about 2.1 percent of those who completed
> entries in this scientific and educational competition.
>
> These 15 females and 25 males are awarded an all-expense-paid trip
> to Washington, D.C. to attend the Science Talent Institute, March 6
> through 11, 1996. Here ten of the finalists will be selected by the
> board of judges to receive one of the following four-year Science
> Scholarships: one $40,000 ($10,000 per year), one $30,000 ($7,500
> per year), one $20,000 ($5,000 per year), three $15,000 ($3,750 per
> year), four $10,000 ($2,500 per year). The remaining 30 contestants
> will be given Westinghouse Science Scholarships of $1,000 each.
>
> The finalists are 16 to 18 years of age and come from 34 cities in
> 12 states. They were picked by the judges from among 1,869
> contestants who completed their entries by writing a report on their
> scientific research and submitting it along with an official entry
> form and supporting documents. Completed entries were received from
> 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Click to View 1996 Finalists in Each State
>
> * NEW * TEXAS
> * CALIFORNIA HAMPSHIRE / * VIRGINIA
> * FLORIDA NEW YORK * WEST VIRGINIA
> * MARYLAND * NEW JERSEY * ALPHABETICAL
> * MASSACHUSETTS * NEW YORK INDEX
> * MICHIGAN * RHODE ISLAND
> * SOUTH
> CAROLINA
>
> CALIFORNIA
>
> Matthew Brian McCann, 17, of 613 La Paloma Avenue, Alhambra, studied
> elemental impurities responsible for the unusual and potentially
> useful luminescence properties of Terlingua calcite (TC), a mineral
> indigenous to Terlingua, Texas, for his Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search project in solid state luminescence. His work centered on the
> luminescence, color and homogeneity of 132 TC and TC-like samples
> from several locations. He compared these samples with 47 other
> minerals and synthetic and natural sapphires from around the world
> and singled out several elements as likely causes of the
> luminescence. He hopes further chemical analyses, now underway, will
> identify the elements responsible. Matt is active in the science
> club and Junior Academy of Science program at Alhambra High School.
> An accomplished musician, he plays various instruments in the high
> school marching band. He has won several mineralogy competition
> prizes and first place awards in state and local science fairs.
> Matt, the son of Donal McCann and Trudy Tournier, hopes to continue
> his materials science work at the Colorado School of Mines.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Grace I-Chen Liu, 17, of 6747 N. Durant Way, Fresno, investigated
> the effects of Astragalus radix--an herb long used in Chinese folk
> medicine as a mental enhancer--for her Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search project in medicine. To discover if the herb indeed affects
> the nervous system and its metabolism, the ventral nerve cords of in
> vitro crayfish were exposed to the herbal extract and the effects
> measured. Based on the outcome of this research, Grace concludes
> that Astragalus radix may be useful in treating neural injuries and
> some neurodegenerative diseases. She plans to study at Harvard and
> pursue a career in research. First in her class at Edison High
> School, Grace is editor of the school paper and a member of the
> science and math clubs. Her academic honors include second and third
> place awards in the Medicine and Health category at the
> International Science and Engineering Fair. An accomplished
> violinist, she has been a member of the California All State Honor
> Orchestra. A talented equestrian, she has won numerous awards in
> local riding competitions. Grace was born in Taiwan and is the
> daughter of Shirley and Gon Nan Liu.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Kevin Alfred Shapiro, 16, of 18140 Medley Drive, Encino, performed
> an in situ study of the predator bacteria Bdellovibrios in the
> development of biofilms--the interface between water and submerged
> objects--for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in
> biology. At the Russian Academy of Sciences Biological Research
> Center in Pushchino, Kevin studied the dynamics of the adhesion of
> bacteria to the surfaces of carriers placed in a natural ecosystem.
> His results appear to be essential to the understanding of bacteria
> parasites and may be used in new environmentally-safe
> biotechnologies. First in his class at North Hollywood High School,
> Kevin is active in the science, mathematics and history clubs and is
> co-captain of the Science Olympiad Team. He has won both science and
> writing awards and is also interested in linguistics. He reads
> Russian, Hebrew, French and Sanskrit, and he recently did an
> independent study of the Hawaiian language that led to research
> about the relationships between the Austronesian and IndoEuropean
> languages. Kevin plans to prepare for a career in research at
> Harvard. He is the son of Stephen and Judith Shapiro.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Christopher Chung-Tien Chang, 16, of 715 Charleston Court, Palo
> Alto, completed a mathematics project for the Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search. Chris explored the Steiner Point Problem, a geometric
> figure that while easily solved in two dimensions using plane
> geometry is quite complex when using three dimensional discrete
> geometry. Applications of his research include the study of crystals
> which have chemical properties that limit the set of allowed
> directions any segment or line can take. At Henry M. Gunn High
> School, Chris is active in the science, mathematics and engineering
> clubs and enjoys computer programming and board games. A violinist
> for the school orchestra and pianist at his church, Chris has
> composed both classical and Christian songs for a local youth group.
> He was a bronze medalist with the U.S. team at the International
> Math Olympiad in Toronto, Canada in 1995. Son of Dr. C. Allen Chang
> and Ko-Ling Chang, Chris hopes to attend Harvard, eventually earning
> a doctorate.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Connie Jean Ing, 17, of 13386 Ronnie Way, Saratoga, made two
> significant discoveries as part of her Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search astronomy project--a study of solar-type stars. At the
> Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Connie examined
> observation records from the last 15 years looking for a pattern
> indicating the rotation period in stars similar to the Sun. In the
> process, she identified, for the first time, rotation periods in
> many of these stars. In addition, she found a group of stars that
> are apparently spinning too fast for their age and thus defy
> conventional ideas on rotation in sun-like stars. Connie is
> collaborating with her advisor on a paper to report the results of
> her work. At Saratoga High School, Connie is active in the
> engineering club and biophysical society and has won varsity letters
> in swimming and track. An award winning orator, she took first place
> in the Lynbrook Speech Tournament and attended the Stanford
> University Debate Institute last summer. The daughter of Budge S.
> Ing and Merlinda Ng, Connie hopes to study both physics and biology
> at Harvard or MIT.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Susan Jean Shaw, 17, of 3312 Mandeville Place, Orange, got the idea
> for her Westinghouse Science Talent Search project research in
> physiology by observing her grandfather who wears hearing aids and
> has trouble distinguishing sound direction. For her research, Susan
> exposed blindfolded test subjects to brief 70 to 85 decibel sounds
> from different directions. Control subjects had soft materials in
> their ears. She found that the funneling or baffling effects of the
> auricles (the ears' outer parts) help greatly in distinguishing
> between sounds coming from the front or back, while the natural
> slope of the ear canals help us sense vertical sound directions. Her
> findings may explain why hearing aids dampen directional perception
> and lead to corrective techniques. Susan ranks first in her class
> and plays varsity tennis at Villa Park High School. She is active in
> the science and math clubs, as well as the school newspaper and
> orchestra. Her science honors include first place awards in the
> California State and Orange County Science Fairs. Susan also is an
> accomplished poet. The daughter of Dr. David and Judy Shaw, she
> plans to earn M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Northwestern.
>
> FLORIDA
>
> Matthew David Graham, 18, of 2238 Grey Fox Court, Orange Park,
> entered an engineering project in the Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search. He developed a new sensor to detect ice accumulation on
> aircraft surfaces, a persistent hazard during take-off. His
> four-year project began in an ice tunnel he built in his garage and
> ended with tests on aircraft under real icing conditions. His sensor
> applies multifrequency ultrasonic excitation to interior aircraft
> surfaces and measures resonant frequency responses which are
> affected by exterior ice. At Stanton College Preparatory School in
> Jacksonville, Matthew has garnered more than 20 awards at math,
> piano and art competitions and science fairs. At the International
> Science and Engineering Fair, he won first place merit awards in
> engineering from both the U.S. Army and Air Force. He is active in
> Scouting and enjoys SCUBA diving, recreational flying, tennis,
> skiing and wilderness activities. The son of David and Margaret
> Graham, Matthew hopes to study aerospace engineering at Georgia
> Tech.
>
> FLORIDA
> Vezen Wu, 17, of 2929 Cortez Road, Jacksonville, studied potent
> antibiotics in carnivorous plants for his Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search project. Our arsenal of antibiotics loses its
> effectiveness as bacteria become resistant to drugs. Carnivorous
> plants--which trap, digest and absorb nutrients from animals--are
> thought to be potential sources for antibiotics because of their
> applications in herbal medicine. Vezen's five-year biology research
> identified antibacterial activity in several carnivorous plants
> previously ignored by researchers. He also described what he
> believes to be a new antibacterial agent that is effective against
> Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an infectious organism resistant to most
> antibiotics. At Stanton College Preparatory School, Vezen ranks
> first in his class, is president of the school's engineering club
> and captains its engineering team. Not surprisingly, Vezen collects
> carnivorous plants in his spare time. He also enjoys playing the
> piano and studying foreign languages. He plans to attend Johns
> Hopkins University to study molecular biology for a career in
> medicine. Venzen is the son of Pinsing and Dr. Shen Jyh Wu.
>
> MARYLAND
>
> Mani S. Mahjouri, 17, of 6193 Wooded Run Drive, Columbia, entered a
> physics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Using
> data gathered by spacecraft, Mani derived equations that model the
> motion of the charged particles that comprise Jupiter's magnetic
> field, or magnetosphere. Working at Johns Hopkins University Applied
> Physics Laboratory, he solved the equations on advanced computer
> workstations, revealing the particles' orbits which, in turn,
> revealed a mechanism by which, he believes, certain particles escape
> Jupiter's system. Last year at Atholton High School, to complete a
> similar project, Mani taught himself three semesters of college
> level calculus. Born in Iran, he enjoys wrestling, roller-blading
> and weight-lifting. The son of Dr. F.S. and Ghashang N. Mahjouri, he
> plans to study physics at the California Institute of Technology.
>
> MARYLAND
> Jacob Lurie, 18, of 6611 Braeburn Parkway, Bethesda, entered a
> mathematics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. His
> work involved surreal numbers--an extension of the real number
> system--including infinite and infinitesimal quantities. Certain
> surreal numbers can be defined by computable processes, and Jacob
> investigated the systems structures of such computable surreal
> numbers. At Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Jacob is
> a member of the mathematics club and the Dead Topologist Society. He
> enjoys playing the flute and violin, music composition and juggling.
> Jacob's special recognitions and awards include International
> Science and Engineering Fair Grand Awards over the past two years
> and a Gold Medal for a perfect score in the 1994 International
> Mathematics Olympiad. Jacob hopes to pursue a degree in mathematics
> at Harvard and eventually do research in mathematical logic. Jacob
> is the son of James Lurie and Nora Bailey.
>
> MASSACHUSETTS
>
> Rachel Stanley, 17, of 50 Metacomet Road, Waban, submitted a
> biophysics project to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. By
> systematically analyzing the repetitions of 2-tuples and 3-tuples
> formed by DNA nucleotides, a tendency she named "clumping," she
> noticed the degree of clumping was quite different between coding
> DNA--which encodes the proteins that run the human body--and
> noncoding DNA with no known function. Roughly 95 percent of human
> DNA is noncoding. Her studies suggest that clumping may help
> identify noncoding DNA, which can then be ignored by scientists
> working on the Human Genome Project--an international effort to map
> the structure of DNA. When she was ten, Rachel discovered what is
> believed to be the oldest man-made fractal in an Italian cathedral
> mosaic, and in 1994 she helped design a fractal exhibit at the
> Boston Museum of Science. At Newton South High School in Newton
> Centre, Rachel is art and literature magazine editor, stage crew
> director and vice president of the debating/political club. She
> plays both piano and mandolin. The daughter of Dr. H. Eugene and
> Idahlia Stanley, she hopes to study physics at MIT.
>
> MASSACHUSETTS
> Brian Palmer Hafler, 17, of 110 Forest Avenue, West Newton, spent
> the past two summers at Harvard Medical School working on a biology
> project involving T cells and entered a report on his research in
> the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. According to Brian's
> findings, a single amino acid substitution in an autoantigenic
> (self) peptide can change autoaggressive cells to protective ones.
> Brian believes that such altered peptides could be used to treat
> autoimmune diseases. Brian, who intends to study molecular biology
> at Princeton University, is now a student at The Roxbury Latin
> School in West Roxbury. He has won varsity letters in wrestling and
> cross country, numerous academic awards, and a service award for his
> work in tutoring inner-city students. Other volunteer efforts
> include a summer in Central America working for CARE--arriving in
> Guatemala City with, he reports, "anti-malarial and diarrhea pills
> in hand." Brian is the son of Drs. David A. and Janet P. Hafler.
>
> MICHIGAN
>
> Chandan Gopal Reddy, 17, of 5685 Paint Valley Drive, Rochester,
> submitted a mathematics project to the Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search. Chandan studied advanced number theory involving the cubic
> sublattice, a three dimensional grid pattern of vectors that can be
> manipulated like a matrix. He identified three infinite families of
> cubic sublattices--symmetric, pseudo-symmetric and asymmetric--and
> suggested conditions for the volume of all cubic sublattices. At
> Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Chandan enjoys the
> mathematics and engineering clubs and is captain of the Quiz Bowl
> and computer team. In the Michigan Mathematics Prize competition,
> Chandan has won silver medals each year in high school. His hobbies
> include piano playing, tennis and computer programming. Last year he
> organized a student trip to help renovate neighborhood houses as
> part of the Habitat for Humanity Program. The son of Drs. Gopal and
> Kala Reddy, Chandan plans to pursue a career in research after
> completing biochemistry studies at Harvard.
>
> NEW HAMPSHIRE / NEW YORK
>
> Simon Joseph DeDeo, 16, of 178 East 64th Street, New York, entered
> an astrophysics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
> Our galaxy is not static; it spins around its center like wind in a
> hurricane. Using a two-meter radiotelescope, Simon measured the rate
> at which different parts of the galaxy are spinning by looking at
> the velocities of hydrogen clouds spread throughout the galaxy. He
> used this data to locate regions with a higher than average amount
> of gas--the regions that give our galaxy its spiral structure. A
> senior at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Simon is
> active in school publications and the science, math and engineering
> clubs. He also is active in Exeter's Political Discussion Union and
> Cum Laude Society. In his spare time Simon plays classical guitar
> for his own enjoyment and tutors students in science and math. He
> has won several awards for his achievements in math and history.
> Born in London, Simon is the son of Joseph and Esther DeDeo. He
> plans to pursue a double major in physics and philosophy at Harvard.
>
> NEW JERSEY
>
> Daniel Paul Weitz, 17, of 18 Lynnfield Drive, Morristown, submitted
> a report on a five-year-long physics project to the Westinghouse
> Science Talent Search, aimed at harnessing the same energy source
> that drives our sun: nuclear fusion, a potential source of clean,
> safe and inexpensive energy in the next century. Daniel developed a
> new, dynamically responsive confinement technology for magnetic
> nuclear fusion--the production of energy by colliding particles in a
> magnetically contained plasma--a superheated gas. To test his
> concepts, he designed and built a working plasma generator in his
> basement workshop and supported it with his own software packages.
> He believes his technology, aimed at fusion energy's main problem,
> duration of plasma confinement, could help lead to eventual
> large-scale commercialization. Now at Morristown High School, Daniel
> has been designing science projects and accumulating first-place
> honors since the fifth grade. He is also a reporter for the school
> newspaper, editor of its literary magazine and active with its
> television studio and radio station. The son of Leonard and Rachelle
> Weitz, he plans to enter Princeton in the fall.
>
> NEW YORK
>
> Andre Michael Bishay, 17, of 8-17 149th Street, Whitestone, entered
> the Westinghouse Science Talent Search with a social science project
> designed to measure teacher motivation and job satisfaction, not
> only by conventional survey methods but also by a unique application
> of the Experience Sampling Method. ESM uses electronic paging
> devices to request information on current mood and activity from
> study participants several times daily. Based on the data he
> collected, Andre concluded that gratification of higher-order needs
> is the most important factor in job satisfaction for teachers. He is
> hopeful that his findings may help to improve quality of life for
> teachers and students alike. At the Bronx High School of Science,
> Andre is active with the debate and tennis teams and science and
> German clubs. Summer activities have included participation in the
> Invitational Science Program at West Point and language study in
> Germany. His hobbies include photography, poetry and creative
> writing. Born in Switzerland, Andre is the son of Michael and Irma
> Bishay. He plans to study physics at Stanford University and is
> considering a career in teaching.
>
> NEW YORK
> Dmitry L. Sagalovskiy, 17, of 6801 19th Avenue., Apt. 4M, Brooklyn,
> derived a formula to calculate the number of representations of a
> generalized set of numbers called Gaussian integers for his
> Westinghouse Science Talent Search mathematics project. Since the
> ancient Greeks, mathematicians have tackled the problem of finding
> how many representations of a given number can be expressed as the
> sum of two squares. Ukraine-born Dmitry attends Brooklyn Technical
> High School where he is second in a class of 1,040. Dmitry is
> captain of the math team and active in school publications. In his
> spare time, Dmitry plays and teaches guitar and tutors and
> participates in science fairs and math competitions. He also enjoys
> computer programming and hopes to pursue a major in mathematics and
> computer science at Harvard. Dmitry is the son of Leonid and Anna
> Sagalovskiy.
>
> NEW YORK
> Juliette Lee Taska, 17, of 28 Robert Road, Inwood, entered a social
> sciences project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search contest
> after watching many friends become "obsessed" with dieting. An
> award-winning runner, Juliette has argued unsuccessfully with
> friends that drastic diets are detrimental to their well-being. She
> designed her project to seek the evidence she believed she needed to
> argue more logically. As part of her project, Juliette showed a sad
> movie to teen-age girls--all fellow students at Lawrence Senior High
> School in Cedarhurst--while each sat alone in a room. Alone, that
> is, except for a bowl of salted peanuts and a popular chocolate
> snack. The movie succeeded in depressing nearly 100 percent of the
> girls sufficiently to disinhibit their behavior and cause them to go
> off any diets. Ironically, dieters whose viewing was disrupted by
> diet ads ate nearly twice as much as dieters who viewed non-diet
> ads. Captain of the varsity indoor track, cross-country and spring
> track teams, Juliette also enjoys skiing, bicycling, writing poetry
> and reading French classics in their original French, her favorite
> subject. The daughter of Carolyn and James Taska, Jr., Juliette
> plans to major in child psychology at Bucknell.
>
> NEW YORK
> Michelle Anne Schaffer, 17, of 19 Maridon Lane, Commack, selected an
> engineering project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. She
> tackled a subject that had previously stumped industry
> scientists--the problems involved with paint adhesion to
> polycarbonate surfaces. Michelle familiarized herself with previous
> research, repeated earlier experiments, and then developed a crucial
> extra step that enabled independent control of surface adhesion
> properties by creating blends of interface-active components. To
> complete her work, she independently learned the relevant chemical
> purification processes, thermal molding, computer programming,
> secondary ion mass spectroscopy of polymers and the calculus needed
> for data analysis. When she was nine, Michelle set out to help end
> world hunger by experimenting with hydroponics. She speaks French
> fluently and is on the fencing team at Commack High School. A disc
> jockey for the school radio station, she also finds time to tutor
> elementary school children in reading and math. The daughter of John
> and Ronalee Schaffer, she plans to study natural sciences at Cornell
> University.
>
> NEW YORK
> Sidney Hsiao-Ning Chang, 17, of 43 Euclid Avenue, Dix Hills, carried
> out a physical chemistry study for this year's Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search, investigating conductivity mechanisms in solid
> electrolytes. Solid electrolytes conduct electricity by means of
> migrating ions in a rigid crystal lattice. These materials have
> potential uses in solid-state fuel cells, batteries and gas sensors,
> so a better understanding of their conductivity will assist in
> finding superior conductors. Working at the chemistry department at
> SUNY at Stony Brook, Sidney carried out what she believes to be the
> first ever study of defect cluster formation in a
> lead-zirconium-fluorine electrolyte by high-resolution, solid-state
> magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance. At Half Hollow
> Hills High School East, Sidney plays in the school orchestra and has
> received numerous academic honors and awards, including a
> first-place Naval Science Distinguished Achievement Award and a Yale
> Science and Engineering Award. Daughter of Tsong-Ju Paul and Ching
> Chang, Sidney plans to major in chemistry at MIT.
>
> NEW YORK
> Ofra Biener, 17, of 85-27 Bell Boulevard, Hollis Hills, carried out
> a comparative study on the proofreading of computer word processor
> texts for her social sciences project in the Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search. Her data show what many suspected all along:
> proofreading for grammatical errors--not spelling errors--is
> performed better using printed paper copy rather than the computer
> screen. Key to her study's success was the cooperation of 200 fellow
> students with 12th grade reading skills at Townsend Harris High
> School at Queens College in Flushing. Ofra, avidly interested in
> science since her early youth, is a first-place science fair winner
> and Junior Academy of Science member, among other honors. She counts
> drawing, poetry writing and synagogue youth activities among her
> many outside interests. Daughter of Camillo and Anne Biener, Ofra
> hopes to major in psychobiology at Barnard College in preparation
> for a career in teaching.
>
> NEW YORK
> Michael Christopher Boyer, 17, of 66 Trumbull Road, Manhasset,
> completed an environmental study based on physical chemistry for the
> Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He measured the precipitation,
> with increasing salinity, of americium, colbat and cesium in water
> from the Ob River in Central Russia. Mike then used his results to
> help predict movement of nuclear waste from contaminated areas
> drained by the Ob to the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean. First in his
> class at Manhasset High School, Mike is co-editor of the newspaper
> and active in the science and math clubs and the Junior Academy of
> Science. He plays lead trumpet for the school band and has received
> awards for his solo and ensemble trumpet virtuosity. He has also
> garnered several science fair honors, the AP Scholar Award and holds
> a George Washington University Medal for Excellence in Science and
> Mathematics. The son of Dr. Timothy H. and Marilyn A. Boyer, Mike
> plans to study physics at Harvard.
>
> NEW YORK
> John Joon Tae Cho, 17, of 33 Solar Lane, Searingtown, entered a
> pharmacology project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He
> studied a tumor suppressor gene, called p53, that inhibits cancer
> growth by moderating a type of cell death called apoptosis. John
> sought to find what effect p53 expression in varying serum
> concentrations has on the efficacy of various chemotherapeutic drugs
> under laboratory conditions. He found that p53 modulates the
> efficacy of these drugs and is dependent on p53 serum concentration.
> After graduation from Herricks Senior High School in New Hyde Park,
> John hopes to attend Yale with a double major in chemical
> engineering and history. He is captain of his Math and Science
> Olympiad teams, plays clarinet in the All-County Concert Band and
> holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He has garnered several literary
> and science awards and attended the State University of New York at
> Stony Brook's Summer Research Institute. Korean born, John is the
> son of Man Kee and Hee Cho.
>
> NEW YORK
> Aaron Michael Einbond, 17, of 822 West 187th Street, New York,
> isolated two human genes for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search
> biochemistry project. Exploring a new protein domain--the part of a
> protein that conveys information by interacting with other
> proteins--along with a short proline-rich protein motif with which
> the new domain interacts, Aaron isolated human genes corresponding
> to mouse proteins containing the motif. He used protein sequence
> database searches to predict a role for the motif in disorders such
> as muscular dystrophy, cancer and severe combined immunodeficiency
> and he speculated on possible treatments using gene therapy or
> low-molecular-weight compounds. A concert clarinetist and
> award-winning composer, his chamber music group won a New York City
> competition last spring playing his original composition. In
> addition, his origami designs have been selected for an annual
> international competition every year since he was seven. A senior at
> Hunter College High School, Aaron hopes to attend Harvard and pursue
> a career in biological research as well as continue composing. He is
> the son of Drs. Bernard and Linda Saxe Einbond.
>
> NEW YORK
> Flora Fan Zhang, 18, of 94-11 34th Road, Jackson Heights, studied
> the nature and purpose of people's hand gestures while speaking for
> her psychology project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
> By using a videotape camera, Flora recorded fellow high school
> students as they defined 20 common English wo
> [List of 1996 Finalists]
>
> 1996 Finalists
>
> 55th Annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search
>
> Designed to discover and develop scientific, mathematical, and
> engineering ability among high school seniors, the Westinghouse
> Annual Science Talent Search is conducted annually by Science
> Service Inc. in partnership with The Westinghouse Foundation.
>
> The forty finalists of the 55th Annual Science Talent Search, among
> whom $205,000 in Westinghouse Science Scholarships will be
> distributed, represent about 2.1 percent of those who completed
> entries in this scientific and educational competition.
>
> These 15 females and 25 males are awarded an all-expense-paid trip
> to Washington, D.C. to attend the Science Talent Institute, March 6
> through 11, 1996. Here ten of the finalists will be selected by the
> board of judges to receive one of the following four-year Science
> Scholarships: one $40,000 ($10,000 per year), one $30,000 ($7,500
> per year), one $20,000 ($5,000 per year), three $15,000 ($3,750 per
> year), four $10,000 ($2,500 per year). The remaining 30 contestants
> will be given Westinghouse Science Scholarships of $1,000 each.
>
> The finalists are 16 to 18 years of age and come from 34 cities in
> 12 states. They were picked by the judges from among 1,869
> contestants who completed their entries by writing a report on their
> scientific research and submitting it along with an official entry
> form and supporting documents. Completed entries were received from
> 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Click to View 1996 Finalists in Each State
>
> * NEW * TEXAS
> * CALIFORNIA HAMPSHIRE / * VIRGINIA
> * FLORIDA NEW YORK * WEST VIRGINIA
> * MARYLAND * NEW JERSEY * ALPHABETICAL
> * MASSACHUSETTS * NEW YORK INDEX
> * MICHIGAN * RHODE ISLAND
> * SOUTH
> CAROLINA
>
> CALIFORNIA
>
> Matthew Brian McCann, 17, of 613 La Paloma Avenue, Alhambra, studied
> elemental impurities responsible for the unusual and potentially
> useful luminescence properties of Terlingua calcite (TC), a mineral
> indigenous to Terlingua, Texas, for his Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search project in solid state luminescence. His work centered on the
> luminescence, color and homogeneity of 132 TC and TC-like samples
> from several locations. He compared these samples with 47 other
> minerals and synthetic and natural sapphires from around the world
> and singled out several elements as likely causes of the
> luminescence. He hopes further chemical analyses, now underway, will
> identify the elements responsible. Matt is active in the science
> club and Junior Academy of Science program at Alhambra High School.
> An accomplished musician, he plays various instruments in the high
> school marching band. He has won several mineralogy competition
> prizes and first place awards in state and local science fairs.
> Matt, the son of Donal McCann and Trudy Tournier, hopes to continue
> his materials science work at the Colorado School of Mines.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Grace I-Chen Liu, 17, of 6747 N. Durant Way, Fresno, investigated
> the effects of Astragalus radix--an herb long used in Chinese folk
> medicine as a mental enhancer--for her Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search project in medicine. To discover if the herb indeed affects
> the nervous system and its metabolism, the ventral nerve cords of in
> vitro crayfish were exposed to the herbal extract and the effects
> measured. Based on the outcome of this research, Grace concludes
> that Astragalus radix may be useful in treating neural injuries and
> some neurodegenerative diseases. She plans to study at Harvard and
> pursue a career in research. First in her class at Edison High
> School, Grace is editor of the school paper and a member of the
> science and math clubs. Her academic honors include second and third
> place awards in the Medicine and Health category at the
> International Science and Engineering Fair. An accomplished
> violinist, she has been a member of the California All State Honor
> Orchestra. A talented equestrian, she has won numerous awards in
> local riding competitions. Grace was born in Taiwan and is the
> daughter of Shirley and Gon Nan Liu.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Kevin Alfred Shapiro, 16, of 18140 Medley Drive, Encino, performed
> an in situ study of the predator bacteria Bdellovibrios in the
> development of biofilms--the interface between water and submerged
> objects--for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search project in
> biology. At the Russian Academy of Sciences Biological Research
> Center in Pushchino, Kevin studied the dynamics of the adhesion of
> bacteria to the surfaces of carriers placed in a natural ecosystem.
> His results appear to be essential to the understanding of bacteria
> parasites and may be used in new environmentally-safe
> biotechnologies. First in his class at North Hollywood High School,
> Kevin is active in the science, mathematics and history clubs and is
> co-captain of the Science Olympiad Team. He has won both science and
> writing awards and is also interested in linguistics. He reads
> Russian, Hebrew, French and Sanskrit, and he recently did an
> independent study of the Hawaiian language that led to research
> about the relationships between the Austronesian and IndoEuropean
> languages. Kevin plans to prepare for a career in research at
> Harvard. He is the son of Stephen and Judith Shapiro.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Christopher Chung-Tien Chang, 16, of 715 Charleston Court, Palo
> Alto, completed a mathematics project for the Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search. Chris explored the Steiner Point Problem, a geometric
> figure that while easily solved in two dimensions using plane
> geometry is quite complex when using three dimensional discrete
> geometry. Applications of his research include the study of crystals
> which have chemical properties that limit the set of allowed
> directions any segment or line can take. At Henry M. Gunn High
> School, Chris is active in the science, mathematics and engineering
> clubs and enjoys computer programming and board games. A violinist
> for the school orchestra and pianist at his church, Chris has
> composed both classical and Christian songs for a local youth group.
> He was a bronze medalist with the U.S. team at the International
> Math Olympiad in Toronto, Canada in 1995. Son of Dr. C. Allen Chang
> and Ko-Ling Chang, Chris hopes to attend Harvard, eventually earning
> a doctorate.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Connie Jean Ing, 17, of 13386 Ronnie Way, Saratoga, made two
> significant discoveries as part of her Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search astronomy project--a study of solar-type stars. At the
> Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Connie examined
> observation records from the last 15 years looking for a pattern
> indicating the rotation period in stars similar to the Sun. In the
> process, she identified, for the first time, rotation periods in
> many of these stars. In addition, she found a group of stars that
> are apparently spinning too fast for their age and thus defy
> conventional ideas on rotation in sun-like stars. Connie is
> collaborating with her advisor on a paper to report the results of
> her work. At Saratoga High School, Connie is active in the
> engineering club and biophysical society and has won varsity letters
> in swimming and track. An award winning orator, she took first place
> in the Lynbrook Speech Tournament and attended the Stanford
> University Debate Institute last summer. The daughter of Budge S.
> Ing and Merlinda Ng, Connie hopes to study both physics and biology
> at Harvard or MIT.
>
> CALIFORNIA
> Susan Jean Shaw, 17, of 3312 Mandeville Place, Orange, got the idea
> for her Westinghouse Science Talent Search project research in
> physiology by observing her grandfather who wears hearing aids and
> has trouble distinguishing sound direction. For her research, Susan
> exposed blindfolded test subjects to brief 70 to 85 decibel sounds
> from different directions. Control subjects had soft materials in
> their ears. She found that the funneling or baffling effects of the
> auricles (the ears' outer parts) help greatly in distinguishing
> between sounds coming from the front or back, while the natural
> slope of the ear canals help us sense vertical sound directions. Her
> findings may explain why hearing aids dampen directional perception
> and lead to corrective techniques. Susan ranks first in her class
> and plays varsity tennis at Villa Park High School. She is active in
> the science and math clubs, as well as the school newspaper and
> orchestra. Her science honors include first place awards in the
> California State and Orange County Science Fairs. Susan also is an
> accomplished poet. The daughter of Dr. David and Judy Shaw, she
> plans to earn M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Northwestern.
>
> FLORIDA
>
> Matthew David Graham, 18, of 2238 Grey Fox Court, Orange Park,
> entered an engineering project in the Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search. He developed a new sensor to detect ice accumulation on
> aircraft surfaces, a persistent hazard during take-off. His
> four-year project began in an ice tunnel he built in his garage and
> ended with tests on aircraft under real icing conditions. His sensor
> applies multifrequency ultrasonic excitation to interior aircraft
> surfaces and measures resonant frequency responses which are
> affected by exterior ice. At Stanton College Preparatory School in
> Jacksonville, Matthew has garnered more than 20 awards at math,
> piano and art competitions and science fairs. At the International
> Science and Engineering Fair, he won first place merit awards in
> engineering from both the U.S. Army and Air Force. He is active in
> Scouting and enjoys SCUBA diving, recreational flying, tennis,
> skiing and wilderness activities. The son of David and Margaret
> Graham, Matthew hopes to study aerospace engineering at Georgia
> Tech.
>
> FLORIDA
> Vezen Wu, 17, of 2929 Cortez Road, Jacksonville, studied potent
> antibiotics in carnivorous plants for his Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search project. Our arsenal of antibiotics loses its
> effectiveness as bacteria become resistant to drugs. Carnivorous
> plants--which trap, digest and absorb nutrients from animals--are
> thought to be potential sources for antibiotics because of their
> applications in herbal medicine. Vezen's five-year biology research
> identified antibacterial activity in several carnivorous plants
> previously ignored by researchers. He also described what he
> believes to be a new antibacterial agent that is effective against
> Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an infectious organism resistant to most
> antibiotics. At Stanton College Preparatory School, Vezen ranks
> first in his class, is president of the school's engineering club
> and captains its engineering team. Not surprisingly, Vezen collects
> carnivorous plants in his spare time. He also enjoys playing the
> piano and studying foreign languages. He plans to attend Johns
> Hopkins University to study molecular biology for a career in
> medicine. Venzen is the son of Pinsing and Dr. Shen Jyh Wu.
>
> MARYLAND
>
> Mani S. Mahjouri, 17, of 6193 Wooded Run Drive, Columbia, entered a
> physics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Using
> data gathered by spacecraft, Mani derived equations that model the
> motion of the charged particles that comprise Jupiter's magnetic
> field, or magnetosphere. Working at Johns Hopkins University Applied
> Physics Laboratory, he solved the equations on advanced computer
> workstations, revealing the particles' orbits which, in turn,
> revealed a mechanism by which, he believes, certain particles escape
> Jupiter's system. Last year at Atholton High School, to complete a
> similar project, Mani taught himself three semesters of college
> level calculus. Born in Iran, he enjoys wrestling, roller-blading
> and weight-lifting. The son of Dr. F.S. and Ghashang N. Mahjouri, he
> plans to study physics at the California Institute of Technology.
>
> MARYLAND
> Jacob Lurie, 18, of 6611 Braeburn Parkway, Bethesda, entered a
> mathematics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. His
> work involved surreal numbers--an extension of the real number
> system--including infinite and infinitesimal quantities. Certain
> surreal numbers can be defined by computable processes, and Jacob
> investigated the systems structures of such computable surreal
> numbers. At Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Jacob is
> a member of the mathematics club and the Dead Topologist Society. He
> enjoys playing the flute and violin, music composition and juggling.
> Jacob's special recognitions and awards include International
> Science and Engineering Fair Grand Awards over the past two years
> and a Gold Medal for a perfect score in the 1994 International
> Mathematics Olympiad. Jacob hopes to pursue a degree in mathematics
> at Harvard and eventually do research in mathematical logic. Jacob
> is the son of James Lurie and Nora Bailey.
>
> MASSACHUSETTS
>
> Rachel Stanley, 17, of 50 Metacomet Road, Waban, submitted a
> biophysics project to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. By
> systematically analyzing the repetitions of 2-tuples and 3-tuples
> formed by DNA nucleotides, a tendency she named "clumping," she
> noticed the degree of clumping was quite different between coding
> DNA--which encodes the proteins that run the human body--and
> noncoding DNA with no known function. Roughly 95 percent of human
> DNA is noncoding. Her studies suggest that clumping may help
> identify noncoding DNA, which can then be ignored by scientists
> working on the Human Genome Project--an international effort to map
> the structure of DNA. When she was ten, Rachel discovered what is
> believed to be the oldest man-made fractal in an Italian cathedral
> mosaic, and in 1994 she helped design a fractal exhibit at the
> Boston Museum of Science. At Newton South High School in Newton
> Centre, Rachel is art and literature magazine editor, stage crew
> director and vice president of the debating/political club. She
> plays both piano and mandolin. The daughter of Dr. H. Eugene and
> Idahlia Stanley, she hopes to study physics at MIT.
>
> MASSACHUSETTS
> Brian Palmer Hafler, 17, of 110 Forest Avenue, West Newton, spent
> the past two summers at Harvard Medical School working on a biology
> project involving T cells and entered a report on his research in
> the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. According to Brian's
> findings, a single amino acid substitution in an autoantigenic
> (self) peptide can change autoaggressive cells to protective ones.
> Brian believes that such altered peptides could be used to treat
> autoimmune diseases. Brian, who intends to study molecular biology
> at Princeton University, is now a student at The Roxbury Latin
> School in West Roxbury. He has won varsity letters in wrestling and
> cross country, numerous academic awards, and a service award for his
> work in tutoring inner-city students. Other volunteer efforts
> include a summer in Central America working for CARE--arriving in
> Guatemala City with, he reports, "anti-malarial and diarrhea pills
> in hand." Brian is the son of Drs. David A. and Janet P. Hafler.
>
> MICHIGAN
>
> Chandan Gopal Reddy, 17, of 5685 Paint Valley Drive, Rochester,
> submitted a mathematics project to the Westinghouse Science Talent
> Search. Chandan studied advanced number theory involving the cubic
> sublattice, a three dimensional grid pattern of vectors that can be
> manipulated like a matrix. He identified three infinite families of
> cubic sublattices--symmetric, pseudo-symmetric and asymmetric--and
> suggested conditions for the volume of all cubic sublattices. At
> Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Chandan enjoys the
> mathematics and engineering clubs and is captain of the Quiz Bowl
> and computer team. In the Michigan Mathematics Prize competition,
> Chandan has won silver medals each year in high school. His hobbies
> include piano playing, tennis and computer programming. Last year he
> organized a student trip to help renovate neighborhood houses as
> part of the Habitat for Humanity Program. The son of Drs. Gopal and
> Kala Reddy, Chandan plans to pursue a career in research after
> completing biochemistry studies at Harvard.
>
> NEW HAMPSHIRE / NEW YORK
>
> Simon Joseph DeDeo, 16, of 178 East 64th Street, New York, entered
> an astrophysics project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
> Our galaxy is not static; it spins around its center like wind in a
> hurricane. Using a two-meter radiotelescope, Simon measured the rate
> at which different parts of the galaxy are spinning by looking at
> the velocities of hydrogen clouds spread throughout the galaxy. He
> used this data to locate regions with a higher than average amount
> of gas--the regions that give our galaxy its spiral structure. A
> senior at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Simon is
> active in school publications and the science, math and engineering
> clubs. He also is active in Exeter's Political Discussion Union and
> Cum Laude Society. In his spare time Simon plays classical guitar
> for his own enjoyment and tutors students in science and math. He
> has won several awards for his achievements in math and history.
> Born in London, Simon is the son of Joseph and Esther DeDeo. He
> plans to pursue a double major in physics and philosophy at Harvard.
>
> NEW JERSEY
>
> Daniel Paul Weitz, 17, of 18 Lynnfield Drive, Morristown, submitted
> a report on a five-year-long physics project to the Westinghouse
> Science Talent Search, aimed at harnessing the same energy source
> that drives our sun: nuclear fusion, a potential source of clean,
> safe and inexpensive energy in the next century. Daniel developed a
> new, dynamically responsive confinement technology for magnetic
> nuclear fusion--the production of energy by colliding particles in a
> magnetically contained plasma--a superheated gas. To test his
> concepts, he designed and built a working plasma generator in his
> basement workshop and supported it with his own software packages.
> He believes his technology, aimed at fusion energy's main problem,
> duration of plasma confinement, could help lead to eventual
> large-scale commercialization. Now at Morristown High School, Daniel
> has been designing science projects and accumulating first-place
> honors since the fifth grade. He is also a reporter for the school
> newspaper, editor of its literary magazine and active with its
> television studio and radio station. The son of Leonard and Rachelle
> Weitz, he plans to enter Princeton in the fall.
>
> NEW YORK
>
> Andre Michael Bishay, 17, of 8-17 149th Street, Whitestone, entered
> the Westinghouse Science Talent Search with a social science project
> designed to measure teacher motivation and job satisfaction, not
> only by conventional survey methods but also by a unique application
> of the Experience Sampling Method. ESM uses electronic paging
> devices to request information on current mood and activity from
> study participants several times daily. Based on the data he
> collected, Andre concluded that gratification of higher-order needs
> is the most important factor in job satisfaction for teachers. He is
> hopeful that his findings may help to improve quality of life for
> teachers and students alike. At the Bronx High School of Science,
> Andre is active with the debate and tennis teams and science and
> German clubs. Summer activities have included participation in the
> Invitational Science Program at West Point and language study in
> Germany. His hobbies include photography, poetry and creative
> writing. Born in Switzerland, Andre is the son of Michael and Irma
> Bishay. He plans to study physics at Stanford University and is
> considering a career in teaching.
>
> NEW YORK
> Dmitry L. Sagalovskiy, 17, of 6801 19th Avenue., Apt. 4M, Brooklyn,
> derived a formula to calculate the number of representations of a
> generalized set of numbers called Gaussian integers for his
> Westinghouse Science Talent Search mathematics project. Since the
> ancient Greeks, mathematicians have tackled the problem of finding
> how many representations of a given number can be expressed as the
> sum of two squares. Ukraine-born Dmitry attends Brooklyn Technical
> High School where he is second in a class of 1,040. Dmitry is
> captain of the math team and active in school publications. In his
> spare time, Dmitry plays and teaches guitar and tutors and
> participates in science fairs and math competitions. He also enjoys
> computer programming and hopes to pursue a major in mathematics and
> computer science at Harvard. Dmitry is the son of Leonid and Anna
> Sagalovskiy.
>
> NEW YORK
> Juliette Lee Taska, 17, of 28 Robert Road, Inwood, entered a social
> sciences project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search contest
> after watching many friends become "obsessed" with dieting. An
> award-winning runner, Juliette has argued unsuccessfully with
> friends that drastic diets are detrimental to their well-being. She
> designed her project to seek the evidence she believed she needed to
> argue more logically. As part of her project, Juliette showed a sad
> movie to teen-age girls--all fellow students at Lawrence Senior High
> School in Cedarhurst--while each sat alone in a room. Alone, that
> is, except for a bowl of salted peanuts and a popular chocolate
> snack. The movie succeeded in depressing nearly 100 percent of the
> girls sufficiently to disinhibit their behavior and cause them to go
> off any diets. Ironically, dieters whose viewing was disrupted by
> diet ads ate nearly twice as much as dieters who viewed non-diet
> ads. Captain of the varsity indoor track, cross-country and spring
> track teams, Juliette also enjoys skiing, bicycling, writing poetry
> and reading French classics in their original French, her favorite
> subject. The daughter of Carolyn and James Taska, Jr., Juliette
> plans to major in child psychology at Bucknell.
>
> NEW YORK
> Michelle Anne Schaffer, 17, of 19 Maridon Lane, Commack, selected an
> engineering project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. She
> tackled a subject that had previously stumped industry
> scientists--the problems involved with paint adhesion to
> polycarbonate surfaces. Michelle familiarized herself with previous
> research, repeated earlier experiments, and then developed a crucial
> extra step that enabled independent control of surface adhesion
> properties by creating blends of interface-active components. To
> complete her work, she independently learned the relevant chemical
> purification processes, thermal molding, computer programming,
> secondary ion mass spectroscopy of polymers and the calculus needed
> for data analysis. When she was nine, Michelle set out to help end
> world hunger by experimenting with hydroponics. She speaks French
> fluently and is on the fencing team at Commack High School. A disc
> jockey for the school radio station, she also finds time to tutor
> elementary school children in reading and math. The daughter of John
> and Ronalee Schaffer, she plans to study natural sciences at Cornell
> University.
>
> NEW YORK
> Sidney Hsiao-Ning Chang, 17, of 43 Euclid Avenue, Dix Hills, carried
> out a physical chemistry study for this year's Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search, investigating conductivity mechanisms in solid
> electrolytes. Solid electrolytes conduct electricity by means of
> migrating ions in a rigid crystal lattice. These materials have
> potential uses in solid-state fuel cells, batteries and gas sensors,
> so a better understanding of their conductivity will assist in
> finding superior conductors. Working at the chemistry department at
> SUNY at Stony Brook, Sidney carried out what she believes to be the
> first ever study of defect cluster formation in a
> lead-zirconium-fluorine electrolyte by high-resolution, solid-state
> magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance. At Half Hollow
> Hills High School East, Sidney plays in the school orchestra and has
> received numerous academic honors and awards, including a
> first-place Naval Science Distinguished Achievement Award and a Yale
> Science and Engineering Award. Daughter of Tsong-Ju Paul and Ching
> Chang, Sidney plans to major in chemistry at MIT.
>
> NEW YORK
> Ofra Biener, 17, of 85-27 Bell Boulevard, Hollis Hills, carried out
> a comparative study on the proofreading of computer word processor
> texts for her social sciences project in the Westinghouse Science
> Talent Search. Her data show what many suspected all along:
> proofreading for grammatical errors--not spelling errors--is
> performed better using printed paper copy rather than the computer
> screen. Key to her study's success was the cooperation of 200 fellow
> students with 12th grade reading skills at Townsend Harris High
> School at Queens College in Flushing. Ofra, avidly interested in
> science since her early youth, is a first-place science fair winner
> and Junior Academy of Science member, among other honors. She counts
> drawing, poetry writing and synagogue youth activities among her
> many outside interests. Daughter of Camillo and Anne Biener, Ofra
> hopes to major in psychobiology at Barnard College in preparation
> for a career in teaching.
>
> NEW YORK
> Michael Christopher Boyer, 17, of 66 Trumbull Road, Manhasset,
> completed an environmental study based on physical chemistry for the
> Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He measured the precipitation,
> with increasing salinity, of americium, colbat and cesium in water
> from the Ob River in Central Russia. Mike then used his results to
> help predict movement of nuclear waste from contaminated areas
> drained by the Ob to the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean. First in his
> class at Manhasset High School, Mike is co-editor of the newspaper
> and active in the science and math clubs and the Junior Academy of
> Science. He plays lead trumpet for the school band and has received
> awards for his solo and ensemble trumpet virtuosity. He has also
> garnered several science fair honors, the AP Scholar Award and holds
> a George Washington University Medal for Excellence in Science and
> Mathematics. The son of Dr. Timothy H. and Marilyn A. Boyer, Mike
> plans to study physics at Harvard.
>
> NEW YORK
> John Joon Tae Cho, 17, of 33 Solar Lane, Searingtown, entered a
> pharmacology project in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He
> studied a tumor suppressor gene, called p53, that inhibits cancer
> growth by moderating a type of cell death called apoptosis. John
> sought to find what effect p53 expression in varying serum
> concentrations has on the efficacy of various chemotherapeutic drugs
> under laboratory conditions. He found that p53 modulates the
> efficacy of these drugs and is dependent on p53 serum concentration.
> After graduation from Herricks Senior High School in New Hyde Park,
> John hopes to attend Yale with a double major in chemical
> engineering and history. He is captain of his Math and Science
> Olympiad teams, plays clarinet in the All-County Concert Band and
> holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He has garnered several literary
> and science awards and attended the State University of New York at
> Stony Brook's Summer Research Institute. Korean born, John is the
> son of Man Kee and Hee Cho.
>
> NEW YORK
> Aaron Michael Einbond, 17, of 822 West 187th Street, New York,
> isolated two human genes for his Westinghouse Science Talent Search
> biochemistry project. Exploring a new protein domain--the part of a
> protein that conveys information by interacting with other
> proteins--along with a short proline-rich protein motif with which
> the new domain interacts, Aaron isolated human genes corresponding
> to mouse proteins containing the motif. He used protein sequence
> database searches to predict a role for the motif in disorders such
> as muscular dystrophy, cancer and severe combined immunodeficiency
> and he speculated on possible treatments using gene therapy or
> low-molecular-weight compounds. A concert clarinetist and
> award-winning composer, his chamber music group won a New York City
> competition last spring playing his original composition. In
> addition, his origami designs have been selected for an annual
> international competition every year since he was seven. A senior at
> Hunter College High School, Aaron hopes to attend Harvard and pursue
> a career in biological research as well as continue composing. He is
> the son of Drs. Bernard and Linda Saxe Einbond.
>
> NEW YORK
> Flora Fan Zhang, 18, of 94-11 34th Road, Jackson Heights, studied
> the nature and purpose of people's hand gestures while speaking for
> her psychology project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
> By using a videotape camera, Flora recorded fellow high school
> students as they defined 20 common English wo
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