Students Excel at National Science Competitions

March 29, 2007

Mike, 2007 Intel finalist, with Intel Chairman Craig Barrett and Elizabeth Marincola, President of Science Service

With 30 science courses in the curriculum, you might expect Exeter students to have plenty of chances to research and problem-solve right on campus. Each year, however, in addition to their normal coursework, a group of students participate in top national and international science competitions. This year, more than a dozen students are participating in the Intel Science Talent Search, Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, and the U.S. Physics Olympiad.

Ten Exonians are among the 200 U.S. Physics Olympiad semi-finalists, each hoping to qualify as one of 24 members of the U.S. Physics Team. "The Physics Olympiad is for our best physics problem solvers," says Scott Saltman, chair of the science department. "The qualifying exam is based purely on Newtonian Mechanics. The semi-final exam, which 10 of our students have moved up to, is more difficult and encompasses more material. Students who make the U.S. team are trained intensely in a wide variety of material and techniques at a nine-day summer camp at the University of Maryland." Last year Sherry, an upper, made the U.S. team and traveled to Singapore, where she won a silver medal in the International Physics Olympiad, attended by 383 competitors from 88 countries. Sherry (pictured at left) is competing again this year and is one of the 10 Exeter semi-finalists.

The ability to do high-level research is key to participation in the Intel and Siemens competitions, according to Saltman. Research by Keone, a senior, on the effects of N-glycans (sugar molecules) in cancerous and healthy cells, which he conducted over the summer at Boston University Medical Center, is one example of the intensity of the qualifying projects and the level of student commitment.

Keone, who did his research while attending a summer Research Science Institute, says,  "Working in the lab was a lot of fun. I lived on campus at MIT, and took the train from there to the BU lab every day. I worked from 9 – 5, so it was both an educational experience and a chance to go out into the real world. My mentor taught me techniques in protein analysis, then stepped back to let me work independently."

Mike, one of 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search held earlier this year, loves the challenge of competitions. "I think that the Artificial Intelligence aspect of science competition is becoming increasingly important," says the Exeter senior, whose research is in the area of computer science. "It's exciting to be working on something that could have many real-life applications."

Interested in learning more?

Read about Exeter's science department…

Learn more about the U.S. Physics Olympiad…  

Read about Mike's success in the Intel Science Talent Search…