Seventeen-year old Sara Volz has won a $100,000 award from the Intel Foundation‘s Science Talent Search 2013. Of the 40 finalists, representing 20 states and 40 schools, the Colorado Springs native won the grand prize for her research on algae as an economic source of biofuel. Second place and $75,000 went to seventeen-year old Jonah Kallenbach from Amber, Pa. for his bioformatics study in predicting protein binding for drug therapy. And seventeen-year old Adam Bowman of Brentwood, Tenn. came in third place winning $50,000 for designing and building a compact and inexpensive, low-energy, pulsed plasma device.
“The Intel Science Talent Search is an opportunity to reshape the dialogue around our nation’s youth,” said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation. “We believe it’s crucial to U.S. innovation to bring greater attention to math and science achievement, encourage more youth to embrace these fields, and demonstrate the impact these subjects have on our country’s future success.”
The competition included seven other finalists who made the top 10 and received awards for their experiments. In total, $1.25 million was awarded for the Intel Science Talent competition from the Intel Foundation. Science for Society & the Public has owned and held the Science Talent Search since 1942. Over the last 72 years, other Science Talent alumni have gone on to win seven
Nobel Prizes, two Fields Medals, five National Medals of Science, 11 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and an Academy Award for Best Actress.
“Society for Science & the Public is proud to join Intel in congratulating Sara Volz for her scientific accomplishments,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Society for Science & the Public. “Sara’s work demonstrates how a young person who is fascinated by science, which she has been since a kindergarten science fair, can work with few sophisticated resources and have real impact on society.”
Marincola added, “Sara and the rest of the Intel Science Talent Search 2013 finalists serve as an inspiration for young researchers who are drawn to science. Their hard work and innovation will create solutions to the problems of tomorrow.”
