Intel Science Talent Search Selects Semifinalists In Competition For America's Brightest Young Scientists

$600,000 Awarded to 300 Students and 164 Schools

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2003 - Intel Corporation is awarding a total of $600,000 to 300 U.S. high school seniors and their schools for reaching the semifinals of the Intel Science Talent Search (STS). Often considered the "junior Nobel Prize," the Intel STS recognizes America's brightest students and their schools for excellence in science and math.

Participation in the STS has often served as a precursor to impressive accomplishments in science. The Intel STS is heir to six decades of science excellence and past STS finalists hold more than 100 of the world's most coveted science and math honors including five Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science, 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and two Fields Medals. Many alumni have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences or the National Academy of Engineering.

Each of the 300 semifinalists will receive $1,000 in recognition of their scientific achievements. In addition, schools will receive $1,000 per semifinalist to support their science and math programs. Visit the Intel Press Room for a complete list of semifinalists, or the Science Service Web site.

From the 300 semifinalists, 40 finalists will be announced on January 29, 2003. These students will take an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Science Talent Institute where they will participate in final judging and compete for college scholarships totaling more than $500,000. The winners will be selected based on rigorous judging sessions and announced at a black-tie banquet on March 11, 2003.

Intel STS Semifinalists
This year's semifinalists were selected from 1,581 applicants, with females representing 43 percent of the total. The students are from 47 states the Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C., and range in age from 15 to 19. The schools with the most semifinalists are Stuyvesant High School in New York City with 19, followed by Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland with 12.

Students were judged on their individual research ability, scientific originality and creative thinking. The research projects cover all disciplines of science, including chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, social science and biology. All Intel STS entries were reviewed and judged by top scientists from a variety of disciplines. Dr. Andrew Yeager of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is the judging chairman.

The Intel STS provides an incentive and arena for U.S. high school seniors to complete an original research project and have it evaluated and recognized by a national jury of highly regarded professional scientists. The projects are the result of inquiry-based learning methods, which enable students to nurture critical reasoning skills and experience science through the application and use of the scientific method.

Science Service, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages through publications and educational programs, has administered the program since its inception six decades ago in 1942. Over the years, the competition has recognized more than 2,000 finalists with more than $5 million in scholarships. For more information on Science Service, visit www.sciserv.org.

Intel's sponsorship of the Science Talent Search is part of the Intel® Innovation in Education initiative, a collaboration with educators in communities around the world to improve the quality of math, science and engineering education by providing commitments of time, programs and resources to help students realize their full potential. For more information, visit www.intel.com/education.

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