#b#International Olympiad Achievements#/b#
West Windsor resident Yan Huang received a silver medal at the 12th International Linguistics Olympiad in Beijing, China. Competing against 150 students from 38 teams, Huang came in 11th place. He is a rising senior at High School South.
At this year’s olympiad, part one dealt with the translation of diverse languages such as Benebena, Kiowa, Tangkin, Engenni, and Gbaya. Part two involved building a grammar for Armenian and translating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from Armenian into English. Visit naclo.cs.cmu.edu for information.
Plainsboro resident Andrew Chen was awarded a silver medal at the 46th International Chemistry Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam. Chen was chosen as one of the top four students to represent the United States in international competition after attending a national chemistry study camp in Colorado this summer (The News, May 30). The U.S. team competed against students from over 70 countries. Chen is a rising senior at High School South.
#b#Private School#/b#
Matthew Pilkiewicz of West Windsor graduated from Princeton Day School in June. He was awarded a four year academic Summit Scholarship by Trinity College, which he will attend this fall.
#b#Scholarships#/b#
Mollie Rubinstein and Matthew Lichtenstein, both residents of West Windsor, received scholarships from Congregation Beth Chaim’s Men’s Club and Sisterhood for their essays written as graduating high school seniors.
Rubinstein, who wrote about her involvement with children with special needs, will attend Penn State. Lichtenstein, who wrote about how his Jewish education influenced his interest in higher education, will attend Georgia Institute of Technology.
#b#Governor’s School#/b#
Rising seniors Akhil Dondapati from High School South and Yuzki Oey from High School North attended the NJ Governor’s School in Sciences program at Drew University this summer.
The three-week science intensive summer program attracted more than 300 applicants this year, of which 85 were selected, including Dondapati and Oey. Students enrolled in three classes, a lab, and a team research project. “All of the classes were focused on a specific topic that most high schools do not cover in detail,” said Oey. For example, one of the classes Dondapati took was anthropology.
In lab, both Oey and Dondapati learned new techniques and how to operate professional equipment. “We used a myriad of techniques not seen in typical high schools. These included affinity chromatography, SDS-PAGE, a Bradford Assay, and so much more. I know that I will use these sophisticated methods later on in college and the future,” Dondapati said.
The program concluded with a conference where students presented their team research projects and papers.
“Being with people we did not know was a valuable part of the experience at Governor’s School. We are all used to our classmates in our respective high schools, and know (or think we know) what everyone is good at,” Oey said. “At Governor’s School, every person had an unknown ability that was waiting to be discovered by someone else, whether the gift was knowledge in a certain academic field, exceptional leadership skills, or even breath-taking PowerPoint dexterity.”
“I really loved my experience at Governor’s School. People have this misconception that Governor’s School is just a three-week extension of school in the summer and that it is just work, work, and more work. This could not be farther from the truth,” said Dondapati. In addition to learning, the students had free time to watch movies, play cards and sports, and participate in organized activities, such as lectures, dances, a talent show, the game Assassin, and Manhunt. “With so many things to do, boredom was an impossibility,” he said.
Dondapati enjoyed the lectures given by four invited speakers, who discussed the Milky Way, biomass, passwords, and scientific mysteries. “Governor’s School was by far the best part of my summer. I learned a lot and made lifelong friends. I only wish it was more than three weeks,” he said.
“I didn’t know what to expect from NJGSS — nobody probably did. We were all apprehensive of what the program had in store for us,” said Oey. “NJGSS turned out to be an extraordinary experience that opened my eyes to topics I had never learned about, allowed me to be part of a research team that synthesized novel compounds, and exposed me to wonderful people who I hope to be life-long friends with. I am very lucky to have had the opportunity.”
#b#In College#/b#
Hamilton College: Vince DiCindio, a rising senior, was a summer intern at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. A graduate of High School North, he is a world politics major with a concentration in international security.
START, hosted by the University of Maryland, receives federal funding from the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Organization. At START, DiCindio worked to identify and profile organized crime groups in the U.S. that may be working with foreign terrorist organizations for the purpose of smuggling radioactive or nuclear materials into the country.
“I know I’ll be able to find my way into whatever I develop a passion for in this field,” says DiCindio, who hopes to become a special agent in the FBI, “I’m lucky to have an internship like mine where I am already beginning to develop these passions and skills.”
Coastal Carolina University: Nicole Sherman of West Windsor graduated with a bachelor of science in business management.
Drexel University: Johanna Liao, a fashion design major and student of the Pennoni Honors College, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring term. A graduate of High School South. She is a rising sophomore.
James Madison University welcomes the incoming freshman class including Imraan Adat of Plainsboro, majoring in biotechnology; Thomas Piuggi of West Windsor, majoring in management; and Ryan Cloyes of West Windsor, majoring in marketing.
University of Rhode Island: Students from Plainsboro on the dean’s list include Marcus C Allen and Anthony V. Colonna. West Windsor students on the dean’s list include Troy Fernandez, Hannah A Loeb, and Pierson Sentrum Tu.
