Intel STS Archives - ��

One scientist’s ‘nerdy delight’ drives her to solve problems

Communications Team — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Frances Barron got hooked on biochemistry through watching sea urchin fertilization in an undergraduate lab. As Vice President of Biology and Regulatory Affairs at Nanomedical Diagnostics, a biotech company in San Diego, California, Frances asks herself how the complex processes of forming life can be harnessed to solve medical problems.

Frances, a 1998 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist, believes the next generation of scientists need to think about topics that will fascinate them. Then they’ll find a career path that will be most rewarding.

Read our interview with Frances below to learn how she defines “nerdy delight” and find out how working pro bono turned into a full-time role at Nanomedical Diagnostics.

Frances Barron

WHAT A TYPICAL DAY IS LIKE FOR HER: Some days I’m at the bench with my very talented research associates helping them solve biology and nanotechnology questions.

Other days I’m at my desk writing grants and papers with collaborators, designing experiments that support the research and development of different product pipelines for the company, figuring out the appropriate regulatory strategies for our first in vitro diagnostic product for Lyme disease, and responding to email with private and public collaborators and users of our new technology.

Now I deal more with strategic planning and execution of company research goals, while facilitating the growth and development of young scientists training on my team and the company as a whole. Nanomedical Diagnostics believes in mentoring the next generation, which is why we offer summer internships and are part of the support for Dr. Alec Barron’s , a digital badging program supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Nerdy delight: a giddy feeling when uncovering something in �� that drives you to work nonstop.

Every day is unique, fast paced, and exciting, which is the typical landscape in a company where you wear many hats.

HOW SHE GOT INTO THE NANOMEDICAL FIELD: I was a regulatory affairs consultant and medical writer fresh out of my postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford. Dr. Brett Goldsmith shared his idea for a nanotechnology diagnostic company, and I understood the challenges he would face from regulatory and market clearance, as well as the biology of testing human samples. Inspired to help in whatever way I could, I said I’d work pro-bono to help with their early regulatory proposals to the FDA.

Nanomedical Diagnostics believes in mentoring the next generation.

While I’d enjoyed my time as a consultant, especially since it enabled me to work from home during the early days of having my first child, I was really looking forward to integrate my regulatory affairs knowledge with my unique and broad knowledge of biology. When they agreed to hire me, I had no idea how rewarding and challenging each day would be.

The human genome project set me on the path to biochemistry.

It’s been paramount for us to communicate in the common language of science as we discovered novel solutions to a technology that seamlessly integrates biology, chemistry, nanomaterials, and electronics — AGILE technology. We have an amazing team of talented women and men who have worked diligently to achieve our first life science product in an unbelievably short amount of time. I never would have imagined working in nanomaterials or for a life science and diagnostics company, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

HOW SEA URCHIN FERTILIZATION INSPIRED HER: My love of science seems to have been an innate drive in me. Through my desire to learn the mysteries of the animal kingdom when I was young, it progressively turned to smaller and smaller biological entities, until I came upon the study of the formation of life itself.

I wanted to know what controlled those processes. What was the map?

I wanted to know what controlled those processes. What was the map, the blueprint? I soaked up everything related to biology in search of answers to these questions.

When I got to high school and learned about Mendel, genetic inheritance, and Watson and Crick, I began to get this picture in my mind that everything could be understood from just four little letters — ATGC. If we only had the Rosetta stone, we could end genetic diseases by providing gene therapy or regenerate lost tissue by harnessing the power of stem cells.

The human genome project really set me on the path to seek out a degree in biochemistry and cell biology. I remember the moment I realized I’d found the specific field of study that inspired me to go to graduate school. I took my first developmental biology lab and I was in love. This was my “nerdy delight.” The lab was on the concept of blocking polyspermy, where sea urchin eggs and sperm were combined, and the fertilization event was observed and documented under the microscope. Here was the moment that two gametes came together to form new biological life, which randomly combined the contributions of both parents to create a unique sea urchin. I wanted to understand how that happened.

Everything could be understood from just four little letters — ATGC.

How does the biochemistry work to enable cells to divide symmetrically, then asymmetrically, to set up three distinct germ layers? Then, how do those germ layers communicate with one another to create an operational organism? It was a mystery that it ever went right, and right so often! Millions of years of evolution, of random events just like the one I was looking at, were responsible for all of the diversity on the planet. I was hooked.

WHAT COMPETING IN THE 1998 INTEL STS MEANT: I remember having to go to a photography store to have film developed for the pictures of my histology slides. Now I think about the dramatic changes in technology with digital cameras, microscopes, and the breadth of available fluorophores that revolutionized molecular and cellular biology.

Intel STS was instrumental in opening doors and knocking down barriers.

When I placed as a semifinalist, I realized that all that hard work, the hours spent after school and on weekends at the lab, had led to something special in science. I was able to stand proud for the small contribution I made to science in my own way. That award really gave me confidence to pursue a career in ��.

Intel STS was instrumental in opening doors and knocking down barriers. My dream was to attend UCSD and major in biology. When I found out that my major was impacted and that I may not be able to declare it, I was nearly crushed. I received a notice later that I’d be admitted to the major without having to complete the prerequisites. I believe it was my efforts and the work at UCSD during high school for Intel STS that demonstrated my drive. There are clear advantages to beginning early and being supported by more experienced mentors in the field.

HOW SCIENCE WRITING RELATES TO SCIENCE RESEARCH: No matter what you do in your life, you will always have to communicate your ideas to others. The first lesson I took away from my experience with Westinghouse STS and the research that led up to the competition was that I needed to learn how to express my knowledge in a concise and understandable way, both verbally and in writing.

No matter what you do in your life, you will always have to communicate your ideas to others.

Science is not just about discovery, but it is also about passing on the learned knowledge, and not only disseminating it to our colleagues and peers, but also to the community at large. Good scientific writing can lead, for example, to the success of a peer-reviewed publication, an NIH grant award, or market clearance from the FDA.

Science is not just about discovery, but also passing on knowledge.

Publications lend credibility to your research, and may lead to grant awards providing funding to continue your research, and both of these efforts may support the clinical trials required to provide a compelling argument to the FDA regarding the safety and efficacy of your drug or medical device.

It all starts with the written word, and the more effective you are at this form of communication, ultimately the more effective you will be in moving your scientific research along.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS INTERESTED IN ��: My husband, Dr. Alec Barron, a high school chemistry teacher, and some of his AP chemistry students came up with the term “nerdy delight” to describe the giddy feeling you get when you’re uncovering something in science or math that drives you to work on solving the problem nonstop day and night until you figure it out.

When I speak at high schools about my pathway to science, I point out that scientific knowledge and topics to research span the spectrum of the entire universe. As young scientists and mathematicians go out to discover the unknown, they should focus on the topics that interest them, and give them their “nerdy delight.” These are the areas of interest that will drive them naturally to have fruitful careers.

Scientific knowledge and research topics span the spectrum of the entire universe.

The next generation of scientists, from high school through college, should be challenged to find their “nerdy delight.” They should think about what will fascinate and hold their interest and they will find the career path that will be the most enjoyable, confounding, and rewarding experience of their lives.

The next generation of scientists should be challenged to find their ‘nerdy delight.’

I firmly believe that it is our job as mentors who have found this “nerdy delight” pathway to facilitate this experience in our young peers by offering opportunities to wear different scientific hats, and explore solving problems with questions and solutions that may even challenge the way we currently think. Through mentorship and forward thinking innovation can be created, which will drive science and math into the next leap to the future.

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Alumni to watch: Michael Li & The Data Incubator

Communications Team — Fri, 27 May 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Data science is super hot. So are startups. So that means Michael Li — an Intel Science Talent Search (STS) alumnus and CEO of , a two-year-old data-science startup, is on fire.

In retrospect, Li’s path to data-science entrepreneur seems obvious — he got a B.S. in computer science and Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Princeton University before moving to a career on Wall Street and then Silicon Valley. He’s worked at companies such as Google, Intel, Foursquare and Andreesen Horowitz, a renowned Valley venture capital firm.

But Li credits his — in which he finished second nationally for developing a novel way to conduct nuclear fusion — as pivotal to shaping who he became as an adult. Read the interview to find out more — and why Li thinks academics often need post-grad boot camps to get up to the speed industry moves at.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL LI.

WHY IS DATA SCIENCE SO HOT? Because data is now a structural trend, right? And we’re getting more and more of it every year, and not just from your computer, tablet, and cell phone.

For example: we’re working with insurance companies that use telemetry data to track driver behaviors to determine if they are better drivers and selectively give them discounts. Companies need to process all this data and understand what it means. That requires data scientists.

Help launch the next Michael Li. Become a member of the Society today.

WHAT’S THE DATA INCUBATOR? It’s an eight-week fellowship that gives 50 masters and Ph.D.s essential skills they need to become data scientists for industry and then matches them with employers who pay for that training. We get about 2,000 applications a quarter for those 50 slots. The employers range from tech companies like Yelp, Betterment, or Foursquare to more established companies like The New York Times, Microsoft, eBay, JPMorganChase, and Pfizer.

The idea came from my experiences on both sides of the interview table. As a Ph.D. student who entered industry, I know the challenges students with an academic science background have in translating that background into something more worldly. As a hiring manager, I see people with great-looking resumes, but who don’t have science chops — the actual science knowledge, statistics, and programming really necessary to become a data scientist.

Michael developed a novel way to conduct nuclear fusion for his Intel STS 2003 project.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC.

SUCEEDING IN ACADEMICS VS. BUSINESS: Our job at The Data Incubator is getting Ph.D. students to stop thinking about problems in a five-year time frame and move to thinking about them in five-month, five-week, and then five-hour time frames. Five hours is really all the time you have to think about something in industry.

Academia and industry also have very different incentives. Academia rewards you for trying to find the most cutting-edge solution, even if it’s not always practical. You’re getting trained to have very theoretically-based conversations. That’s a solid base on which to build, but in industry you have to just get something out the door, get it done quickly and it doesn’t have to be perfect — just good enough.

NOT YOUR USUAL �� SUSPECTS: Data Incubator applicants are people with �� backgrounds, broadly interpreted. It’s not just your usual disciplines like math, physics, computer science, and statistics. We have a lot of strong applicants with backgrounds in political science, social science, environmental engineering — things you wouldn’t necessarily think about as traditional feeder disciplines for data science.

A lot of students interested in science feel like the oddball out. But when you meet people through science, you start realizing there’s a really big community here.

That’s because we’re very focused on the core skills you need to become a data scientist — a little bit of programming, and a little bit of statistics and probability, and a little bit of common sense. If you have those and you’re able to combine them, that’s dynamite.

INTEL STS AND “FEELING NORMAL” ABOUT LOVING SCIENCE: STS was key for me growing up. It made me realize how important science was. And it legitimized science for me in the sense that I realized I was normal in this crowd and not some sort of freakish aberration in the world. Of my entire childhood, STS is probably the place I felt the most comfortable. That was invaluable. It shaped who I became as an adult.

A lot of students interested in science feel that way in a lot of contexts — like the oddball out. But when you meet people through science, you start realizing — hey, there’s a really big community here. You’re not an oddball. That’s really important for young people.

THE STS NETWORK: A lot of my friends from high school are actually from STS. They’re some of the friends I’ve known the longest. A lot ended up in East Coast schools and applied for similar jobs. It’s a grapevine even today. We say to each other, “Oh, there’s a job opening at this company. You might want to apply.”

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO CREATE STARTUPS: Do it now. The younger you are, the fewer things you have in your life that will hold you back from taking chances.

And as a student, engage in a lot of non-profit entrepreneurial endeavors. It’s tremendously helpful to build something that matters, to see whether you can hit certain metrics and those skills are all very translatable whether or not you keep the money at the end of the day.

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CRISPR and dark matter

Communications Team — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 04:00:00 +0000

At the conclusion of the Intel Science Talent Search, the finalists and alumni from around the country converged for the Alumni Conference on March 16, 2016. Many notable panelists, Nobel Prize winners, and �� leaders discussed their journeys through science and engineering.

Two featured speakers during the conference were Feng Zhang, an Intel STS 2000 finalist and assistant professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, and Lisa Randall, a Westinghouse STS 1980 finalist and Frank B. Baird, Jr., professor of science at Harvard University.

Feng Zhang talked about the creation of CRISPR/Cas9 at the alumni conference. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC/LINDA DOANE.

Feng Zhang has been heavily invovled in the creation of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. The system has been covered a lot recently, for its potential ability to help treat diseases and the worries that it may lead some to alter what it is to be human.

Lisa Randall, , has written four books on physics. Her most recent, “: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe,” discusses the comet that killed the dinosaurs and three-quarters of other species on the planet.

“Writing books has given me an opportunity to bring science to the larger public,” Lisa said. “It’s translating science for the wider world.”

Feng Zhang

CRISPR/Cas9 is a very powerful system that allows scientists to sequence DNA cheaper, which is a huge breakthrough. The ability to go in and target genes is easier with this system.

Feng described a more simplistic way of understanding genes and DNA. “The gene is like a book and it’s composed of genetic sentences,” he said. “Punctuation marks are terminators, nouns are genes, adjectives are enhancers, and verbs are promoters.”

Mutations can occur anywhere, “anything can interrupt the sentence structure,” Feng said. And now CRISPR offers a better way to make corrections to the cells. Older technology, like gene therapy or gene augmentation, doesn’t work completely, he said.

With that existing technology, “you end up with something like ‘twinkle twinkle little BIG star’,” Feng said. “It doesn’t fully fix it. With RNA you get ‘twinkle twinkle ____ star.’ Which is still not fully complete.” Genome editing allows for the full correction of an error or mutation.

Feng compared CRISPR to the “find all, replace all” function on a computer.

“We need a way to place the cursor in the right spot (the DNA double stranded break,” he said. “That’s where we can carry out the editing.” This can start to reverse diseases like sickle cell or possibly HIV, he said.

A similar technique could be used to change agricultural seeds, to create ones with higher yeilds or drought resistance, he said.

“By looking into and harnessing natural systems, and exploring curiosity, we can develop systems that have the potential to really impact our lives,” Feng said.

Lisa Randall discussed her recent physics book, “Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs.” PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC/LINDA DOANE.

Lisa Randall

Lisa Randall has written four books on physics. Her most recent is “: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe.”

Lisa said she feels like the Westinghouse STS photo of her holding up a trophy is her baby picture in every physics department.

She’s interested in dark matter because it is fun to study. Her research combines smaller and larger scales of physics.

“As we get into the smaller scales [of physics], we learn about quantum mechanics, strong interactions which bind together. We discover new physical laws,” she said. “At larger scales, it seems that basically the same rules apply to the structure of the universe, the galaxy, the solar system.”

She also discussed the different scales of change. “Change happens in both ways, extremely fast and slowly. The Big Bang happened fast in the beginning, but now the universe is expanding slowly,” she said.

A main focus of science is curiosity, Lisa said. “Curiosity is the fact that we can ask questions,” she said. “The great thing about science is being able to ask questions but also having a specific topic you research. Focus leads to advances.”

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Society alumni: Let us know your college plans

Communications Team — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Are you an alumnus of one or more of the Society’s educational competitions (, , or ) who will be attending college as a freshman this fall?

Even though you have graduated from high school, you’re still an important member of the Society’s community, and we hope you will continue to be involved in the Society.

Please fill out this about the college or university you are attending to ensure that you receive valuable updates about alumni events that will be happening in your area in the coming year and information about other opportunities of interest.

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Society alumni at the 2015 White House Science Fair

Communications Team — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Eleven �� & the Public (Society) science fair alumni attended the fifth White House Science Fair today. All eleven students were participants in at least one of the Society’s prestigious science education programs, which include the , the , and the .

The students participating were Nikhil Behari, 14, of Sewickley, PA; Kelly Charley, 16, from Teec Nos Pos, AZ; Bluye DeMessie, 18 from Mason, OH; Anvita Gupta, 17, from Scottsdale, AZ; Nathan Han, 16, from Boston, MA; Holly Jackson, 14, from San Jose, CA; Eric Koehlmoos, 18, from Granville, IA; Alon Millet, 17, from Hackensack, NJ; Natalie Ng, 19, from Cupertino, CA; Ruchi Pandya, 18, from Saratoga, CA; and Harry Paul, 18, from Port Washington, NY. This is the fifth White House Science Fair that SSP alumni have been invited to attend.

“Events like the White House Science Fair not only reward successful and dedicated young researchers and inventors, but they also help inspire the next generation of students and build the talent pipeline,” said Maya Ajmera, CEO and President of �� & the Public, Publisher of Science News, and a Science Talent Search alumna. “We congratulate all of the students selected to attend and thank President Obama for his recognition of the importance of �� education and hands-on learning.”

“There’s a reason so many young people love science. It’s fun, it’s fascinating, and it helps us solve the mysteries of our world,” said President Obama. “I want more boys and girls across America to get the chance to study science, technology, engineering and math – and maybe have the opportunity to go on to careers in those fields, too. So I’m glad so many organizations are stepping up to support �� education. When we invest in our young people, we invest in our future.”

In conjunction with the White House Science Fair, the Society also announced a commitment to launch a pilot Society mini-grant program in 2015. This program will support under-served and socio-economically challenged students who have done scientific research by helping them to take the next step and submit their research for presentation and competition. Grants will be provided to individuals such as teachers, counselors, or mentors who agree to serve as an advocate for a group of 3-5 students and assist them in transitioning from conducting a scientific or engineering research project to completing the application for scientific competition(s).

“We think it’s vitally important to continue building and diversifying the pool of students participating in science fairs and other �� competitions.” adds Ajmera. “This pilot grant will let us test out, on a small scale, if having a dedicated advocate impacts participation rates.”

Read the press release for more information about the participating alumni.

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Intel STS 2015 Semifinalists Announced

Communications Team — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 05:00:00 +0000

On January 7, 300 high school seniors were named semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2015, a program of �� & the Public.

Each semifinalist receives a $1,000 award from the Intel Foundation with an additional $1,000 going to his or her school, resulting in $600,000 in total semifinalist awards. Semifinalists were selected from more than 1,800 entrants hailing from 460 high schools in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and five American and international high schools overseas.

On Jan. 21, 40 of the 300 semifinalists will be named Intel Science Talent Search finalists. Finalists will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 5-11, where they will compete for more than $1 million in awards.

Read the press release.

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Top awards tripled for Intel STS 2015

Communications Team — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 05:00:00 +0000

The Intel Science Talent Search, a program of �� & the Public and the nation’s oldest and most prestigious high school science and math competition, will offer three new top awards of $150,000 in 2015.

Overall awards for the Intel Science Talent Search 2015 will total $1,612,500; following an increase of $382,000 in awards from 2014.

Awards in 2015 will include Medals of Distinction in three areas: Basic Research, Global Good, and Innovation. The new award structure celebrates scientific and engineering skill and aptitude by emphasizing three different approaches, all equally deserving of high distinction:

The Basic Research Medal recognizes finalists who demonstrate their exceptional scientific potential through the depth of their research and analysis, which is critical to conducting basic or fundamental research.
The Global Good Medal rewards finalists who demonstrate great scientific potential through their passion to make a difference, most notably by seeking solutions to real-world problems.
The Innovation Medal celebrates finalists whose great potential is exemplified by applying the problem-solving aptitude of an engineer through innovative design and creativity.

Read the press release.

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Society competitions provide confidence and research direction for alums’ career

Communications Team — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000

, now a scientist and entrepreneur, won 10^th place at the 1999 and multiple awards at the , including a Fourth Award in Computer Science at Intel ISEF 1997 and a Second Award in Physics at Intel ISEF 1999.

Alexander Wissner-Gross.

What was your experience being an Intel Science Talent Search or International Science and Engineering Fair finalist like?

They were both seminal experiences in my life. The experience of preparing research for the competitions and then winning awards were formative experiences in my career. It gave me an enormous amount of confidence to pursue a research career. Being interviewed by Dr. Richard Gott, who was the head judge at Intel STS at the time, was particularly memorable. It was the first time, but would not be the last, that I had been through that type of rigorous research-intensive interview. The judging overall was a motivating experience.

Can you provide a short description of your research project and how you initially became interested in this topic/science in general?

In the late 1990’s, there was broad consensus that software as an industry had reached a plateau. The Microsoft anti-trust trial was in the news, and software was in a period of stagnation. I had always been interested in computer science, but when time came for me to select my research area of focus for my senior year of high school, I thought there might be greener pastures.

What I had found most interesting about computer science was being able to program in a perfectly controlled environment. At the time, nanotechnology was also a rising field; I had a growing interest in that because it seemed similar, except dealing with atoms instead of bits. My project was an attempt to fuse the programming of computer science with the physical world of atoms and molecules by physically programming matter. It would set my research direction for the next 15 years, and is tightly correlated to my current research and the foundation of the general umbrella of research I have pursued since, including being the subject of my undergraduate research at MIT and my thesis at Harvard.

Intel STS 1999 finalists at the Capitol. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC.

How did doing original research and participating in events like the Intel STS or Intel ISEF affect your career trajectory?

Participating in Intel ISEF and Intel STS helped set relatively early on the direction of my research. Overall, it also gave me the confidence to pursue research. I could easily imagine if I had been less validated by the process that I might not have gone on to get a PhD. The validation from credible members of academia who I was introduced to during these competitions really gave me the confidence to pursue a research trajectory.

What are you up to now?

I received my undergraduate degree from MIT, and then completed my PhD in physics from Harvard in 2007. Since then, I’ve had a dual-career trajectory. On the one side, I’ve had an academic career. I’m a Institute Fellow and Expert in Residence at Harvard and a Research Affiliate at MIT, primarily working with machine and computer learning, as well as programmable matter. I’ve also founded two successful companies that focus on the intersection of software and the physical world.

Career/research highlights you would like to share?

A I gave recently on the physics of intelligence has reached more than 1.4M views. It was based on data published last year that is the culmination of the better part of a decade of research fusing physics and computer science/artificial intelligence. I’ve won more than 112 major awards, including the ones from Intel ISEF and Intel STS.

Do you have any advice for young students interested in science?

The most surprising thing I’ve learned is that focusing on important and impactful problems is no more difficult than focusing on non-impactful problems. I originally had the idea that it might be, but it’s no easier to get answers for unimportant problems. Also, if you work on important issues and are creative, the world and the economy will reach out to help you achieve solutions in unexpected ways. My advice is only focus on what is important. Don’t waste your time on smaller issues with the illusion that it will be easier to see results.

Final thoughts?

Participating in Society’s educational competitions was fantastically impactful in my own career. It really motivated me to progress in and provided me the ability to pursue impactful research. Both Intel ISEF and Intel STS are tremendous assets for our national economy.

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ISEF alum’s team wins SPARK awards for sensor system

Communications Team — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000

Barnas “Barney” Monteith, an finalist in 1992 and 1994 and semifinalist, was recently part of a team effort that won awards in both the prototype and ideation categories of the (SPARK) competition. The �� & the Public caught up with him at his booth in the USA Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington, D.C. this April to learn more about his entries.

I first heard about the SPARK competition through an email message sent out to alumni of the Society’s science competitions. [SPARK was a joint effort of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and �� & the Public.] Our company, Tumblehome Learning, had already published several books and small items meant as supplemental materials designed to help develop the pipeline of future science fair participants by getting children interested in science and experimentation. We had always planned to do more, but when we heard about the competition, we decided it was time to come up with something more concrete.

I’ve been the Chair of the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair for years, and I know how important the science fair experience was for me personally. The books we’ve published (four available now, and four more being published in the fall) and our submissions to SPARK all try to maximize hands-on experiences. We want kids to have fun while they learn, not just memorize facts. We want them to be interested in becoming scientists and engineers. To do that, we have to reach kids early and in their own language. We’ve found that the storytelling approach is particularly helpful with that, as the kids identify with the characters who are working through the ��-based problems they encounter. One upcoming book uses codes and ciphers and is set at a location based on Intel ISEF. We also think offering books, software, and kits (like what we submitted to the SPARK competition) cater to students’ different learning preferences and provide as much flexibility as possible.

We created the SenSay Sensor System because we thought existing sensor platforms were aimed at specific markets; they either were too simple or too complicated. We wanted something that kids could use without access to a lot of background knowledge or skills in electrical engineering, software, soldering, etc. but that would still have sensitive sensors that they could use at home, after school, or in various locations. We decided that creating something modular, but flexible, so that it could be combined and used in different ways was the most useful. We wanted to spark ideas for science fair projects in students that may not have extensive resources. Opportunities in �� shouldn’t be limited by factors like the economy.

Our next step is finding reliable partners that can help us bring this to commercial scale production. We’ve already had some successful discussions with partners, which I don’t think would have happened without the publicity and seed money that winning SPARK awards provided. Our system is interlocking and we don’t want kids to get frustrated if one piece doesn’t work, so we want an experienced partner. We also plan to conduct more beta testing. We want kids to have a quality experience and enjoy working with the sensors.

�� the SPARK projects:

The Tumblehome Learning team won second place in both the prototype and ideation categories for related concepts. The “SenSay Sensor System” is a modular all-in-one sensor and exploration kit with online supports. The kit lets explorers experiment with physics, environmental energy, biology, chemistry and engineering design without having to solder parts together or use a pre-existing bulky microcontroller. The sensor allows users to gather data, provides output on a computer, and provides immediate feedback via sound, light, and graphs. The kit provides a novel way to get children interested in – and interacting with– data and its analysis.

SenSay Sustainable Villages, if developed, will allow young people to design and build model solutions to universal problems of human settlement, including shelter, heat and insulation, lighting, solar and wind power, pumping and purifying water, growing plants with irrigation or hydroponics, and managing a pond or aquarium. Users would experiment both virtually and in the real world, where they will use sensors and other components of the SenSay Sensor System to model solutions to challenges.

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Intel Fellows Put on Reverse Science Fair for Intel STS Finalists

Communications Team — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:00:00 +0000

On Monday, March 10, the 40 finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search got a chance to turn the tables on Intel employees, who were presenting their work and answering finalists’ questions. Participating Intel employees included:

Candace Metoyer, Marketing Manager, Market Sizing and Forecasting
PhD in Statistics, MS in Statistics, and BS in Chemical Engineering, all from University of California-Davis
Becky Loop, Principal Engineer, PC Client Group
BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida
Jennifer Healey, Research Scientist, User Experience Research Lab
PhD, MS, and BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT
Michael Mayberry, Vice President of Technology and Manufacturing Group; Director, Components Research
PhD in Physical Chemistry from University of California-Berkeley, BS in Chemistry and Mathematics from Midland College
Richard Beckwith, Research Psychologist, User Experience Research Lab
PhD in Developmental and Educational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University
Peter Wolochow, Director of Stakeholder and Portfolio Strategies
B.Apsc. in Electrical Engineering from University of British Columbia

These and several other Intel employees also joined the finalists for dinner, allowing them even more time to ask questions about their careers and research. Mike Bell, Vice President; General Manager, New Devices Group, told finalists that he “can’t wait to see who wins…I’m excited to be here. Someone has to take our jobs when we retire and we’re hoping you can take over.”

Justin Rattner, Senior Fellow and former Chief Technology Officer at Intel, gave the keynote address after dinner. He told finalists, “I was a science fair winner. Not like this one, just a little one.” He described how he had built a small digital computer in the 8th grade, and how no one at the junior high science fair believed he had done it on his own, going so far to call his father at work and ask about it. “They finally decided I was legit, and gave me first place.”

Rattner’s experience at the science fair was important in helping him set goals and ambitions, and he hopes that participating in the Intel STS does the same for the 40 finalists. He also discussed how independent research can be rewarding in a way classroom learning just can’t be, and that participating in research can impact your career outlook and give you more options. He mentioned that Intel and other industrial research organizations value scientists and engineers that have completed academic work at the highest level.

He closed the night by telling the audience, “I am looking forward to the opportunity to spend more time with folks like yourself, and focusing on how Intel can impact �� education.”

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