An Ossining high school senior is one of 40 students nationwide who were selected as finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
In January, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Society for Science and the Public announced the finalists of the science competition, the nation’s oldest science and math talent search for high school seniors.
Skyler Jones, a senior at Ossining High School, was selected for her project titled “Large Polaron Formation as a Charge Carrier Protection Mechanism in MAPbBr3 and CsPbBr3 Perovskite Crystals.”
Jones and other finalists will be in Washington, D.C. from March 8 to 14, where they will undergo a rigorous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. Finalists are each awarded at least $25,000 and the top 10 awards, which will be announced at an awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 13, range from $40,000 to $250,000.
They will also have the opportunity to interact with leading scientists, meet with members of Congress and display their projects to the public at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on March 11.
Finalists are from 31 schools in 15 states and were selected based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside the classroom.
The competition is the result of a partnership between Tarrytown-based Regeneron and Society for Science and the Public, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. that has produced and organized the Science Talent Search since its founding in 1942.
“The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are tomorrow’s scientific leaders, and their projects address some of the most urgent challenges we face as a society. Our world has no greater or more important resource than these bright young minds,” said Dr. George D. Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron. “I have deep respect and appreciation for each student who conducted extensive scientific research and completed a Regeneron Science Talent Search application.”
The competition holds a special significance for Yancopoulos and Dr. Leonard S. Schleifer, Regeneron”™s CEO who founded the company in 1988. Both are alumni of the Science Talent Search, selected when they were in high school in the 1970s.
Regeneron took over the title sponsorship role of the talent search from Intel Corp., which sponsored the competition for 18 years. Prior to that, Westinghouse Electric Corp. was lead sponsor of the Science Talent Search from its inception in 1942.
Regeneron, New York state”™s largest and fastest-growing biopharmaceutical employer, is backing its commitment to the competition with $100 million in funding over 10 years.
“This year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are some of the best and brightest young scientists and mathematicians in our country,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News.
To enter the talent search, students must complete an original research project and extensive application process. Finalists were selected from 300 scholars and more than 1,800 entrants. Their projects cover a variety of disciplines, including behavioral and social sciences, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and plant and space sciences.
For more information, visit student.societyforscience.org.
