Senior Lisa Deng was named a semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), one of 300 semifinalists out of nearly 1,800 applications to be in the running for the top prize of $100,000. Only a couple months earlier, Deng was recognized as a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.
Deng submitted the same project to the Intel STS as she did to the Siemens competition; however, Intel asks competitors to answer questions, write essays and submit test scores, transcripts and teacher recommendations, Deng said.
“It’s a huge competition with many great research projects,” she said. “Winning doesn’t just depend on your project, but also your ability to articulate why you can become a great scientific leader.”
Deng studied ways to regulate the immune system to avoid inflammation. Deng’s research can be applied to common health problems. Down-regulating the immune system, or reducing inflammation, can help relieve the effects of allergic reactions or asthma attacks, Deng said.
As a semifinalist, Deng earned $1,000 for herself, as well as $1,000 for Whitman, which will be used to “further excellence in science, math, and engineering education,” according to an MCPS statement. Fourteen other MCPS students attending Blair, Churchill, Richard Montgomery and Poolesville were named semifinalists.
Intel will name 40 finalists on Jan. 22, who will be “invited to Washington, D.C. in March to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, meet with notable scientists and compete for the top award of $100,000,” the Intel STS website writes.
