Regeneron Science Talent Search

The Regeneron Science Talent Search, known for its first 57 years[1] as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, and then as the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) from 1998 through 2016,[2] is a research-based science competition in the United States for high school seniors. It has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious" [3] science competition. In his speech at the dinner honoring the 1991 Winners, President George H. W. Bush called the competition the "Super Bowl of science."[4]

The 2002 Intel Science Talent Search finalist banquet, held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, where the ten winners were announced and all 40 finalists were acknowledged.

History

The Society for Science & the Public began the competition in 1942 with Westinghouse Electric Corporation; for many years, the competition was known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. In 1998, Intel became the sponsor after it outbid several other companies.[5] In May 2016, it was announced that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals would be the new title sponsor.[6] Over the years, some 147,000 students have entered the competition. Over 22,000 have been named semifinalists and 2,920 have traveled to Washington, D.C., as contest finalists. Collectively, they have received millions of dollars in scholarships and gone on, in later years, to capture Nobel Prizes, Fields Medals, MacArthur Fellowships and numerous other accolades.[7]

Thirteen went on to receive Nobel Prizes, two earned the Fields Medal, eleven have been awarded the National Medal of Science, eighteen received MacArthur Fellowships; three have won the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research; five have won a Breakthrough Prize; 43 have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences; and eleven have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.[7]

In 2020, due to the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, Society for Science & The Public and Regeneron have decided to hold the finalist week as a virtual competition in lieu of traveling to Washington D.C.[8]

Competition

Entrants to the competition conduct original researchsometimes at home and sometimes by "working with leading research teams at universities, hospitals and private laboratories."[1] The selection process is highly competitive, and besides the research paper, letters of recommendation, essays, test scores, extracurricular activities, and high school transcripts may be factored in the selection of finalists and winners.

Awards as of 2017[9]
AwardPrize
First Place$250,000
Second Place$175,000
Third Place$150,000
Fourth Place$100,000
Fifth Place$90,000
Sixth Place$80,000
Seventh Place$70,000
Eighth Place$60,000
Ninth Place$50,000
Tenth Place$40,000
40 Finalists$25,000
300 Semifinalists$2,000

Each year, approximately 1,800 papers are submitted. The top 300 applicants are announced in mid-January and since 2017 each semifinalist and their school receives $2,000 from the title sponsor.[10] In late January, the 40 Finalists (the award winners) are informed. In March, the Finalists are flown to Washington, D.C. where they are interviewed for the top ten spots, which have awards up to $250,000 The judges have included Glenn T. Seaborg (Nobel Laureate with Edwin M. McMillan in Chemistry, 1951) and Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. (Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1993). All Finalists receive awards of at least $25,000.[9]

Demography

Since the beginning of the competition, students from New York have done very well in the Science Talent Search, although there have been finalists from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Certain high schools have been particularly successful at placing semifinalists and finalists in the Science Talent Search.

Top states

New York has had by far the most finalists in the competition, followed by California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, Texas, and Ohio. [11][12][13][14][15]

Top states for finalists (1942–2020)
StateFinalists
New York997
California289
Illinois173
Pennsylvania125
Maryland122
New Jersey120
Florida114
Virginia108
Massachusetts101
Texas93
Ohio90

Leading high schools in recent era

Reliable online records of the high schools attended by semifinalists and finalists are only available since 1999, when Intel took over sponsorship of the Science Talent Search, although there are newspaper articles naming the finalists from earlier years.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] A small group of schools have produced a large number of the recent semifinalists and finalists.[28]

Four specialized STEM schools top the list, averaging more than 8 semifinalists per year: Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD, Stuyvesant High School in New York, NY, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA, and Bronx High School of Science in Bronx, NY. Many winners also come from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton, TX, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, NJ, and the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, IL. Among high schools without selective admissions, New York public schools top the list, with Ward Melville High School in East Sautuket, Byram Hills High School in Armonk, Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, and Jericho High School in Jericho among the top ten. Only one private school, The Harker School in San Jose, CA, is among the top schools.[11][29][30][31][12][32][13][33][14][34][15]

Schools with the most semifinalists and finalists (1999–2020)
SchoolCityStateSemi-finalistsFinalists
Montgomery Blair High SchoolSilver SpringMD22543
Stuyvesant High SchoolNew YorkNY19222
Bronx High School of ScienceNew YorkNY18511
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and TechnologyAlexandriaVA17718
Ward Melville High SchoolEast SetauketNY14312
Byram Hills High SchoolArmonkNY10417
Jericho High SchoolJerichoNY10112
Texas Academy of Mathematics and ScienceDentonTX9711
Paul D. Schreiber High SchoolPort WashingtonNY966
The Harker SchoolSan JoseCA9419
North Carolina School of Science and MathematicsDurhamNC944
Bergen County AcademiesHackensackNJ8910
Ossining High SchoolOssiningNY765
Roslyn High SchoolRoslynNY728
Great Neck North High SchoolGreat NeckNY727
Great Neck South High SchoolGreat NeckNY535
John F. Kennedy High SchoolBellmoreNY516
Midwood High SchoolBrooklynNY505
Lawrence High SchoolCedarhurstNY493
Illinois Math and Science AcademyAuroraIL489
Lynbrook High SchoolSan JoseCA438
Hunter College High SchoolNew YorkNY415
Greenwich High SchoolGreenwichCT386

List of prominent individuals who were past winners

Finalist[7]YearPlaced[11]High SchoolNotability
Robert Kraichnan19442nd boyNational Academy of Sciences
Ben Mottelson1944FinalistLyons Township High School1975 Nobel Prize in Physics
Andrew Sessler1945Finalist Forest Hills High SchoolNational Academy of Sciences
Gerald Edelman1946SemifinalistJohn Adams High School1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Leon Cooper1947FinalistBronx High School of Science1972 Nobel Prize in Physics
Martin Karplus1947Top Boy Newton High School2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Ronald Breslow1948Finalist1991 National Medal of Science
R. Stephen Berry1948FinalistEast High School1983 MacArthur Fellowship, National Academy of Sciences
Walter Gilbert1949FinalistSidwell Friends School1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sheldon Glashow1950FinalistBronx High School of Science1979 Nobel Prize in Physics
Paul Cohen1950FinalistStuyvesant High School1966 Fields Medal
John L. Hall1952SemifinalistSouth High School2005 Nobel Prize in Physics
David Mumford1953FinalistPhillips Exeter Academy1974 Fields Medal
Joanna Russ1953Top TenWilliam Howard Taft High SchoolHugo and Nebula Awards, author of The Female Man
Marcian Hoff1954Top Ten Churchville-Chili Senior High School2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Roald Hoffmann1955FinalistStuyvesant High School1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Leroy Hood1956FinalistShelby High School2011 National Medal of Science
Kip Thorne1958SemifinalistLogan High School2017 Nobel Prize in Physics
Robert Axelrod1961FinalistEvanston Township High School2012 National Medal of Science
Gary A. Wegner1963FinalistBothell High SchoolHumboldt Prize
Paul L. Modrich1964SemifinalistRaton High School2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Ray Kurzweil1965FinalistMartin Van Buren High School1999 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Frank Wilczek1967FinalistMartin Van Buren High School2004 Nobel Prize in Physics
Alvin Roth1968SemifinalistMartin Van Buren High School2012 Nobel Prize in Economics
Roger Y. Tsien19681st Place Livingston High School2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Thomas Felix Rosenbaum1973Finalist Forest Hills High SchoolPresident, California Institute of Technology
Eric Lander19741st PlaceStuyvesant High School2014 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
F. Thomson Leighton19742nd PlaceStuyvesant High SchoolNational Academy of Sciences, Akamai Technologies co-founder and CEO
Paul Zeitz19751st PlaceStuyvesant High School1974 USAMO Winner
George Yancopoulos1976Top TenBronx High School of ScienceNational Academy of Sciences, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals co-founder and CSO
Richard H. Ebright1977FinalistMuhlenberg High SchoolAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences
Ron Unz19791st PlaceNorth Hollywood High SchoolWall Street Analytics founder; political activist
Lisa Randall19801st PlaceStuyvesant High SchoolNational Academy of Sciences
Brian Greene1980FinalistStuyvesant High SchoolThe Elegant Universe author
Noam Elkies1982FinalistStuyvesant High School2004 Levi L. Conant Prize
Wendy Chung19861st PlaceMiami Killian High SchoolAmerican Academy of Pediatrics Young Investigator Award
Jordan Ellenberg19892nd PlaceWinston Churchill High School American Mathematical Society Fellow
Matthew Headrick19901st PlaceUniversity of Chicago Laboratory SchoolsHigh h-index/highly cited physicist
Maneesh Agrawala1990FinalistMontgomery Blair High School2009 MacArthur Fellowship
Christopher Bouton1992FinalistSaint Ann's School (Brooklyn)Entagen founder and CEO
Wei-Hwa Huang19936th PlaceMontgomery Blair High SchoolWorld Puzzle Champion 1995, 1997-1999
Robert Sarvis19944th PlaceThomas Jefferson High School for Science and TechnologyLibertarian politician
Daniel Biss1995FinalistBloomington North High SchoolIllinois state senator
Jacob Lurie19961st PlaceMontgomery Blair High School2014 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
Keith Winstein19994th PlaceIllinois Mathematics and Science Academy2014 SIGCOMM Doctoral Dissertation Award
Feng Zhang20003rd PlaceTheodore Roosevelt High School2014 NSF Alan T. Waterman Award
Mariangela Lisanti20011st PlaceStaples High School2013 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
Tianhui Michael Li20032nd PlaceOregon Episcopal SchoolMarshall Scholar, Hertz Foundation Fellow, data scientist, founder and CEO of The Data Incubator[35]

See also

The Society for Science & the Public also administers two other international science competitions:

References

  1. "Finalists Named in 57th Annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 26, 1998. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  2. Hardy, Quentin (Sep 9, 2015). "Intel to End Sponsorship of Science Talent Search". The New York Times.
  3. Ramírez, Eddy (February 1, 2008). "Stuyvesant High School Students Ace the Intel Competition". U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  4. Huler, Scott (April 15, 1991). "Nurturing Science's Young Elite: Westinghouse Talent Search". The Scientist. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  5. "Intel Corp. To Sponsor Annual Science Contest". Education Weekly. 1 April 1998.
  6. Pierson, Ransdell. "Biotech Regeneron replaces Intel as sponsor of Science Talent Search". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  7. "Society Alumni Honors". Society for Science and the Public. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  8. https://www.societyforscience.org/blog/regeneron-sts-2020-will-go-virtual/
  9. "Teen Scientist Researches New Approach to Neurological Damage; Wins Regeneron Science Talent Search 2017". Society for Science and the Public. 14 March 2017.
  10. Hardy, Quentin (May 26, 2016). "Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to Sponsor Science Talent Search". New York Times. p. B2.
  11. "Science Talent Search Through the Years". Society for Science & the Public. 1942–2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  12. "Regeneron STS 2017 Finalists". Society for Science & the Public. 24 January 2017.
  13. "Regeneron STS 2018 Finalists". Society for Science & the Public. 23 January 2018.
  14. "Regeneron STS 2019 Finalists". Society for Science & the Public. 23 January 2019.
  15. "2020 Regeneron STS Finalists". Society for Science & the Public. 22 January 2020.
  16. "40 Top High School Scientists Gather in Washington". Associated Press. Mar 4, 1989.
  17. "NY Schools Lead Nation in Westinghouse Science Finalists". Associated Press. Jan 26, 1990.
  18. "Minutes of the Board of Education" (PDF). Montgomery County Board of Education. May 8, 1990.
  19. Nieves, Evelyn (Jan 25, 1991). "50 Westinghouse Years, 50 New York Triumphs". The New York Times.
  20. Berger, Joseph (Jan 29, 1992). "Stuyvesant Shines Again in Westinghouse Awards". The New York Times.
  21. "In a Minority District in Maryland, A Magnet School That Really Draws". The New York Times. Mar 3, 1993.
  22. "Westinghouse Science Contest Honors 14 New York Students". The New York Times. Jan 24, 1994.
  23. "L.I. Youth Among Winners In National Science Contest". The New York Times. Mar 14, 1995.
  24. "Westinghouse Science Talent Search Finalists Arrive in Washington". PR Newswire Association. Mar 8, 1995.
  25. "Science talent search names 40 finalists". Science Service. Jan 27, 1996.
  26. "Finalists From the New York Area". The New York Times. Jan 28, 1997.
  27. "The 40 Westinghouse Science Talent Search Finalists". The New York Times. Jan 27, 1998.
  28. Schank, Hana (12 March 2015). "Science Fairs Aren't So Fair". The Atlantic.
  29. "Science Talent Search Past Results". Internet Wayback Machine: Society for Science & the Public. 1999–2007. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007.
  30. "Past STS Results". Internet Wayback Machine: Society for Science & the Public. 2004–2009. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011.
  31. "Regeneron STS 2017 Scholars". Society for Science & the Public. 2017. Retrieved 4 Jan 2017.
  32. "Regeneron STS 2018 Scholars". Society for Science & the Public. 9 Jan 2018.
  33. "Regeneron STS 2019 Scholars". Society for Science & the Public. 9 Jan 2019.
  34. "2020 Regeneron STS Scholars". Society for Science & the Public. 8 Jan 2020.
  35. "Alumni to watch: Michael Li & The Data Incubator".
  36. "Broadcom MASTERS". Society for Science and the Public. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
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