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2014 ISEF AAPT-APS Special Organization Award winners2014 ISEF Special Awards

College Park, MD, May 30, 2014—AAPT/APS Special Awards in Physics and Astronomy at the 2014 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) were announced during the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the fair. The 2014 competition, held in Los Angeles, California, May 11-16, is the only international science project competition for students in grades 9 through 12. Students qualify to compete by participating in school, local, regional, and/or state science fairs.

Top award winners receive a one-year AAPT and APS student membership, a certificate from both AAPT and APS, as well as subscriptions to AAPT’s The Physics Teacher and select APS journals. Each sponsoring teacher of a student who receives an AAPT and APS award also receives a certificate.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF),https://student.societyforscience.org/special-awards-organizations is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, providing an annual forum for more than 1,700 high school students from over 70 countries, regions, and territories to showcase their independent research and compete for about $5 million in awards.

In addition to the Grand Awards, which were announced on Friday, May 16, more than 70 Special Awards organizations also provide awards. Special Award organizations provide educational scholarships, cash awards, summer internships, scientific field trips, and equipment grants. Special Awards were announced on Thursday, May 15.

AAPT/APS 2014 Special Award Winners:

First Award of $1,200
PH041    Spectral Smartphone: Rapid Prototyping Mobile Platform Diffraction Spectrophotometry    
Allen Jiang, 16, duPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky
   Teacher: John Albright

Second Award of $800
PH013    Nova Delphini 2013: A Backyard Analysis of a Classical Nova    
Piper Michelle Reid, 17, Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs, Texas
    Teacher: Kim Reid 

Third Award of $500
PH305    Holes Can Lift: A Continuing Study of the Separation Effects of Airfoil Slots    
Sarah Nicole Hancock, 16, Clear Horizons Early College High School, Houston, Texas
Kate Rutherford, 17, Clear Horizons Early College High School, Houston, Texas
   Teacher: Sheryl Dalpe

Certificate of Honorable Mention
PH007    Rocks of the Rainbow: Asteroid Classification Using SDSS Filters    
Stephanie Hiromi Spear, 16, Henry J. Kaiser High School, Honolulu, Hawaii
    Teacher: Keith Huntington


PH019    Novel Automated Next-Generation Multijunction Quantum Dot Solar Panel Designs Using Monte Carlo-Based Modeling
Valerie S. Ding, 17, Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Oregon
   Teacher: Veronica Ledoux


PH053    Piezoforce Imaging of Confined Oxide Nanowires
Akash Levy, 17, Taylor Allderdice High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    Teacher: Janet Waldeck


Top award winners receive a one-year AAPT and APS student membership, a certificate from both AAPT and APS, as well as one-year electronic subscriptions to AAPT's journals, "The Physics Teacher," "The American Journal of Physics," and other APS journals. Each sponsoring teacher of a student who receives an AAPT and APS award also will receive a certificate.

About AAPT
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists—with members worldwide. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications, and programs that encourage teaching practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development, and reward excellence in physics education. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

For more information: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301)209-3306, (301)209-0845 (Fax)