Montgomery Blair High School Student Named Intel Science Talent Search Finalist

[Howard Hartman]

Montgomery Blair High School Student
Named Intel Science Talent Search Finalist

Yifan Li, a 12th grade student in the Science, Mathematics, Computer Science Magnet at Montgomery Blair High School, has been named one of 40 finalists in the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search. Li, a resident of Rockville, was recognized for his research project, Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells in Culture.

The national finalists in the talent search are high school seniors who entered papers on their independent research projects in science, engineering, mathematics, or computer science. The finalists will compete for college scholarships from the Intel Foundation totaling more than $600,000, with a top prize of a $100,000 scholarship.

Li is one of 15 semifinalists in MCPS this year—12 of them from Montgomery Blair High School and one each from Thomas S. Wootton, Richard Montgomery, and Walt Whitman high schools. Montgomery County Public Schools is tied with the New York City Department of Education for the school district having the largest number of semifinalists in the nation.

The finalists will participate in a rigorous judging process in Washington, D.C. from March 11-16. The top winners will be announced at a black-tie gala award ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 16.

Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the Science Talent Search since its inception in 1942. This year marks Intel'ss 12th year sponsoring the program.

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