XOM Exxon Mobil Corp

More than 50 Texas students were awarded top honors for their science and engineering projects at the 2006 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair held March 30 - April 1, 2006 at the at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Best of Show awards went to Thomas Catanach of Allen, Texas in the Senior Division and Houston student Kaci Franssen in the Junior Division. The 20th annual state competition, presented annually by the Texas Science Careers Consortium and hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), recognized all students placing first, second, third or receiving an honorable mention in the fair's 16 competitive categories. In addition, more than $250,000 in scholarships were awarded. The competition drew more than 1,000 students from across Texas. Students competed in two divisions -- junior division (grades 6-8) and senior division (grades 9-12). Grand prize winners in the senior division received all-expense paid trips that will allow them to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), which will be held May 7-13, 2006 in Indianapolis. The top 10 percent of competitors in the junior division were invited to apply for the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge in Washington, D.C. occurring in October. "At ExxonMobil, we share the nation's concern regarding so many children's disinterest and low test scores in mathematics and science. As a math and science-based company, we regard the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair as an investment for the future," said Truman Bell, Education Program Officer, ExxonMobil Foundation. "Science fairs allow students to pursue real-life applications of the disciplines they are learning in an environment filled with excitement, competition, recognition and, potentially, college scholarships." ExxonMobil Foundation provided a $60,000 grant to support the event and has been the title sponsor of the state competition since 2001. A portion of the grant went towards a diversity recruitment initiative that enabled more minority youth to participate in the regional and state competitions. "The number of students competing at the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair has grown annually, thanks to ExxonMobil's support over the past six years," said Stuart Birnbaum, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and executive director for this year's ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair. "The creativity and high level thinking skills these middle and high school students demonstrate is simply amazing. The recognition, awards and scholarships they receive are well-deserved, but the learning gained through their science fair project work is the most valuable thing they will carry with them as they continue their studies of science." The Texas Science Careers Consortium, which represents the science programs of public universities around the state, has been operating the state level science competition since 2001. Students qualify for the state competition by placing first, second or third in a Science Service-sanctioned regional fair. Students were also selected for special awards from donors such as the American Meteorological Society, American Psychological Society, Association for Women Scientists, Discovery Channel, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association, National Society of Professional Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy/Marine Corps. ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation engages in a broad range of philanthropic activities focusing on the communities where Exxon Mobil Corporation has significant operations. In 2005, ExxonMobil Foundation, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and its divisions and affiliates provided $133 million in contributions worldwide, with $42 million dedicated to education. Additional information on the 2006 ExxonMobil Texas State Science and Engineering Fair is available at www.emtsef.org.